The Light, The Architect and The Map

"I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalms 119:102-105)

 The Love of God and The Bible cannot be separated. Anyone who receives Salvation then leaves Him or His Word behind as unnecessary or irrelevant is like this:

A man was imprisoned at the bottom of a deep labyrinth. He prayed every day for release and one day the Architect came. He opened the prison door, handed the man a map and a light brighter than any he'd ever seen, then said, "Follow me". The man, seeing the brightness of the light, said to himself, "With this much light why do I need this fellow or his map? I'll find my own way up."

So he politely thanked the Architect for his help, left the map behind and proceeded out the prison door. 

Now the man wandered around in this dank place for many years. He used the light to navigate his every turn, he used it to find food, water, and even to keep him warm at night, but he never found his way up. One day when use and old age had caused the light to dim and nearly go out, he found the architect once more. This time the architect took the man by the hand, and using what remained of the light, he opened his map, led him easily up and out of the maze of chambers, then guided him the rest of the way home. When the man asked the architect why he had not been able to find the way using only the light, this was his answer: 

"I opened the prison door because you prayed for freedom. I gave you the map because it is a blueprint of the entire labyrinth and shows the only way out. I gave you the light so you could see the map. I asked you to follow me because I am the one who knows how to read it properly. By taking just the light and leaving me and the map behind, you only exchanged a small prison for a larger one." 

"I see now", said the man now weary and burdened by years, "but why did you come back for me?"

The architect smiled, looked at him knowingly and said, "I never left".

"For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." (1 John 5:7-12)