I love to read instructions. Just kidding—I never read them. After opening a new item, I promptly toss the owner’s manual in the trash. I don’t need someone to tell me what to do. I’ll figure this out myself. They say pride comes before the fall, and, sure enough, I soon find myself digging for that crumpled manual in the garbage. Why? It has important details I need.
The same can be said of Scripture. We’re told to “Read your Bible.” You’ve heard that so many times it doesn’t even register. Yeah, sure, read the Bible. We think we know it, but we don’t. When we face persecution, when doubt creeps in, or when our wisdom falters, then we turn to God. We dust off our Bible and finally dig into the Word. But waiting for a crisis before we study Scripture is a losing strategy. We should all be reading our Bibles more, but why? Here are three reasons.
First, you should read your Bible to know God. It’s easy to develop wrong ideas about God. Christian pop culture or our own pre-conceived notions can color our understanding of who he is. That’s why Scripture should be our guide. We should go to God’s Word because only God can tell us what God is like. In fact, it was important to Jesus that we gain greater knowledge. Jesus prayed to the Father, pleading that we would come to know God: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
We gain knowledge of God not merely to understand him. Knowledge of God is tied to love for God. Knowing him allows us to love him, because you can’t love someone you don’t know. Reading Scripture, therefore, helps us to know and love God.
Second, you should read your Bible to know your place in the world. Reading your Bible helps you know where you are and where you need to go. Let me illustrate.
In 1926, 20-year-old Trudy Ederle attempted to become the first woman to swim 21 miles across the English Channel. She departed France at 7:08 a.m. After 11 hours of swimming through freezing cold water and being stung by jellyfish, she made it to within five miles of England’s shore. Unfortunately, it was too late. Night had fallen, fog had settled on the ocean, and she couldn’t see where she was going. The waves were crashing over her, and she began to lose energy and hope. Fortunately, the townspeople in England became suspicious of her tardy arrival. They lit bonfires on the ocean cliffs, and when Trudy saw their light, she knew which direction to swim. The bonfires served as guiding beacons for her. She knew where she was and where she needed to go.
Scripture provides similar guidance. It tells us where we are and where we need to go. The Bible is clear: We are God’s special creation, beautifully made in his image and loved by him. Though we’re beautiful, we’re also broken. You’re not the way you’re supposed to be. You know it because you feel guilty. And the reason you feel guilty is because you are guilty (Rom. 3:23). The Bible, therefore, tells us where we are—in the crosshairs of God’s wrath. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the cross is God’s guiding beacon. The only way to get out of the mess we’re in is to take up God’s offer to grant us a pardon. He’s provided a way for anyone to be forgiven and made whole. That way is the only way, and it’s through Jesus.
Third, you should read your Bible to navigate culture. It’s obvious the world is confused about a host of issues: sex, marriage, gender, abortion, salvation, and many more. Sadly, many professing Christians are confused as well. But as my colleague Greg Koukl often says, “Faithfulness is not theologically complicated. Though the world is confused, you don’t have to be.” God has spoken clearly on many issues that cause believers to stumble.
When confronted with a cultural idea, simply filter it through the Word of God. Confused about sexuality? The Bible is clear that sex should only occur between a married man and woman (Gen. 1:27–28; 2:24; Matt. 19:4–6). Confused about whether there are many ways to God? Scripture tells us Jesus is the only way (John 14:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). Confused as to whether it’s right to judge? God’s Word answers and explains how to judge (Matt. 7:1–5). These topics—and many more—are clarified when you run them through the filter of Scripture.
How can we not love the Word of God? It helps us to know God, to know how to receive his pardon, and to navigate the confusing age we live in. We should be in awe that the God of the universe has spoken to us. So, read…your…Bible. It contains important instructions you need to know as you live the life God has given you to steward.