2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
The Creator of this universe communicates to us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). How He does this is not a “mysterious” thing, or something only done for a select few. Rather, it is through the Bible. As the Word of our sovereign God, the Bible is infallible.
Many, like Pilate, ask the question “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Jesus answered this when praying for His disciples in John 17:17: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.
The infallible truth contained in God’s written Word, the Bible, is not only available to satisfy man’s curiosity about how the world came to be. God’s Word leads to something more significant than knowledge alone…our salvation. The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The Bible teaches about the dreadful condition our souls are in due to sin (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Yet, it also teaches how we can have forgiveness of sin through God’s grace. This gift is not earned, but God requires obedience to receive it (Phil. 2:12). The works of obedience He requires are all revealed in the Scripture He has authored.
Despite this, many ignore the Bible.
“Self-help books” are popular, but “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” are neglected. Thoughts of men are praised as profound and powerful, but thoughts of God are brushed aside.
This may be due in part to a belief that the Bible is outdated. God gave an answer for this in 1 Peter 1:24-25: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.
Another reason some ignore the truth is because it does not “make sense.” Using our own wisdom, we might expect something different than what God teaches.
It takes humility to realize that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Cor. 3:19). Instead of trying to fit God’s will to our pre-conceived ideas about right and wrong, we must change our ideas of right and wrong to fit God’s will. When we do the latter and hear God’s Word with the right heart, we will have no doubt that it is truth from Him.
Once we recognize the Bible as truth from God, we should desire it as a newborn babe desires milk (1 Pet. 2:2). The Bereans referenced in Acts 17:11 showed this attitude. They “searched the scriptures daily.” This verse does not tell us how much time they dedicated each day to studying. Nor does the Bible “spell out” exactly how much time meets God’s “minimum requirements” of study. If we hunger and thirst for God’s Word though, we won’t want to put our Bibles down.
As we study the Bible, we learn both through the Old Testament, which was “written for our learning” (Rom. 15:4), and the New Testament, which contains the commands, examples, and inferences that apply directly to us today (cf. Matt. 26:28; Col. 2:14).
It takes meekness to let God’s Word direct us (James 1:21). We must humble ourselves as little children when hearing the Word (Matt. 18:3-4).
We must also remember that there are questions mankind has that God does not answer for us. We must be careful not to “fill in the blanks” with our own opinions (cf. Rev. 22:18).
Yet, we must also recognize that God has revealed all we need to know about why we are here and who we are to be. The most important questions for each of our lives are answered by the Creator through His Word. God does not speak verbally to us today, but He does communicate through another means: the Bible. May we use it faithfully.
– Michael Hickox