I promised back in an earlier post that I would write on reading the Bible. This topic obviously deserves more than one blog post, so I'll divide this topic into three posts:
(1) Why you should read the Bible
(2) How you should read the Bible
(3) How much and often you should read the Bible
Along the way I'll offer a few brief thoughts and guide you to some good sources so you can fill in the gaps.
Why should you read the Bible? My favorite passage in Scripture that explains what Scripture is and does is 2 Timothy 3:14-17: "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
Notice what the Bible is: "breathed out by God." Another way to say this is that the Bible was inspired by God or that the Bible itself in a very real way is the very words of God. Now notice the two things the Bible does: (1) it makes one wise for salvation and (2) it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. In other words, the Bible first shows us how we can be saved (by God's grace through faith in Jesus), and then after our conversion the Bible builds us up in holiness and godliness. It gets us in then keeps us going.
So why should you read the Bible? Read the Bible to discover God's magnificent grace. And read the Bible so that God's grace can work in your heart for the rest of your life.
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