Question: "Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible?"
Answer:
Simply stated, we should read and study the Bible because it is God's word to us. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that the Bible is "God-breathed." In other words, it is God's Word to us. There are so many questions that philosophers and people have asked that God answers for us in Scripture: What is the purpose to life? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? What happens after death? How do I get to heaven? Why is the world full of evil? Why do I struggle to do good? In addition to these "big" questions, it gives a ton of practical advice in areas such as: What do I look for in a mate? How can I have a successful marriage? How can I be a good friend? How can I be a good parent? What is success and how do I achieve it? How can I change? What really matters in life? How can I live so that I do not look back with regret? How can I please God? How can I gain forgiveness? How can I handle the unfair circumstances and bad events of life victoriously?
We should read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable,
without error. The Bible is unique among so-called "holy" books in that
it does not merely give moral teaching and say, "trust me." Rather, it
gives us the ability to test it by checking the hundreds of detailed
prophecies that it makes, by checking the historical accounts it
records, and by checking the scientific facts it relates. Those who say
the Bible has errors have their ears closed to the truth. Jesus once
asked which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or "Rise,
take up your bed and walk." Then He proved He had the ability to
forgive sins (something we cannot see with our eyes) by healing the
paralytic (something those around Him could test with their eyes).
Similarly, we are given assurance that God's Word is true when it
discusses spiritual areas that we cannot test with our senses, by
showing itself true in those areas that we can test (historical
accuracy, scientific accuracy, and prophetic accuracy).
We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and
because mankind's nature does not change - it is as relevant for us as
it was when it was written. While technology changes around us,
mankind's desires and nature do not change. You find, as you read the
pages of biblical history, that whether you are talking about
one-on-one relationships or societies, "there is nothing new under the
sun." And while mankind as a whole continues to seek love and
satisfaction in all of the wrong places, God, our good and gracious
Creator, tells us what will bring us LASTING joy. His revealed Word,
the Scriptures, are so important that Jesus said of them, "Man does not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God" (Matthew 4:4). In other words, if you want to live
life to the fullest as God intended, listen and heed God's written
word...it is even more important than eating!
We should read and study the Bible because there is so much false
teaching. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can
determine truth from error. It tells us what God is like. To have a
wrong impression of God is worship of an "idol" or "false god." We are
worshiping something that He is not! The Bible tells us how one truly
gets to heaven...and it is not by being good or by being baptized, or
by anything else we DO ({bible}John 14:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Isaiah
53:6; Romans 3:10, 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-13{/bible}). Along this line, God's
Word shows us just how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-8; {bible}Isaiah
53:1{/bible}). And it is in learning this that we are drawn to love Him
in return (1 John 4:19).
The Bible will equip you for serving God ( 2 Timothy 3:17 ;
Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It will help you know how to be
saved from your sin and its ultimate consequence 2 Timothy 3:15 . Meditating on it and obeying its teachings will bring
success in life (Joshua 1:8; James 1:25). God’s Word
will help you see sin in your life and help you get rid of it
(Psalm 119:9,11). It will give you guidance in life,
making you wiser than your teachers ({bible}Psalm 32:8; 119:99;
Proverbs 1:6{/bible}). The Bible will keep you from wasting years of
your life on that which will not last and does not matter
(Matthew 7:24-27).
Reading and studying the Bible will help you to see beyond the
attractive "bait" to the painful "hook" in sinful temptations, so that
you can learn from others' mistakes rather than making them yourself.
Experience is a great teacher, but when it comes to learning from sin,
it is a terribly hard teacher. It is so much better to learn from
others' mistakes. There are so many Bible characters to learn from,
both positive and negative role models, both often coming from the same
person's life at different points. For example, David, in his defeat of
the giant, Goliath, teaches us that God is greater than anything He
asks us to face (1 Samuel 17). David, in his giving in
to the temptation to commit adultery with Bathsheba, reveals just how
long-lasting and terrible the consequences of a "moment's pleasure" can
be (2 Samuel 11). Knowing the Bible gives us a real hope
and peace when everything around us seems to be falling apart
(Romans 15:4; Psalm 112:7; Habakkuk 3:17-19).
The Bible is a book that is not for mere reading. It is a book for
studying so that it can be applied. Otherwise, it is like swallowing
food down without chewing and then spitting it back out again...no
nutritional value is gained by it. The Bible is God's Word. As such, it
is as binding as the laws of nature. You can ignore it, but you do so
to your own hurt, just as you would do so to ignore the law of gravity.
It cannot be emphasized strongly enough just how important the Bible is
to our lives. Studying the Bible can be compared to mining for gold. If
you make little effort and merely "sift through the pebbles in a
stream," you will only find a little gold dust. But the more you make
an effort to really "dig into it," the more reward you will gain for
your effort.
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Question: "Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible?"
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