Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Great Britain. It is often referred to as the “gateway to the Scottish Highlands.” In Gaelic, the name probably means “venomous,” which would well describe its rough terrain, twisting trails and sheer cliffs. The mountain’s rugged beauty draws hikers to it like iron to a magnet.
Recently, a British magazine, “Hiking,” featured an article about Ben Nevis in which they gave specific directions on how to descend from its summit. As the directions were originally written, they were more than capable of guiding hikers safely down the mountain. They would have been particularly valuable to someone struggling in foul weather.
However, to make room in the magazine for advertising, critical parts of the directions were edited out to save space. The directions as printed were deadly in error. Instead of leading unsuspecting hikers to safety, anyone following them would be guided to step off a cliff and fall thousands of feet to certain death.
Mountains demand our respect. If you are going hiking in the mountains, you want directions that are dependable, because one error can cost your life.
The Bible is God’s great text of directions for mankind. In its inspired pages we can find all we need to set us on the path that will lead to eternal life. We can safely depend on all of it. “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him” (Prov. 30:55Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)).
But a very real danger is that men set themselves up to be judges of what really belongs in God’s Word. Instead of submitting to it the way God wants them to, they often decide what parts of it are worthwhile and ignore the rest.
Miracles, the deity of Christ, and redemption through blood are all parts of it that many people have, as it were, deleted from the Bible. But each of these truths is so critically important that the way of salvation is utterly lost without them.
Miracles are supernatural occurrences that do not follow the normal course of events. The grand miracle of the Bible is the resurrection of Christ. In the normal course of events, when a man died he stayed that way. But when the Lord Jesus died He remained dead in the grave for three days before He rose again by the power of God. His resurrection means everything to the believer, as it says in Romans, “Jesus our Lord...was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:24-2524But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:24‑25)).
What is the living proof that believers are justified and cleared from all their guilt? It is the Lord Jesus Christ risen from the dead. God now sees every believer in Him, and in some future moment all those who died in faith will rise out of their graves in like manner to meet their Savior. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God [has] raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
Another great truth many would like to strike from the pages of the Bible is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Many today would like to believe that He was nothing more than a great teacher. And here they are dead wrong. He was a man, and a great teacher, but He will always be more than that. He is the eternal God. As the second person of the triune God, He is co-existent and co-equal to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This second person of the trinity left the glories of heaven to be born in a manger as an infant. In the wonder of the incarnation, the Son of God became a man. The One who in a past eternity spoke a word and the world leapt into existence came to earth and spoke God’s word to multitudes of hungry souls. To make a way that all men might be saved, He let Himself be led to the cross where He died for sinners. Because He is the Son of God, His death on the cross has infinite power to cancel the guilt of all those who believe on Him.
Yet another great truth some would like to remove from the Bible is the idea of redemption by blood. Make no mistake about it. The Bible is clear and plain. “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)).
In another place it says, “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)). For those who are so bold as to try to erase this precious truth from the sacred text there will never be any atonement or remission of sin. They may ask forgiveness of the men they have wronged, but that won’t bring about the remission of sins in God’s sight. They may realize the error of their ways and try to change for the better, but that won’t redeem their souls from death and judgment. The sins they have committed may fade in their memories, but “God requireth that which is past” (Eccl. 3:1515That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:15)).
God knows all things perfectly, and in His mind they remain as fresh as the moment they happen. The sinner must come in faith to Jesus Christ to have sins washed away. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Be wise and bow your heart to all the truth in God’s Word. Don’t be your own worst enemy by setting yourself up as a judge of God’s Word! Instead, let it judge you and be your guide. You have the privilege of going to its very Author in prayer and asking for help. If you are not saved yet but want to be, it really is very simple. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
Don’t delay!