Time to get ready…

The year is almost over. And every year at about this time, I try to get people geared up for what I think is a worthwhile endeavor: reading the Bible, all the way through.

But let’s step back for a second to walk us through this. I’ve written here before about being a “checklist” Christian – i.e., don’t. We can’t sit comfortably in our faith thinking that we’re good to go because we’ve checked all of the boxes. There is really only one true indicator of a person’s Christianity: whether or not they have received that which God has given as a free gift – eternal life in Christ Jesus.

It’s important, though, that we know the Christ in whom one has come to believe – and that he is the Christ who can truly save. We all must admit, there are plenty of versions out there. How are we to know which is right?

But how may we know? I look at it this way: the God who says “believe in my son, Jesus Christ, and the work he did for you on the cross,” would most likely have given us something tangible as to the details. I would be somewhat suspicious of being asked to throw in with someone or something life altering that depends merely on the whims of what a particular person is feeling at the moment. I would want something a bit more solid. Something a bit more timeless to which I could refer – to see if what I’m being told to believe has any credence. I’m a big fan of the Bereans, whom, we’re told in Acts, didn’t just suck up everything they were being told, but rather, “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

You can’t just take people’s word for it – you’ve got to look into these things yourself. A quiet, passive congregant is a bit of a danger actually. It is far better to ask the questions and diligently seek the right answers. We can have faith in God, but shouldn’t transfer that faith to the fallible people who claim to represent him in the pulpit.

And how can we be sure we’re on the right track? By holding what they say up against a singular standard, and by appealing to that standard as a whole for our understanding. And how can we best do that but to actually read that standard for ourselves with a curious and questioning eye.

There’s a whole package to being a Christian. Again, I can’t checklist it. I can only tell you what might help, and in this case, help immensely: Read. Your. Bible. Then find a good church that actually preaches from it so that you’re not alone in the reading – but go there absolutely unafraid to question the teachers of that church if you have to. Not maliciously. Not looking for any “gotchas.” But if you’re reading the Bible and think there’s something that doesn’t sound right, find the teacher’s answer for it and go back to the Bible to see if it makes sense.

I’ve read the Bible through more times than I can count – at least once a year since I’ve become a Christian. And just about every time, I see something I might have missed before. Something that grows my understanding just a bit more. Something that might have me thinking a bit differently about what I may have thought before.

While God brings a person in by the work of Jesus, there is still the matter of Christian growth. It’s called “sanctification.” I like the Korean (and Chinese) for it – 성화 (圣化) – which literally means something like to “holy-ize” – the (grammatically) progressive act of being made holy. It’s a lifelong process, from the moment you believe to the moment you finally join God in heaven. And there are two main ways to make that happen. First, surround yourself with other believers – the stronger and more willing to mentor you and be there to answer your questions, the better. The Bible says in the 10^th chapter of Hebrews, “²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The second way is to continually read, study, and grow in knowledge of the Bible. Like the Bereans, study the scriptures and put them up not just against what you’re hearing from the teachers of the church, but against how you live your life. Psalm 19 has a section that covers a lot of this. In it, the Psalmist describes God’s word as “perfect,” “sure,” “right,” “pure,” “true,” “to be desired,” and “sweet.” It revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, and enlightens the eyes. And here, in the last verse of the Psalm, is where I see something kind of conclusive in my faith in what God says: By his word, we are warned. In keeping his word, there is great reward. I have to remember, though, at this last point, not to expect a great reward just because I’m keeping his word – the reward is already mine in Christ – but rather, that the Christian life is, in itself, rewarding.

We get there. And we can help ourselves along the way by reading what God has to say to us. Every day. For the next year.

I really like reading the Bible chronologically. This means skipping around a bit (the books and events of the Bible are not arranged from start to finish, but are more grouped by genre and purpose). Here’s the reading plan for that.

That comes from this bigger list. There’s a lot to choose from.

If you give it a try (and I hope you do), let me know how your’e doing. And, as usual, if you have any questions or need any advice or help, just drop me a line.