7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the BibleSample

THE BIBLE GIVES US KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, LOVE, AND HOPE

Scripture is not a divine list of life hacks. Yes, it contains some great tips on everything from parenting to work habits to marriage and much more. The book of Proverbs and the letter of James both contain practical advice for how to live wisely and faithfully before God and others. But Scripture was not written to help you lose weight, find a better career, be more productive in the office, be a better you, or even discover yourself. Yes, the Christian Scriptures can help us with the mundane elements of life, but Scripture’s true purpose transcends the mundane and draws us into the mystery of God’s person, God’s love, and God’s promises to put all things under Christ’s reign. The purpose and power of Scripture are experienced in the discipline of immersing oneself daily into the mystery of God as he reveals himself in his word.

It is Scripture, under the Holy Spirit’s guidance and with the tutelage of our church’s traditions, that enables us to achieve genuine and lasting transformation. It is by soaking ourselves in Scripture that we cultivate virtue, curate our character, and conform ourselves to the pattern of Christ. You can describe this in technical theological words like “sanctification” (i.e., becoming holier) or with general descriptions like “godliness” (i.e., becoming more like God in our character). If we engage in consistent and wise readings of the Bible, individually and communally, we will hopefully reap many of the benefits of marinating our minds in Scripture.

To put it briefly, I like to say that the purpose of Scripture is that God’s people would attain the knowledge of God, deepen their faith, abound in love for God and love for others, and enjoy the assurance of hope—these are things we get from Scripture!