A Twelve-billion-dollar Pen?

The story goes that NASA once developed a pen that would work in zero gravity, meaning astronauts would be able to use the pen in space.

Reports stated NASA spent ten years and twelve billion dollars developing such a pen, while the Russian space agency simply gave their cosmonauts pencils. Evidently, the public perception of government agencies was bad enough that the story was widely believed, despite the fact that it wasn’t true.

There was never a twelve-billion-dollar space pen.* People will believe almost anything if it is said convincingly by a person in a position of authority.

Especially is this true in spiritual matters.

Some of the strangest claims about the Bible are made without even the slightest evidence that the claims are true. Entire denominations have come into existence as a result. No, Jesus is not going to return to earth on a certain predicted date, regardless of how many prophecies a person appeals to and how sincere they are about their belief. Jesus said that no man knows the day or hour of His return (Matthew 24:36).

The law of God has not been done away with, and we can be certain of it because the Bible is clear on that topic.

Sinners are not going to burn in hell forever, no matter how enthusiastically a minister of the gospel insists they shall. Again, the Bible is clear.

Christians should be certain that what they believe is actually true. In Acts 17:11, we are introduced to the people of Berea, who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” It is important to make sure that what you believe is actually biblical.

The Holy Spirit has been promised to us so that He might guide us “into all truth.” Some errors are believed because they are promoted by people in authority or repeated with such earnestness they must surely be true.

The Scriptures have been given to us as a safeguard against spiritual misrepresentation. Error is never harmless. God’s Word is always true.