Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
This passage of scripture teaches us that we all have a moral obligation to search the word of God for ourselves, so that we may be personally instructed and convicted of the truths that are found therein. This duty cannot be deferred nor relinquished to another, except it be at great peril to our souls, for our eternal destiny is at stake, and if we never take the time to know God for ourselves, as it is our privilege to, through a study of His word, then we will be left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity, and we will be pulled in different directions, by every wind of doctrine that comes along.
In the passage given above, we see where the Bereans did not presume to take all that Paul said for granted, for although they received the word of God with readiness, yet they saw it fit and necessary to search the scriptures for themselves, thereby confirming in their own souls, that which was being preached by the apostles. This practice and attitude is greatly lacking in our present day, where the overwhelming majority of professed Christians are quite content to be fed by their spiritual leaders, and whatever comes from the pulpits of the land are taken as being the divine revelations of God.
Especially is this the case where a plethora of smooth doctrines are on the increase, by which many people are confirmed in a wrong course of action, and, not having the mind or the time to investigate the presentation of current theological exegesis, many just sit back and imbibe whatever is spoken. This then leads to philosophies of men, and fables being masqueraded as truth, to which many people succumb, and are thus entrenched in falsehoods that are fatal to the soul.
And to add to the fire, we also have the unconverted subscribing to some tenets of Christianity while the sacred truths pertaining to the central themes of the gospel are left unheeded. This scenario is described in the Bible as being the "Itching ear syndrome", by which many prefer to hear only those truths that do not disturb the conscience, nor address the problem of sin. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
One such "Fable" that abounds today is the concept of ecumenical cooperation between the many and various denominations, and Christian organizations, by which we are encouraged to unite ourselves under the banner of those truths we all hold in common, such as our belief in Christ, as the Savior of the world, and that He bled and died for our sins. Now, while it is true that this is a fundamental and central truth of the gospel, yet we must understand that God has not given us a partial gospel, to believe and practice only what the various organizations in Christendom can agree upon. If this were to be the case, then the devils must also be given a seat at the negotiating table, for they also believe and tremble. Let's read:
Luke 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
To believe that Jesus Christ is The Son of God is all well and good, but to practice and obey His teachings and commandments is another, for one cannot exist without the other, and therefore any attempt to unite all Christians under the banner of belief in Christ alone, is doomed to fail from the very start, for God's people are a "Peculiar" people, not mingling the true with the false, and not lowering the standard of righteousness to increase church attendance, as is currently being done by the existing pope.
Let us therefore step up to the plate, and begin to attend to our sacred duty to search the Bible for ourselves like those diligent Bereans, so that we may personally know in whom we have believed, and thus may be enabled to give to every man, a reason for the hope that is within us, with meekness and fear. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to study God's word both individually and collectively, for it is the will of God that we be rooted and grounded in the sacred truths of His word. Let's read:
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore"... 'beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!