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23rd December 2024
MondayReflection
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'Kendrick Diaz '
'Christianity is easy ....'
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"All Scripture Is Given by Inspiration of God"
Is the Bible relevant to you?
Why should you study the Bible?
Paul gives four reasons.
What does 2 Timothy 3:16 mean for Christians?
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ..."
..... 2 Timothy 3:16
Why should you bother to read - let alone study - the Bible?
It is, after all, an old book - and a very old one at that.
Combine that with the fact that it was written over the course of perhaps 1,500 years by several different authors - some with strange, difficult-to-pronounce names like Habakkuk - in sentences that sometimes sound more like riddles.
No wonder the Bible can seem daunting.
And does the Bible have any relevance in the modern era at all?
Truth be told, I believe the Bible is more relevant to you than what meets the eye.
One of the most compelling arguments for studying the Bible can be found in a single sentence in the Bible itself.
Paul wrote,
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work"
..... 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The first clause in that verse should make us pause: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God".
In no uncertain terms, this verse reveals the primary reason the Bible is unlike any other book in the world.
It was inspired by God Himself, the Creator of the universe - your Creator.
He is the real author.
And He would like you to listen to what He has to say.
He would, in fact, like the whole world to listen to what He has to say.
What Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes one of God's strongest cases for studying the Bible- in just 35 words (in English).
Let's dig deeper into this verse and explain the reasons it provides for studying the Bible.
The Bible is profitable for teaching, for getting answers.
There is really no shortage of topics covered in Scripture.
As it turns out, the Bible provides insight on a variety of subjects, like health, finances, interpersonal relationships, communication, how to be a man, how to be a woman, what is morally right and wrong, how to live life, and so on.
Bible study should be a regular part of a Christian's life.
Even more important than some of its more practical and immediately useful contents, though, is the Bible's teachings about man's purpose.
The Bible is the only book that answers the question about the real purpose of human existence.
Philosophers, religious leaders, politicians, thinkers - some of the world's greatest minds - have tried and failed to answer that question.
Why is that?
Frankly, it's because they tried to solve the question using their own ideas rather than looking to God's Word for His answers.
Imagine taking a knife and slicing down the centre of an apple.
With both halves of the fruit in your palms, what do you see?
You might see the fruit's meat, core and seeds.
Simply put, the knife revealed information about the apple that you would not have discovered otherwise - it showed you the contents, the insides.
The Bible uses a similar metaphor to describe itself.
Notice Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Imagine a book so powerful that it can cut through as many layers as necessary in order to reach the deepest, most secret part of your very being - the heart and mind - and show you what is there.
And, more importantly, what you need to change.
That's the Bible.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
Kendrick Diaz
is a full-time writer at the Life, Hope & Truth offices in McKinney, Texas.
He spends his workdays writing blog posts and articles for Discern magazine and LifeHopeandTruth.com
Kendrick attends the Sherman, Texas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
We don't do "watered down."
Christianity is easy ....
... when you remove its standards, blur its focus and strip away its purpose.
And a lot of churches are happy to do that for you.
We aren't one of them.
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