Noble Christianity

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. Acts 17:11

I wonder how many noble Christians we have out there. I fear the majority of people claiming the name of Christ are sadly lacking in nobility. They simply take what they're fed spiritually and run with it. These Thessalonian Christians were called noble because they didn't do that. They didn't shut out teachers of the Scripture--on the contrary, they listened readily--but they then searched the Word to see if those teachings lined up. See, anyone can use the Bible to say just about whatever they want. One can use some verse or part of a verse to support practically any old thing. And if you're dependant on someone else's teaching to form your belief system, you'll be pulled all over the place by various "winds of doctrine." A noble Christian, however, will listen to others with an open mind...then compare those teachings to what the Word says. That means comparing Scripture with Scripture to get the whole picture. That means studying and meditating and praying over difficult passages. That means a willingness to cast aside teachings, both new and old, that stray from the true spirit of the Bible. Fair warning: it's not noble because it's easy.