Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
“There is only one God, brethren, and we learn about Him only from sacred Scripture. It is therefore our duty to become acquainted with what Scripture proclaims and to investigate its teachings thoroughly. We should believe them in the sense that the Father wills, thinking of the Son in the way that the Father wills, and accepting the teaching He wills to give us with regard to the Holy Spirit. Sacred Scripture is God’s gift to us and it should be understood in the way that He intends: we should not do violence to it by interpreting it according to our own preconceived ideas.”
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in Noetis as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 201.
Augustine is also widely attested to have made this profound quote which follows along the lines of his remarks in today’s post.
“If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
Many people when they read Scripture pick and choose which passages they will follow and which ones they will not follow.
We do this because as fallen human persons, we tend to rationalize disobedience and justifying self-righteous behavior.
In plain terms, we pursue our own will rather than submitting to the will of the Father following the example of Jesus.
Instead, when we study God’s Word thoroughly, we learn new things and receive new gifts to enjoy and share.
Increase the amount of time you spend in the Word this week and see how it shapes your generosity.
We had a great time at the wedding in San Diego with friends yesterday. Off to Austin for another wedding tomorrow.