Familiar Scripture

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” -John 3:16-17                

            It is easy to assume that everyone else is like us.  The familiar becomes the normal, the normal the culture, and the culture the world.  What is familiar to us typically we assume is familiar to all.  In the USA, the church culture vary, but somethings are just plain familiar.  However, the reason it is familiar is because it was first fundamental.

Growing up in church, I have heard on more than one occasion: “This is familiar scripture.”  The text listed above often accompanies this statement, but not always; and no doubt to some this scripture is familiar.  The greater part of the people in my church were raised from our youth up to go to church, and Sunday School.  We were taught these verses from day one (Praise God for that wonderful blessing).  We were taught many things about the Word of God.  We were taught that God created the world.  We were taught that God made mankind, that man sinned in the Garden of Eden, which made man inherently evil, and mankind needed a Savior.  That Savior is Jesus Christ.  Certainly, our little church on was not the only one in the world teaching these familiar truths, and these familiar scriptures, but we were one of them (Praise God!); and I was blessed to be raised in one of them (Praise God again!).  By and by, time moves on, and familiar grows into normal, which becomes culture, and that has a way of becoming our whole world, and we forget that not every song, every story, every word in John 3:16 is familiar to everyone.  This is both a blessing and a curse, because there are some who have never heard this gospel, and there are some who have heard it and forgotten it.  To say: “this is familiar scripture” is a selfish and alienating statement.  Not evil, but selfish.  It exalts your position, and understanding and it segregates those who do not find it familiar.  No doubt, it is a great blessing if you find the Word of God familiar, but it gives little increase to the souls around you to profess it.  How much better off would we be if we but possessed it and plainly taught it as fundamental truth?   How often what is familiar in the scriptures coincides with what is fundamental?  To whom much is given much is required.  In the Old Testament: Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Joshua, David and Goliath, Daniel; in the New Testament: Matthew chapter five, John chapter three, Luke chapters one and two, First Corinthians chapter thirteen, Romans chapter six, the list goes on and on.  The reason it is familiar is because it was first fundamental.  Fundamental scriptures, that teach fundamental truths, which save and sanctify men and women.  If we call them familiar, it is because we were blessed to be grounded in the fundamentals of the Word of God, and if we call them familiar then we annex those who were not; and simultaneously annex’s ourselves.   

I was a sinner, and I needed a Savior.  When God sent Jesus, he sent him for the whole world; past, present, and future.  He died for you, and he died for me.  He died so that we might have eternal life.  Jesus can forgive you, and come into your heart (sanctify you).  If you let him, this will punch your ticket to a home in heaven, and Jesus will stay right there in the driver's seat, keeping you free from sin and guiding you right into those pearly gates.  This is a fundamental truth of the Word of God.  A truth that the world needs to hear; familiar or not.