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The Bible Is Your Manufacturer's
Instruction Manual
by Alex D. Ogden
The
above sentence sermon was seen outside a religious meeting house some years ago.
I was first told of the sign by another who remembered it a little differently.
They thought it had said,
The Bible Is
Your Manufacturer's
Owner's
Manual.
I thought it was a good sentence sermon and thus I fixed it up and printed it in
the bulletin I then edited. When I saw the sign for myself and saw the sign
actually said the Bible is our
Instruction
manual, I began to realize that the Bible is not our owner's manual.
The thought of a manufacturer's owner's manual is for something to be the
creation of a company and they then sell that item to an individual who learns
how to use it by the owner's manual (so called because they are now the owners
of the item). But stop and think about it for a moment. We are the creation or
Jehovah, no disagreement there, but the Bible has not been given to us as an
owner's manual because we do not own ourselves. Paul said,
"...ye are
not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your
body" (1Cor.6:19,20). We do not belong to ourselves but to the Lord
and, therefore, the Bible cannot be thought of as our owner's manual.
But
the thought of the Bible being given to us as our
Instruction
manual is a very good one. The Lord created us and placed us on this
earth. But man needs guidance in how to live his life. Jeremiah the prophet put
it this way,
"0 Jehovah, I
know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to
direct his steps" (Jer.10:23). Man needs guidance or instructions in
how to live his life. It's like many of the gifts our children receive for their
birthdays or other occasions. Special instructions are included to aid the
parent in the assembly and operation of the toy. Without some type of
instruction, many toys would be useless. Likewise, without instruction from our
creator our life on this earth would be totally useless, without any real value.
The
Bible gives us full and complete instruction in how to live our life here on the
earth in preparation of an eternal life with the Father in heaven. Notice the
words of the apostle Paul,
"Every
scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may
be complete, furnished completely unto every good work" (2
Tim.3:16,17). Although it is not in man to direct his own steps, our creator has
supplied us with a manual to instruct us in how to live our life here and how to
prepare for an eternity with Him in heaven.
The
Bible instructs us how to become a child of God, a Christian. It shows us the
love our creator has for us, His creation, by the sacrifice He made of His only
begotten Son, Jesus. This immeasurable love of God motivates us to become all He
would have us to be. Thus, we follow His instructions to become one of His
children. He tells us to believe in Jesus as His Son and as the Messiah promised
throughout the Old Testament (cf.Jn.3:16). He tells us to believe in His Son to
such a degree that we will repent of our sins (Acts 17:30), confess our faith to
others (Rom.10:10), and be buried with His Son in a watery grave called baptism
(Mk.16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). If we will follow His instructions found in the
Bible, we will become a Christian, a child of God.
The
Bible also instructs us of our responsibilities as a child of God. It shows us
the responsibilities we have as individual Christians as well as the
responsibilities we have as we work together as a congregation. If we will
follow the instructions found in the Bible we will individually become mature
children of God (cf.Eph.4:11-16) and as a congregation we will become strong and
influential, like the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess.1:7,8).
The
Bible instructs us how to live in every relationship we may enter into in this
life. It gives instructions pertaining to our relationship to our government
(Rom.13:1-8), the relationships of the home (Eph.5:22-33; 6:1-4; 1 Pet.3:1-7),
economic relationships (Eph.6:5-8; Col.3:22-25), social relationships (Gal.6:10;
1 Pet.2:12; Col.4:5), and of course our spiritual relationship with the Father
(Eph.4:1-16).
Since
the Bible is our manufacturer's instruction manual, doesn't it make sense that
we should study it more often and thoroughly than we do? Why not dedicate
yourself to a regular study of God's word? Why not be present for every service
as we gather to study God's instruction manual to man?
GET SOMEBODY ELSE
The Lord
had a job for me, but I had so much to do
I said,
""You get somebody else, or wait till I get through."
I don't
know how the Lord came out; no doubt he got along;
But I
felt kind o'sneakin' like; I knew I'd done God wrong.
One day I
needed the Lord--needed him right away;
But he
never answered me at all, and I could hear him say
Down in
my accusin' heart: "Child, I've got too much to do;
You get
somebody else, or wait till I get through."
Now when
the Lord has a job for me, I never try to shirk;
I drop
what I have on hand and do the Lord's good work,
And my
affairs can run along, or wait till I get through.
Nobody
else can do the work that God has marked out
for
you.- Author Unknown(Elam's Notes, 4/3/27, p. 108)
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS US IN
DOING HIS WORK.
What is your reading of it?
Place your mouse on the X
below and drag to the O.
XEven
though you can't see Him, GOD is there!O
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