The Bible - To Read Or Not To Read

There was a time when reading the Bible was about as appealing as eating pencil shavings from an elementary classroom sharpener, I thought the Bible was terribly loud, but boring at the same time. It's contents was unappealing to me, completely undesirable and dull, certainly nothing of great consequence...

I don't feel that way anymore, I feel very much the opposite. No, I'm still not sold on the idea of eating pencil shavings, but I've come to discover that the Bible is not even close to what I thought it was. In fact, I can say with all sincerity that since I began reading the Bible, my life has never tasted as good. The Bible is more like a treasure map, it's mysterious and exciting and leads you to the best thing life has to offer. It's too amazing NOT to talk about and that is why today I want to share with you 10 reasons why you should or should not actually read the Bible.

Here we go:

1. Read it- BECAUSE YOU CAN!

The Bible is arguably the most influential book ever written, why wouldn't you read it?

•The Bible is the best-selling book of nonfiction and is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as such (doesn't that make you even a little bit curious?).

•The Bible was written over a 1600 year period (spanning 1500 BC to 100 AD) by approximately 40 authors.

•The Bible is Historically accurate. It has never recorded imaginary geographical locations, currencies or races.

•The Bible has withstood generations of scrutiny and debate, never to be disqualified.

•The Bible has been translated into over 1,200 different languages.

•The Bible records thousands of verses with prophecies that have already been fulfilled.

•The Bible has been preserved, traded, and smuggled sometimes by single pages at a time, for lack of availability.

•The Bible has given people so great a conviction that everyday they willingly choose to be killed and persecuted for simply having one in their possession.

I read a powerful passage yesterday from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology:

“It is helpful for us to learn that the Bible is historically accurate, that it is internally consistent, that it contains prophecies that have been fulfilled hundreds of years later, that it has influenced the course of human history more than any other book, that it has continued changing the lives of millions of individuals throughout history, that through it people come to find salvation, that it has a majestic beauty and a profound depth of teaching unmatched by any other book, and that it claims hundreds of times over to be God’s very words.”

2. Read it because - GOD WANTS YOU TO

God has chosen the Bible as His primary method for communication with mankind…. more specifically, it’s His primary method to communicate with you! God has things to say to you that will help you understand who He is, and His will for your life. When God wants you to do something, it is for your benefit. When God instructs you not to do something, it is for your benefit.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8 NIV)

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Ps. 1:1-2

God wants you to know how to live a prosperous life. He knows of the pitfalls to avoid and the roads that lead to success, and His plan for your life is better than yours!

Once my husband assembled an IKEA bed without (against my better judgment) consulting the instruction booklet. I kid you not, it was days before we were rudely awakened by the two foot fall of doom. Lesson learned, read the instructions.

What do you do when you want to figure out how something works? You consult the manufacturer’s instruction booklet. God made you, read His instruction booklet.

3. Read it because - GOD IS FOUND THERE

Are you one of those people who have questioned if God is real, only to consult your Google search engine? That's probably one of the least intelligent things you could do with your life. Its a crazy gamble to allow someone else’s opinion of God dictate your own. It sounds ridiculous to allow a random poll of strangers to convince you of something as big as the existence of God, yet people do this everyday.  God promises us that when we search Him earnestly, we will find Him.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” - James 4:8

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them.” - Isaiah 55:6-7

4. Read it because - IT REVEALS GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

Through God’s word we can find relationship with Jesus Christ. Relationship with Jesus brings a rich and full life on earth, and offers eternal life after this world has past.

God has told us that He has written eternity on our hearts, in His perfect design we have all been given an inherent desire to live and to want to live for as long as we possibly can. If we are honest, there is actually a fear of death and the unknown that follows. There is a knowing deep within us that we were created for more than just this world.

These inherent qualities surpass just a survival of the fittest mentality.

We do not wish to just outlive and outlast, we desire to live for as long as we can in relationship with those we love. This desire for continual relationship is a picture of what God describes Heaven like.

God provides assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ. This assurance removes fear and replaces it with joy for the life that is to come. God is clear in the Bible that we cannot have eternal life in Heaven apart from Jesus Christ. Contrary to what you may have heard, Jesus is the only way to Heaven… God’s word, God’s book, don’t kill the messenger.

