I Thessalonians 5:21- "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Ever heard the expression, "God helps those who help themselves,"? Or have you ever heard of the belief that committing suicide will send someone to Hell no matter what? These are two of the more common things- among many- that I've heard people swear up and down are in the Bible. And lest you think that these ideas only come from people who don't go to church, I've heard these things from church members. You see, people often tend to take for granted the truth of things that they hear from people they trust. They don't make the time or the effort to verify stuff, and that's what the Apostle Paul was talking about in this verse.

"Prove all things" means that we should verify the truth and correctness of things in relation to God's Word- the ultimate source of truth. We end up with a lot of false ideas and beliefs when we neglect to do this. Every part of our lives should be compared to God's Word so that we know and understand what it says. This is the only way that we can truly separate the good from the bad.

But, this verse goes even farther. Once we distinguish the good from the bad, we are told to "hold fast" to the good. This means that we should hold it close and not let it go. This means that we should cherish and protect it. This means that we should live it on a daily basis. And, common sense should tell us that, if we are to "hold fast" to the good, we should push away the bad and have nothing to do with it. What good is being able to distinguish between the good and the bad if we hold on to both? That makes no sense- it's just opening the door for confusion to set in.

Knowing God's Word is so very important to the Christian life. It is the ultimate source of the knowledge and wisdom that we desperately need. Are you "proving" all things by what it says? Are you "holding fast" to that which is right and setting aside everything else? How important is God's Word to you? Don't treat it lightly.

thanks for speaking the same think My pastor Preached on Sunday. Thanks for the reminder that we are to hold on to that which is good and get rid of all the bad.