Why should I study the Bible?
Most Christians agree that it is important to study the Bible. It is after all the word of God. It is supposed to be good for us, right? Makes us into better people. So why don’t people study the Bible more often then? Figures today differ, but most claim that less than 10 % of Christians study the Bible on a regular basis. Lots of writers offer up many reasons why this is so. I believe that the main reasons are that 1) the Bible seems irrelevant and that 2) it is so often pushed to the back of our lives by more urgent and demanding matters. The first reason has to do with how people think about the Bible, the second with how they live their lives. The tragic thing is that this is crippling to the development of a Christians faith and awareness of God. Yes, it is true that the God will not scream at us if we ignore God’s word. It is also true that pop culture views the Bible (as well as most ancient books) as out of touch, archaic, and simply not that useful. We have been so trained in quick instant gratification that we have a difficult time in any pursuit that takes time, effort, and perseverance. Spiritual formation (which involves developing a greater awareness of God in our lives) happens only as the ingrained sinful parts of us are slowly transformed into the image of Christ. In essence, we have turned out wrong, not the way God had intended us to be. Reading the Bible is an essential way that God brings about spiritual formation, a process that is not instant or painless. It takes effort and perseverance.
We can’t do it on our own. We need the help of others in order to understand and apply the significant truths that we discover. That is why we emphasis small group Bible studies at Alpine. In studying the Bible with others, we discover just how relevant the Bible really is. We discover the joy of getting to know who God is. We discover all the misconceptions we have about faith, church, Christians, and God. We discover truths, that when applied to our lives are liberating, not enslaving. We discover the power of grace and forgiveness, not rules and judgment. If you have never studied the word of God in a small group, I encourage you to come discover what you have been missing. We have an open Bible study for men and women every Wednesday at 10:00 AM. Come discover what you are missing.