The Bible is Alive

Have you ever listened to The Lutheran Hour? The point of this post isn’t meant to promote this organization, but last weekend’s episode was really fantastic, and it applied to my thoughts since I’ve been here in Hungary. I’ve been thinking about what really matters in life. Woah, deep, I know. It crosses my mind when I’m here because the culture is so different. There are still a lot of things that are abnormal to my mind and it makes you really hone in on what is constant, even in a different country. What’s constant for every person in the world? I know the answer, and this realization affects me every day as I think more about it. My job, my interactions with friends and family, my faith is affected by something I know is constant. The Bible.

Why emphasize reading the Bible? Because your life depends on it. There are many Christians who sadly aren’t familiar with the Bible. It sits on their coffee table, or on a shelf in the study. Some Christians are missing something important in their lives, even though it’s there, right in front of them, and it’s something they need right now. They might have a cross on their wall, and they might listen to Gospel music in the car, and I have nothing against those things, but it’s not the same as reading the Bible. It’s why pastors have a scripture reading every Sunday. Reading the Bible gives us a way to know our Savior. It equips us for life. You know how Paul wrote Timothy while he was in prison? I think there were several reasons why this letter was written. First, Paul was in prison, waiting to find out if he was to be executed by Nero’s command. In these situations, of course you’re going to start thinking about what’s really important in life, not just for yourself, but for the people you love. You might wonder if they know what’s important. Second, Paul wrote Timothy, a church leader and a close friend. Wouldn’t you want especially your leaders and especially your close friends to know what’s important in life so they can teach other’s to live with this knowledge too? Paul fills his letter with warnings. He points out the cruel reality of life. When people turn their back on God, the reality of pain and struggle hits them hard. They might try fixing it themselves, finding other things to love, like it will fill a void. They find it in the love of money, popularity or the approval of others, even though that Bible is sitting on the coffee table! Paul doesn’t sugarcoat anything and points out that it’s only going to get worse. How do you cope with that?

Christians get persecuted today. It might not always be in the form of a beheading, but people judge Christians for their beliefs, and you know it. Every Christian knows it, even if you live in a nice little town where Christianity is part of everyone’s heritage. What are you going to do about it when you feel like you have no power over something as vast as the world and the Devil?

You have power though! You have the power of faith in Jesus. Reading the Bible to increase your faith is not just a survival strategy to just barely make it through life. It’s a thriving strategy. God allows people to survive, even when they don’t have faith, but they aren’t thriving. They aren’t living life how God intended. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We can be equipped for anything in life if we read the Bible. We won’t get answers to those tough questions in life if we rely on politics, the economy or friends and family to supply answers or make you happy. Martin Luther once said, “The truth is mightier than eloquence, the Spirit greater than genius, faith more than education.”

Thanks to the grace of God, the Bible is nothing new and it is for everyone. Trust it. The Bible contains words that you need to hear over and over again because it’s your armor and protection in life. You are provided answers to those questions about life that you don’t want anyone to know you are asking, like: Do I have a purpose? Does my life mean something? Who can protect me from the wrong answers to these difficult questions? The Holy Spirit can. The Bible is the only weapon available to fight these questions of life and faith. You have to use it though! Christians have life in spite of the death we see around us, because the Bible is alive. Here’s another Martin Luther quote: “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me… A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a cardinal without it.” Our sin-dominated human nature is cut through, changing our thoughts and intensions.

You know Christians all over the world are experiencing the same struggles you are. But Jesus himself promises that you will know the truth and it will set you free. He gives readers of the Bible another blessing. It is our foundation for life now and forever in a world of changing values and false information. You can depend on the Bible to direct your actions and change your life. Christians can be anchored in solid ground, secure and sure forever. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of a Christian community who takes reading the Bible to heart. So, read the Bible and get to know Jesus. Your life depends on it.

P.S. Listen to The Lutheran Hour if you have a chance, even if you aren’t Lutheran. Their mission is to bring Christ to the nations.

P.P.S. Martin Luther is the bomb. Read his stuff too.