Disclaimer: I believe in the bible as the "living word". I believe it is important and necessary. I believe God influences it and uses it for his good. Please read this in the entirety and not skip over what I say.
So I was just thinking, (this is a dangerous pastime and should be avoided at all costs) and I wondered if sometimes or oftentimes we take our own guide and make it our God? I am not a bible expert, nor am I claiming to be one. In this circumstance I feel that the human side of us wants tangible solid proof of Gods assurance. That he exists and is beside us always. I am not sure that the bible is that or is supposed to be that.
Now before I make a ton of my friends worried and question me I want to be sure to say that I do feel the bible is important and a resource in our lives to understand ourselves and others better. Most importantly to be seeking God one must read the bible as it guides us in our lives. However so often do I see bible verses spewed out of context to justify a persons life. So often do I see that people treat it as if it were Jesus himself. Jesus was not a book. God is not a book.
The bible is probably the most read book of all time. Its a number one best seller! It's important history, meaningful truth, and undeniably, extraordinarily, implausible. There are things in the bible that are impossible to explain. Walls toppled without drawing a sword, whilst playing a trumpet. Gigantic stone pillars toppled by one man. Leviathans swallowing a man only to spit him up elsewhere (and he walked away from that!?). People blind from birth being able to see! People coming back to life! Oh, lets not forget its about this God fellow who sends his only begotten son Jesus to die on a cross for our sins. It is extraordinary, and very weird! How can something like this be true? Historically we find evidence of somethings here and there but two thousand years after Christ died its a little difficult to verify. The bible has also undergone several translations since then where meanings change and things get forgotten.
From an outside perspective: "This book is crazy and people actually believe in this?"
Christians have managed to put a bible in every hotel room in the country. They are reaching out to the world and handing bibles out to every person like it was candy. On the streets they bang on the bible and cry out "Repent your sins!". In court houses you swear on the bible. Its the swiss army knife of the Christian lifestyle. You can find a version and print that fits your life and matches your favorite shirt. As I said in the beginning is the bible Gods or is god our Bible? So often the bible is seen as proof that God exists.
There is no proof. Unfortunately there will be no proof. Its up to faith. The book guides people but I have trouble believing its anything more then just a guide. (Gosh, I sound like I am being blasphemous) The bible holds truth and there is no way it exists without Gods divine influence. It does not however do anything else. It holds no power without God. It is just a book without God. You could force the entire world to read a bible and without God it would never mean anything to anyone. Having the bible does NOT ever replace God.
Now I am not saying "don't read the bible", please read it. It is the defining guide to being a Christian and it is necessary to go back to. Otherwise we get lost in our misunderstanding. The journey we make towards God trusting in him and his words to bring clarity and provide for us. God uses the bible and influences our hearts. To ignore it is to ignore God. To walk without it is also likewise to walk without God.
You do not pray to a book however. Having a bible does not replace seeking relationship with God. Further more you can not justify choices you make by picking one verse or even several. If the bible is not taken in whole and digested carefully we misuse the truth we are given for our advantage. In the book of James 4:3 it states that we sin when we pray. Is it not true that we do also sin when we read? No the bible is not our idol and can not ever be, it is however our "ideal".
P.S. I know it looks like I just picked a verse at the end there and chose it to justify my speech. I am using it to explain my reasoning however, I am not going to ignore the bible as an example for how we live or must live. This idea of mine is not perfect and is subject to debate if you find fault with it please let me know I would rather have conversation then condemnation.
That's really interesting Jake, good thoughts. I definitely understand what you mean about the Bible being just a guide without the influence of God. I do think though that it is kinda hard to separate them. Not that the Bible is God, but we call in the 'Living Word' and for good reason. Christ's power works through it in our lives. So yeah, in a sense it is just a book, but at the same time it will never be JUST a book. But you already said this and I'm being confusing haha.. what do you think?
ReplyDeleteI feel this is more from my own experience of thinking "I am reading the bible so I don't need to pray." I know I do it and I have observed sometimes people elevate the bible in a way that could actually be an avoidance of seeking relationship. So in that sense it becomes an idol.
ReplyDeleteYou are right it is difficult to separate them but people do. Some of the most learned/well read people about the bible are atheists. If God is not there then they ignore it even if he is there they can find ways to say he does not exist. I feel that they are expecting to find a God there and find a book instead. That comes from a number of things in my opinion. 1: The desire to not find God and an active rejection of God. 2: Christians up selling the bible as the only thing you need in life AKA the Idol. 3: Not willing to accept the incriminating words that condemn us all about ourselves. Seeing it as impossible to attain they miss the truth and good of God that his grace is the reason we do anything.
There is probably more to it then that. I hope I am clear that Christians do need the bible. As its more then JUST a book because God speaks to us through it. However it is not the only thing to pursue God and does not replace having relationship. To converse with God one must pray and you don't pray to a book but to God himself.
I hope that clarifies my point and the reasoning behind it, that we don't worship the book but that we worship God.