“I have come to give life, and life to the full” - (Jesus words) - John 10:10

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” - (Jesus words) - John 5:24

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” - John 3:36

5. Read it because - IT INCREASES YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

You have no reason to be ignorant about God and the things of God. God’s people are in fact instructed BY God to be prepared to give answers for what they believe and why they believe it. One of the best ways to prepare yourself is by daily allowing God’s word to transform your mind and understanding. Every time you study God’s word, you are strengthened in your knowledge of Him. Your clarity of His true nature increases and your assurance of His goodness is personally experienced. When you read and ask for God’s Spirit to help you understand, you will always move closer and grow in your understanding of God. It is amazing how those who wrestle with their faith or with questions of God’s existence are almost always those who are not reading their Bible on a regular basis. When we don’t read, we move further away from God and into ‘mystical’ thinking rather than Biblical thinking. Never stop learning, and never stop thinking. As one of my favourite apologists Ravi Zacharias says “let my people think.”

6. Read it because - IT ANCHORS YOU TO GOD’S WILL

Reading the Bible holds you accountable to behaviour, actions and motivations that are opposed to God. It is difficult to harbour hate and unforgiveness toward someone when you read the words of Jesus clearly stating (numerous times) that you must forgive if you wish to be forgiven by God. When you read the word consistently, you cannot minimize the destructive nature of gossip, or excuse even hidden motivations of greed and lust. God’s word is like an anchor holding you to His best for you, without it is is easy to drift into a place where shades of grey will seduce and overtake you …. no pun intended.

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” - Romans 12:2

Though this is an extremely in-exhaustive list, it's a great place to get started.

God's words are available to you, He wants you to read them. He wants you to find Him in them, find salvation and to grow in your knowledge of Him being anchored to His best for you. God loves you and has given you everything to find Him... you just have to look.

Before you start looking, there are a few things you should consider.

If any of the examples below apply to you, you may want to push the pause button and rethink how you're reading the Bible.

1. Don’t read it if - YOUR READING TO PROVE SOMEONE ELSE WRONG

If your motivation for reading the Bible is to throw around arguments or engage in some narcissistic battle of the brains, clearly you've missed the whole point of this post. Jesus taught and demonstrated love and humility in all things. Pride will almost always damage your ability to hear from God rightly. God intends to win hearts, not arguments… walk in humility.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” - James 4:6

2. Don’t read it if - YOU’RE SOLELY TRYING TO EARN ‘GOD POINTS’

If you’re reading your Bible to fill your daily quota of ‘God To Do’s’, just stop now. God doesn't love you anymore because you've read your five chapters today. God already loves you COMPLETELY… that means His love for you is FULL, not lacking. Your Bible reading does not add to your righteousness, Jesus is your righteousness. Read to grow in your love for Him, not out of duty or obligation.

3. Don’t read it if - YOU PLAN TO INTERPRET IT TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE

God is God, you are not. Now that we have that out of the way remember God’s plan for you is better than your own. Before you have a relationship with God you may not understand why God restricts or commands certain things. Though it may be tempting to get out your back highlighter or edit God’s words, they are there for a reason. It is important to read scripture in its full context and entirety.

4. Don’t read it if - YOU’RE NOT PLANNING TO PRAY AS WELL

The truth of the matter is that the Bible is not just a normal book, it is a spiritual book. When I first began reading the Bible, it made no sense to me. I would re-read the same sentence for 20 minutes before falling asleep (I exaggerate not). When I prayed and asked for God’s help to read, it’s like the words became illuminated and alive to me. It’s not hocus-pocus… It’s God’s Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3 tells us that no one can even say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit. Jesus prays for all people asking God to give us ‘ears to hear.’ Some of us may have deaf ears without even knowing. Ask God to open your spiritual ears, He will if you want Him to! A good translation can also be a great help in understanding. I recommend the NIV or NLT to start. If you don’t have a Bible that is easy to read, download the free ‘YouVersion’ Bible available wherever you find your mobile apps.

Sharon Williams
Pastor Victory Outreach