Most of us have heard the saying that the Bible is a “road map for life.” While this is certainly true it is only descriptive of a fraction of the Bible’s purpose and potency. In fact, I would argue that continuing to apply such labels to the Bible may sound nice but actually has the affect of diluting our impressions and expectations of what the bible really is and has to offer.
Does the bible offer answers to our every day lives? Absolutely! This is part of its power and continued appeal throughout the ages. Should we merely view the bible as an encyclopedia or answer book for our problems? Absolutely not!! Actually, we shouldn’t even begin with personal application when studying the word. Allow me to explain.
It is almost selfish of us to approach the Bible like nothing more than a search engine by which we can acquire the information we need to solve the problems in our lives. It is not that God doesn’t want to offer answers to our dilemmas. Of course He does, He is a loving father who has given us a great jewel of knowledge and wisdom by which to live our lives. The problem with an informational approach to the Word of God is with the approach.
The Bible is not merely informational it is relational. John 1:1 tells us clearly that Christ and the word are synonymous. Christ is the word. The leather bound volume that you hold in your hand or that sits on your shelf and gathers dust is just a physical representation of what is inside. The power is in the words, concepts, ideas and principles that are within. Like all ideas, principles and concepts these are alive. All ideas, concepts and principles are alive because they are generated in the minds of real living Human beings. The Bible is even more powerful than any other collection of ideas on earth because these concepts did not originate in the minds of men but in the very mind of God.
Furthermore, Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is not only living but it is active. In other words, it has active power. When we think about it, meditate on it and prayerfully process it’s concepts they are being applied to our lives. This process of transformation (RM 12:2) is not just about acquiring enough information to achieve behavior modification. This is not the connotation of study that Paul was encouraging Timothy to engage in in 2 Timothy 2:15.
We are to study the word of God and to interact with it, questioning it, living with it, processing it, praying about it, meditating on it and internalizing it’s concepts, themes and principles. When we do this then our behaviors will automatically change. We will see that transformation will by necessity be taking place in our lives.
I fear, that as the modern day church, we have tried earnestly to boil down concepts, themes and principles into bite sized applications. We’ve done this to our detriment. Our goal in bible study should be more than just trying to find the application. The Bible is more than just a motivational answer book.
When we seek to truly understand it we aren’t just trying to download information but we are building our relationship with its author. When we spend time in the word (not just leafing through it in order to get what we want out of it) not only will we be transformed but we will fall even more deeply in love with the God of the scriptures.
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