Do Christians Read Their Bible?

 

When I was preparing for my driver’s test many years ago, I studied the state's driver’s manual. I needed to know the answers to the questions they would be asking. It was also needed for knowing the laws concerning driving on public roadways and streets. Years later, I had a job which required me to know a variety of policies which I had to follow in order to perform my duties correctly and efficiently. I would constantly refer back to those policies so I would be able to do my job in the way required. Another situation included a contract agreement between a company I worked for and a labor union to which I belonged. I never wanted to be involved with the politics of being a steward or any other union position, but I made it a point to know the book containing the contract agreement. That was for my own benefit and to help others.

As a Christian, I consider the Bible the most important document in my life. As for the situations and items I mentioned above, as important as they were for the requirement, the Bible supersedes them all. The Bible tells us everything we need to know about God, His Son and His Holy Spirit. It doesn’t leave out anything God wants us to know or something we need to know. He has given us His word so we can live our lives in the manner He wants us to live. The Bible tells us how to be saved and why we need to be saved. It tells us of His love, His unconditional love for us. But do Christians read their Bible?  

In a recent Barna poll, only 11% of adults (did not identify as Christians or not) read the Bible daily and only 5% read it four to six times a week. The numbers of adults who read the Bible once a week and once a month is 8%. The poll does not say if these people are Christians or not, but I don’t know many non-Christians who read the Bible. Either way, the numbers are not encouraging. In any given church, if a person was to take a poll and ask those in attendance how often they read their Bibles, the answers could be very surprising. Now, I am not referring to in depth study but simply reading the Bible by following a daily reading plan.

I had only been a Christian about three years when the pastor in the church we were attending laid out a simple Bible reading plan for daily reading which would take you through the Bible in a year. He told the church if we read three chapters a day during the week and four chapters on Saturday and four on Sunday, it would take us through the Bible in a year. So, on January 1^st, I began the reading plan in Genesis 1, and I have been following that reading plan ever since. But what I discovered as a young, in the faith Christian, there were people who had been Christians for as many as thirty years or more who had never read through the Bible or even parts of the Bible. One was overseeing the adult Sunday School classes and a church board member.

I have heard just about every excuse for not reading the Bible in the morning, in the evening, during lunch break or any other time. I would tell these people to just get out of bed about twenty minutes earlier in the morning and take the time to read. It is the best time to read and more times than not, the house is probably quiet. The answer many times was, “I just can’t do that.” Or “I don’t want to get up any earlier than I have to.” Well, Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross either, but He did. Other Christians I have spoken to about reading the Bible make it sound like it’s a chore or boring.

If they think it’s a chore, then they need to back up get on their knees and start praying. And if they think it’s boring, I would advise the same thing, start praying. I understand reading through books such as Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy can be a slow go but there is some very interesting stuff in those books which relate to Jesus and the New Testament Church. There has to be an interest in the Bible and in what Jesus wants to do in our lives. Salvation is through faith and God’s grace. It’s not a fire insurance policy but so many treat it as such. There are many Bible reading plans available, and most study Bibles have at least one included in the material provided. The most important thing I discovered about reading through the Bible every day and in a year is how it brings familiarity of the Bible to the reader. It’s not only a learning tool (the read through) but also a teacher. When a person reads the Bible every day, the Holy Spirit helps to understand what is being read and also helps to remember it.

A major problem with Christians today is they are too involved in the culture outside of the Church. And that also is a problem that comes into the Church by way of these people. Far too many Christians (and nonbelievers) believe that the culture should direct what the Bible teaches or what the Church should be doing and saying. Pastors are within that group. Not all pastors but I did read about one that thinks the Church needs to renew its thinking and teaching because the culture is changing. He’s right, the culture is changing but that has nothing to do with what God’s word says or teaches us. God never changes and neither does His word or its message. The culture outside the Church doesn’t get to dictate what the Bible should say or how we should live our Christian lives.

This is how a lack of Bible reading and study affects certain Christian lives. If a Christian is listening more to what the world is saying than what God’s word is saying, they will naturally be in for a big stumble and fall. Of course, there are many local churches where the Bible may not even be opened during a service. No one is ever encouraged to read their Bible. This is how certain Christians end up with more of the world than God or His word. Reading the Bible should be the most important part of a Christian’s day. It’s our life manual. It’s our instructions for how we should live. It is the most all-time selling book, yet people fail to read it.

