Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth?
Nick – late 20’s, didn’t have much Bible background but
somewhere along the way he did pick up and remember that B.I.B.L.E.
acronym. I agree with the sentiment, but
is it really that simple? Is the Bible
really that basic? Can it really be
reduced to just a set of instructions?
When we tell people that the Bible is “God’s Word”, we should
probably explain what that means to us. It
isn’t enough to say “God said it, that settles it”, because there are many
different ways to interpret the Bible.
Jesus said as much when he answered an expert in the Scriptures ““What
is written in the Law? How do you read
it?” (Luke 10:26)
Many people are under the impression that Christians must
read the Bible uncritically, accepting each statement as literal, stand-alone
facts, and they are quick to criticize the different ways we approach the various
books of the Bible written in different genres to different audiences at
different times in history. Without
actually having read much of the Bible themselves, in our online age most
people have heard critics and scoffers who love to cite passages that, when
taken literally and out of context, make a mockery of Christian faith.
Many are quick to give up trying to read it for themselves
when they don’t find clear, user-friendly instructions that give guidance and
clear directions in all of life’s decisions to them personally. Some begin to read the Bible like a novel and
get bogged down after Genesis, dismissing it as irrelevant and outdated, or
they make false assumptions about the overall message of the Bible.
So what do we mean when we say the Bible is God’s Word? How can we convey a proper respect and
appreciation for the Bible, without giving the impression that it is too difficult
to comprehend without being a Bible scholar?
I have two points I try to make in my outreach
conversations. One was the point I tried
to make to Nick, that the Bible is a revelation of God’s character as He has
acted throughout history, as opposed to our scientific methods of trying to
determine truth by human effort.
Nick had been explaining his spiritual beliefs, which
generally involved the “essence” of his character going on after his body dies,
based on a sort of positive energy or karma he demonstrates in life. He didn’t really have a source for this
information other than his own imagination and wishful thinking, so I explained
that God is too awesome for us to figure out by our own efforts, but if He
revealed to us what He wants us to know, that would be enough. The Bible is the primary place for that to
happen.
I didn’t get to explain the second point to Nick because his
daughter fell and cut her knee, so we had to end our conversation. But I think it is important to understand that
what makes the Bible God’s sacred word is that everything in its pages is what
God has orchestrated and ordained to be written there, both in content and in style
of writing.
Imagine that, everything you read in the Bible, warts and
all, is there for God’s purposes. We may
not always know what those purposes are, but it is a living word meant to be
read over and over again at various stages of life, with some parts conveying a
new or different message to us the second, third, or 23rd time around, and other
parts clear as day from the first time we read them. “For the word of God is
alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The Bible isn’t a place where we go and figure God out by
our own efforts. It’s a place to
discover, with His help, what he chooses to reveal to us. That help comes through the Holy Spirit as
described by Jesus in John 14:26 “…But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you.” He often
speaks through other believers, books, sermons and the experiences we have
living it out, but always based on or inspired by the Bible.
2 Tim.3 tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We aren’t left to our own imaginations, and
we can’t trust our wishful thinking.
PS – feel free to sit in on our conversation HERE
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