By David ReayFriday 12 Jul 2019LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.” (NLT)
Some Christian leaders or would-be leaders can sometimes be heard exclaiming how much they love ‘the Word’. Or how their life goal is to immerse themselves in ‘the Word’. They are dangerous statements, even if sincerely meant.
Sure we might love the Bible, but not as a textbook of religious information. We might love the Bible inasmuch as it points to the living ‘Word’ of God—Jesus. We appreciate the Scriptures not as proof texts for resolving arguments or supporting our pre-existing prejudices. We appreciate them because they show us God and Jesus.
It is all too easy to become an expert in the Bible yet be ignorant of Jesus. This was the problem of the religion scholars of Jesus’ day. They were great students of the text, but were deaf and blind to the realities behind those texts. Beware of becoming known for our Bible knowledge. Such knowledge can curdle and even hinder us from loving Jesus.
We are to read the Bible as worshippers, not as students absorbing facts so as to impress anonymous examiners. We read it not merely for information but for transformation. And above all, we not only read the Bible but allow it to read us.
Blessings
David
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