Chapter Sixty-eight:
If you were to ask the
average person about the Bible you would most likely find that they have tried
to read it and found it rather difficult.
While the main message of mankind's
need of redemption through salvation by acceptance of Christ's atonement on the
Cross is easy to understand (John 3:16), those who desire to read further and
deeper often find it difficult to comprehend.
I believe one of the difficulties many have
when trying to read the Bible is that they approach it as if it is just another
book. However, it is not the same as any
other book. It is not meant to be read as simply literature, history, or to be
used for moral guidance. As A.W. Tozer
said, "The purpose of the Bible is to bring men to Christ, to make them
holy and prepare them for heaven. In this it is unique among books, and it
always fulfills its purpose when it is read in faith and obedience."
Second Timothy 3:16 tells us
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness".
In the Bible we discover God describing who He is, and His plans and
desires for humanity. The most significant part of the Bible is the story of
how we have been separated from Him due to sin and the provision God made for
restoring mankind into fellowship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son,
Jesus Christ, on the Cross. John 3:3 tells us, "Jesus replied, 'Very truly
I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born
again.'"
The reason that many have
difficulty with reading the Scriptures is that this is a book that speaks to the
spirit within man and it takes the illumination by the Holy Spirit to unravel
its depth of meaning to the spirit of man. To fully understand the Bible we
must ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes, minds and hearts and this
only happens as a result of accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we
are born again, we change. First Corinthians 2:12 tells us, "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."
It is to this group that further understanding and depth of meaning is given
when they read the Bible.
Those who do not believe in the
need for salvation view the Bible as a novelty, the book that they keep on
their living room table as it is more of a family keepsake rather than the words
of the Living God. First Corinthians 1:18 tells us, "For the message of
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God." Those who do not believe in the need of the
Gospel are caught in their own pride and
self-determination.
Those who have received the
Spirit which is from God are given the ability to know the things of God. When
the Spirit is working in our lives we can hear from God, read the Bible and
understand it. Job 32:8 says, " But it is the spirit in a
person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding." To
understand the Bible takes faith, surrender and commitment. It is those who
study the Bible humbly and prayerfully, asking God to open their spiritual eyes
that will understand His Word. First Corinthians 2:14 tells us, "But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto
him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
To say the Bible has become
outdated is as absurd as saying God has become outdated. The Bible is the high, everlasting omnipotent Holy God speaking to mankind! God has been and always will be, while we mortals live our brief lives and then die. Our lives here on earth are a mere speck in time compared to eternity. His Word will always stand, and will
always be relevant. Man's pride and
self-will causes him to believe that he has grown beyond the need for any
assistance but this is to his folly. Those who understand their need for God
and are open to receiving all He has to give them will be the ones who are able
to fully understand the Bible. Our
culture may change, our laws may be revamped as we watch generations come and
go, but the Word of God is as important today as it was when it was first
written.
