WHY READ THE BIBLE?

If you struggle with doubts about whether the Bible is truly the Word of God, please consider the following statements.

The God Who Creates Also Guides
If you believe that God created you, the world, the universe, and everything else that is seen and unseen, then is it really that hard to believe He could create a book for us through His appointed servants? God used written words intended to last so that generations of men and women could know His holiness, His love, His principles for living, and His will for our lives. God did not create us and then leave us here without guidance or hope. He gave us a thorough instruction manual for living because He loves us. 

The Bible’s unity is hard to dismiss
The Bible is made up of 66 books written by about 40 different authors from several different countries. They wrote in multiple languages over a span of roughly 1,500 years. Yet there is a consistent unity in its message that points toward Jesus Christ. That kind of unity can only be explained by a miraculous outside influence. Read it for yourself and see the power of God at work.

Its reach is unlike any other book
If God created a book intended for all people, wouldn’t it make sense that it would become the most widely read and distributed book in history? The Bible is by far the most published book ever written. Several billion copies have been distributed worldwide, and that number continues to grow. Is that merely coincidence, or could it be part of God’s plan?

Fulfilled prophecy is hard to ignore

Hundreds of biblical prophecies have been fulfilled. It is mind blowing when you begin to study them, and I encourage you to do so. Two of the most compelling examples are found in Psalm 22:16–18 and Isaiah 53. King David described crucifixion hundreds of years before it was invented and about 1,000 years before it happened to Jesus. He also described the casting of lots for garments, exactly what the Romans did with Jesus’s clothing. Isaiah detailed what would happen to Jesus roughly 700 years before He came to earth. These God given prophecies were fulfilled in Matthew 27 and Luke 23.

It remains relevant across all generations
Even though the Bible is centuries upon centuries old, it continues to hold up as a powerful guide for life and remains relevant across all cultures and generations. Maybe God knew what He was doing after all when He created a timeless book. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Human history itself points to Jesus
The calendar most of the world follows is built around the events recorded in the Bible. Think about that. Regardless of personal belief, the year everyone lives in is marked from the time of Jesus. Anno Domini, or AD, means “the year of the Lord.” The time before Jesus is marked as BC, meaning “before Christ.” Human history itself is framed around what is written in Scripture. That is significant for all cultures and all generations.

Eyewitness testimony came at great cost
The New Testament authors recorded eyewitness accounts of the miracles Jesus performed, including His resurrection, so that we could know the certainty of what is taught. Nearly all of the apostles faced torture and death for proclaiming what they knew to be true. Paul, who wrote thirteen New Testament books, once persecuted Christians and approved of the death of Stephen before encountering the risen Jesus.[1]That encounter completely changed the direction of his life. He went from being one of Christianity’s greatest enemies to one of its most devoted messengers, and he ultimately gave his life as a martyr for the gospel. These radical responses to Jesus make the Bible difficult to dismiss.

Your eternity is at stake.  Read it!

If the Bible is true, then your eternal destination depends on how you respond to it. It is far more than just another religious book. It is supernatural, authoritative, and eternally consequential. Millions of lives have been transformed by its message, and no one should dismiss it without serious personal examination. Betting eternal life on human “truths” that change with culture and time is a dangerous gamble. God’s Word exists so that we are no longer deceived, unstable, and “carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).

If your way of life is pulling you away from truly knowing God and leaving you without a sure hope for eternity, then I implore you to submit to God’s Word.  Study it humbly.  Let it confront you, correct you, and transform you. Your eternity is worth that effort.

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. 

(1 Timothy 2:4)

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5) 

God is not looking to confuse us with His Word. Instead, He desires us to gain its knowledge so that we can have a life-giving relationship with Him. I promise that if you read and absorb Scripture with humility and just a small seed of faith, His words will prove true in your life. Through His Word, God reveals Himself and His love more clearly over time as we devote ourselves to reading it. Much of Scripture is not that difficult to understand when we apply ourselves and take the time to seek out its context.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 

(Psalm 119:130)

If a “simple” guy like me can comprehend its life-changing message, then I’m pretty sure anyone can. If you don’t have a study Bible that provides in-depth contextual notes to help you “unfold” God’s word, then I suggest you get one.  

The Bible contains the comprehensive truth that God has revealed for understanding salvation and for living the Christian life according to His will. It is of eternal life-and-death importance that we do not neglect the renewing of our minds through Scripture.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

We cannot expect to stay on the Narrow Road while living in the darkness of this world without the light of God’s Word to guide us.

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:10)