Half truth is poison. The minute we start to become obsessed with playing by the rules instead of concentrating on furiously loving Jesus, we bump into problems. Jesus said He came to fulfil the law, not abolish it. In fact, in John, we are told that Jesus IS the Word of God made flesh. That tells me that the Bible, the Word of God, is seriously important.
However, the most powerful weapon, used incorrectly, is powerfully dangerous. Look at the Pharisees, the Crusades… even Apartheid in South Africa. All of these professed to hold to Christian values. Truth that is not distilled to absolute purity is poison. So why would God give us the Bible if He obviously knew these dangers? Because He knew that we needed the balance. He knew we would think up crazy ideas as supposedly “godly” if He didn’t give us a basic manuscript with which to compare our ideas. The Word is the standard; a compass that shows us whether we’re hearing God right or not.
God didn’t just deliver His Word and then leave us to get on with trying to get it right. The Bible without the Spirit is death
God also gave us His Spirit, because along with His Word, He wants a ‘Love Relationship’ with us. He didn’t create us and then move on. God didn’t just deliver His Word and then leave us to get on with trying to get it right. The Bible without the Spirit is death, because the Law without the Spirit is death.
I remember my Grandpa telling me that in the years and years before he got saved, he tried many times to read the Bible, interested from an academic and intellectual point of view. He found the Bible dry and disappointing. But after my Grandpa got saved, he went home, opened the Bible and suddenly it was a Love Letter, God whispering encouragement and wisdom and hope and life to him.
I gave my life to Jesus when I was young, so I didn’t have the same experience as my Grandpa in this. But I do know that each new season that I know God, I learn that it’s not about furiously trying to tick boxes in an attempt to not upset God. Instead, it’s about reading the Bible because I’m devoted to Jesus, to love, to life. I’m hooked on the beauty of the presence of God, and digging into God’s Word is a great door to drawing closer to God.
This is not a heavy burden, being devoted to Christ. God’s Word is life.
Reading the Bible is a discipline; a habit that we need to drill into each day. But one word from God can change your life, so make sure when you’re reading, you’re also loving on God. Make sure you’re listening, reflecting, processing and carrying these gems into the rest of your day. The Jews were told to write God’s word on their doorposts and gates, and bind God’s word to their hands and foreheads. God asked us to teach His Word diligently to our children, talk about His Word when we sit in our houses, when we walk down the road, when we lie down and when we rise (Deuteronomy 6).
This is not a heavy burden, being devoted to Christ. God’s Word is life. Be careful how you use this powerful weapon. The life it contains can only be tapped into through a heart that is desperate, humble and set on the beauty of His Majesty. God doesn’t ask us to be great, that’s His job. He asks us only to learn to cultivate a ravenous appetite for Him.
Wanting to read through the Bible this year?
John Piper (Desiring God) recommends these plans:
1) MCheyne Bible Printable
2) Navigators Plan
3) Ransom Fellowship Bible Plan
