Thursday, May 10, 2007

The Bible

Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures" (Matthew 22:29).

During the Dark Ages, ignorance and superstition were more common among Christians than knowledge of the Bible. In many places religion was little more than empty ritual, people just going ‘through the motions’ of worship. During those years, cathedrals were built and crusades were launched to reclaim the Holy Land for Christianity. Yet the hearts of most people were far from God; many clergymen had become lazy, failing to educate their people in the Holy Word. The Bible was virtually an unknown book to thousands of people who called themselves Christian. During a tour in which he visited many congregations, Martin Luther was horrified to find that even many clergymen had shockingly little knowledge of what lay in the pages of Holy Scripture.

Tragically, history is starting to repeat itself. Today, the Bible is a book which is unfamiliar to millions of people. The Bible is still one of the most widely distributed books in the world and remains a best seller year after year. Many homes even contain multiple copies of the Good Book. Yet in spite of all these copies just an arm reach away, few take the time to open them and become familiar with the contents.

The Bible is not a self-help book; Scripture teaches us that we are helpless slaves to the sin that twists our thinking, that no effort on our part can overcome our evil desires and achieve perfection. Nor is the Bible mythology, a collection of imaginative make-believe tales written to teach a moral lesson.

The Bible is a mirror that confronts us with the reality of our corrupt spiritual condition and our desperate need to find a different way to live. The Bible is a telescope that lifts our focus from the temporary thrills of today to the bleak future that awaits everyone who unashamedly delights in sin. The Bible is a lighthouse, a beacon that shows us where dangers lie and where rest from the storms of life can be found. The Bible is a love letter from God, expressing His desire for us to be part of His family. The Bible is a stream of pure water, offering to wash away the filth of our sins and refresh us in the desert of our despair. The Bible is a roadmap by which we are shown the path to never-ending peace and joy in heaven. The Bible is a meal, where Jesus, the living Bread from heaven, offers us Himself to strengthen us for the journey. And the Bible is a set of powerful arms through which the Holy Spirit lifts us up and supports us along every mile of our life’s journey. But the Bible cannot be any of these things to you, if you do not read it.

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