We are at the end of another year. January 1^st is only days away so find a reading plan for daily Bible reading and begin the new year off right. Start it with God’s word. Pray and ask Him to help you with this plan. A Christian has the Holy Spirit within them, and He will help you to be disciplined to follow through with the daily plan. If you miss a day, move on and don’t try to make up. Keep on reading and you will be surprised at how much you will begin to learn and also grow closer to God. Reading God’s word daily will definitely enhance your Christian life. Don’t get stuck in the culture of this world. God has so much more for you. Just read His word and find out for yourself. And when this new year ends next December, read the Bible through again and again and again.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.             2 Tim 3:16-17

Bill Petite

 

Why Jesus Came

A friend of mine and I sat one afternoon, and he began to ask me questions about Christianity. As I answered his questions, I never realized that this man was seeking after something which could change his life. The Holy Spirit had taken control of this conversation which was a good thing since I know I would have certainly messed it up. But he continued firing questions at me and the Holy Spirit kept feeding me the answers. Before I knew it, two hours had passed, and we then moved on in our own directions.

When I saw him the next day, he told me he had received Christ into his heart and was saved. He also told me that his wife had come home that evening and told him that she also had received Christ as her savior. They were both saved on the same day while listening to different people but the same Holy Spirit. But it was Jesus who had been at the center of both conversations. This would seem to explain why Jesus came to earth in the form of human flesh. He is the Son of God, the second person in the God head and was in heaven with the Father. He didn’t have to leave His throne in heaven, but He did that because of the love He has for the people of this world. God created people on the sixth day of creation. The first man, Adam, was created perfect and without sin. But when he and his wife, Eve, disobeyed God’s command, they allowed sin to enter into this world and every person ever born from that time was born with a sin nature within in them.

This sin nature is what drives people to commit the worst and the least detestable crimes. It is why drug and alcohol addiction ruins people’s lives. It’s why adults physically, mentally and sexually abuse children. It is why people do the most detestable things. People murder other people, people assault each other, they steal from others, people con other people out of their money and some kill or hurt others and are never bothered by it and then do it again. The absolute root cause of all these and other sinful practices is sin. Sin causes people to do anything which is opposed to God and His desire for human life.

But Jesus came to correct that problem. He never sinned and that’s what God required. He required a sinless man to die for all humanity and be the sacrifice to pay the price for our sin. Think of it this way; the next time you commit a sin, whatever it might be, stop and realize that is why Jesus had to die on that cross. Our every sin and every sin of every person who has ever lived or will live is why Jesus went to the cross and took those sins upon Himself and paid the price we couldn’t pay. So, the next time you hear a Christmas song or story about baby Jesus, understand that Jesus didn’t come to be worshipped as a baby but as Lord and savior of our lives (if you know Him that way). Christmas isn’t about baby Jesus but the coming of our Lord and savior into this world to die for our sin. And in the same theme, Jesus did die on a cross and rose from the dead to provide salvation for us, but He is not on that cross anymore. So, when Easter, or resurrection Sunday, rolls around, remember, He came off of that cross and was raised from the grave and returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.

This is why Jesus came the first time. John 3:17 tells us,

 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

But He will return a second time and at that time He will be coming to bring judgement.

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.               JN 3:19-20

 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  Rom 2:5

When Jesus returns, He will be coming to bring judgment to those who have rejected Him. Christians will also be judged but not for their sin. They will be judged for what they did for Jesus after they were saved.

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.   2 Cor 5:10

But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.          1 Cor 3:13-15

So, to summarize, Jesus came to forgive sin and provide salvation to those who cry out to Him. After a person is saved, there is work to be done. What kind of work you ask? There are pastors, Bible teachers, children’s ministries, youth ministries, teachers for advanced education and Bible training, church building maintenance workers, music ministry, missionaries and many, many more types of Christian work. When a Christian dies and enters heaven, the person is judged for the work he/she has done for Jesus. There will be work which is considered of great value and then there will be work which has not glorified God at all. It doesn’t mean the work was sinful, but it just had no Godly value. Verse 12 in the above 1 Corinthians passage uses descriptions as jewels or hay, stubble and straw. The latter describes those worldly works. I coached youth baseball for years and if I never presented the gospel (which I did) all that work with those youth and the information and coaching I passed on to them is just hay and straw. It wasn’t sinful but at the same time, it never pointed anyone toward God.

