Facing Life

A review of some of the "best sellers" among current books reveals a drift away from centering man's attention toward God as the source of knowledge and understanding, and dependence upon Him for salvation and guidance. On the high seas ships come into confusion when they ignore the polar star or north magnetic pole. When these writers direct men to save themselves by control of their inner impulses and to depend upon the techniques of psychiatry, or any other human mechanisms, they abandon man's one and only hope and lead men into an uncharted morass.

In one of Plato's dialogues, The Timaeus, there is a passage in which someone questions Socrates as to how one in this world might get guidance for living. Socrates replies that just as, were one going on a voyage, he would naturally consult those who had gone the voyage before him and would pay heed to their advise, so we should face life with the best wisdom we can secure, and on that a man must make the voyage not without risk--"unless," he concludes, "there be somewhere some word from God on which as on a safe barge one may make the passage with security."

"Unless there be some word from God." Have we that word? The answer is the Bible. There is no more accurate phrase with which to describe the Bible than "The Word of God." A word is the expression of a thought. The Bible brings us the thoughts of God as He revealed Himself in past centuries through prophets and especially through Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of wise and safe counsel touching every phase of the business of living. All this counsel reaches its climax in Christ who comes to us as the Living Word from God, presenting to us a Living Example of what life means and how it ought to be lived. Finding us groping about in the dark, confused and uncertain, not knowing which way to go, Christ steps out before us and says, "Follow me; I am the way, the truth, and the life." No one ever went wrong following Him. If you follow Him, you cannot miss the wa--you are certain to go right.

In this great business of living Christ is our all-sufficient guide. He is our all-sufficient Savior, too. The example of living He set before us would but mock us but for His gospel--a gospel with power to remove the guilt and taint of sin, save us from its dominion, deliver us from temptation, and make us victors over the ungodly world.