What if someone read the Bible and believed it? I mean really believed it to the point where it changed their day, month, life?
I guess if you really believe it, it would have to change you on some level. I know people get mad at "Bible thumpers" "Holy Rollers" "Religious fanatics" and the Irish...but I'm not sure all of that is justifiable.
Sure there are hypocrits, I get that. That happens everywhere . Every political party is full of people who say one thing and do another. Every organization has values that they fall short on. Christianity is a bit different in that so much perceived value is placed on the followers of Jesus. Many of the arguments against the faith aren't about Him, they're about His imperfect followers.
Every group has it's problems. We label every group. Many Christians are hypocrites. Many political parties are selfish. I'm just not sure that's enough to discount what people say and just stand behind one party/cause/institution.
so back to the Bible thumpers... If they really believe in God, and believe that the Bible isn't the Bible, but it's the Holy Bible.... is it so crazy that if you believe this that you'd read it?
I'd think logically the opposite is true. If you believed this, you'd read it. It'd be crazy not to. Certainly you'd read it every chance you had. I'm not talking about showing up once a week somewhere where somebody up front reads a little bit of it and then talks about it. I think you'd want to read it all the time.
...If you really believed it was Holy.
That's a big if. I'm wondering if we just slowly get out of the habit, or never were told that this really is something you ought to look into, or if we defiantly take a stance that it's not going to get read?
Most things in life (for me) sort of happen gradually.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI like reading the viewpoints that address that the content of the bible may be different from what we actually think. It may be tricky, or sound strange, but I actually believe the bible is written not to be read. A weird book right, but I`ve been reading it, and it doesn`t seem like I`m suppose to. Faith, religion, values, etc. were a lot easier when I didn`t know what was actually in it, so I could believe what must have been in it, and sounded a lot better in debates. I`m still only 50% complete, (48% to be exact), but by the end of this year, I will have read it from cover to cover. Well, keep up the good work. What if?
I'm not so sure that one would read the Bible more if they truly believed it were Holy. I certainly think they'd take more seriously what they read. For instance, I'm guessing one would really take to heart the Greatest Commandment (since it's the greatest). I may be off here, but I'm not so sure that burying our faces in the Bible is truly loving God. Is it wise? Yes. Am I saying we shouldn't read it? Absolutely not. But if Jesus was serious about the Greatest Commandment, we can search the scriptures wondering how to love Him and love our neighbor, and we may find some helpful hints, but ultimately, it isn't until we step out of the office lamplight (or wherever we read our Holy Bibles) and actually live, that the Spirit will show us how, and where, to do both. I'm guessing it's not in the comfort of our La-Z-Boys reading Habakkuk.
ReplyDeletemy friend Alton would say that it's the power of the "and" or maybe it's "both and"
ReplyDeleteI think God's word probably inspires action - and if action is the point...well then it's both and. Maybe people are way too busy to start with God's word for 5 or 10? It just seems like maybe not...
I also wonder if obedience is really the point. Our followership, if it's reading, doing, or listening...maybe the relationship is the point?
I agree with Alton.
ReplyDeleteIf I say I'm too busy to start with 5 or 10 minutes reading the Bible, well, I'm lying. Nobody is too busy for that.
I suppose it's two-fold. If reading the Bible leads to reading the Bible and nothing more, well it's foolish and I'd argue, a waste of time.
"You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
If we take action, and disregard the Bible, it's probably equally as foolish.
Paul didn't have the Pauline epistles. King David didn't have the Psalms. Their lives gave life to both.
The Bible is a wonderful gift which we have access to. It's silly not to read it. It's way better than South Park, or Rock of Love 2, or even Seinfeld. But it's silly to worship it rather than the One it speaks of. I've used the analogy of the Bible being like a car manual. It's not. If it were, there would be no reason for the Holy Spirit.
"I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual act of worship."
On a side note (or maybe not)...
I loved the sight of (an unnamed Young Life staffer) sitting on the couches at Rockbridge with his "guys" sharing life and conversation, when everyone else was inside singing "Shine, Jesus, Shine." It made sense to me then, and it makes sense to me now.
Move to Ohio Dan.
ReplyDelete