Now, for the person who rejects Jesus and never comes to know Him as Lord and savior of their lives will face a far more severe judgment. They will be judged for their sin. Someone at this point might ask, “Why aren’t Christians judged for their sin?” Good question and the simple answer is because Jesus paid the price for their sin and has forgiven them. He has covered them with His righteousness. So, when God the Father looks at a Christian, He doesn't see the sinful person, He sees Jesus. He took their sin upon Himself at the cross. Revelation 20:11 and forward tells of the Great White Throne Judgment. If you’re not saved, I suggest reading this passage and see what you’re in for if you don’t surrender your life to Jesus. It’s not a happy ending. It will be a really bad eternity of torment and suffering. And I guess I need to answer another often-asked question concerning this.

The question is always asked, “If God is such a loving God, why does He send people to hell?” The answer is simple, and most don’t like it. God sends no one to hell. Hell was created for Satan and the fallen angels who have given up their place in heaven and followed Satan when he fell. They rejected God and followed sinful Satan. When a person hears the gospel and rejects it or when people are told about Jesus and refuse to accept Him as their savior and Lord, they are sending themselves to hell. Without asking Jesus to forgive them for their sin, they continue to own their sin and if they die in that sin, they cannot enter into heaven and stand before God. God will not allow sin in His presence so a person who continues in their life of sin and a life without Jesus, will never enter into heaven or God’s presence. Most people who are not saved really don’t like this answer but that is the truth. I have always believed that any person who doesn’t want God in their life here will not want to be in His presence after they die.

So, why did Jesus come? He came to this world the first time to die on a cross for the sins of this world. He took our sin, everyone’s sin, upon Himself on that cross and paid the price required by God the Father. He rose three days later from the grave and defeated death. We have that same opportunity when and if we ask Him to forgive us for our sin and accept Him as Lord and savior of our lives. He will come again, a second time, and bring judgment for those who have rejected Him. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the latter camp. If you haven’t already, ask Jesus to forgive you and then know Him as your Lord and savior. You will never regret it. It doesn’t matter what others think, it only matters what Jesus says.

-Bill Petite

 

It's Not a Religion, It's a Relationship

 Anytime a post or article is published by a secular media outlet concerning the Church or Christianity, the comments which follow are loaded with the wisdom of the worldly, unsaved people. What do I mean by that? Well, some people who are not Christians have a habit of sharing their personal wisdom and their own opinion of what Christianity is. And that’s their right. They like to say that God is not real, Jesus never lived here on earth and it’s all a fraud. They insist on calling Christianity a religion. It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship. So, your next question might be, “A relationship with who?” It’s all based on a relationship with Jesus. For those who are not Christians, you might be scratching your heads and wondering what kind of relationship a Christian can have with Jesus? Glad you asked.

Every person ever born or who will ever be born, is born with a sin nature. What that means is the sin nature we were born with drives us to live in sin and commit sin. This is because the first man and woman disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Long story short, Eve was deceived by Satan who was in the form of a snake, and she ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and so did Adam. At that point, sin entered into the world. Adam and Eve were created as man and woman and knew no sin. They could have lived forever and never sinned but they both ate of the forbidden fruit and disobeyed God. Now, I know this all sounds like some kind of crazy fairytale. Or some might think it’s just a made-up story to keep Christians obedient to a fake God and a way to keep them in line. I can understand that but there needs to be a deeper look at Christianity and the sin element.

 Why do people kill other people? Why are there demented people like Hitler who ordered the death of six million Jews? Why do people kill babies before they are born? Why do husbands beat their wives or vice versa? Why do people sexually abuse children? I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Are there really that many demented or mentally ill people in this world and if so, why and what is the cause? Oh, I’m sure a secular psychiatrist can give an answer and reason for this with some psychobabble double talk. But the shrink would be wrong. The correct answer is sin. Sin is at the root of every evil act.  Sin is the root cause of every evil act. And, before you say it, no, God did not create evil. Evil is nothing more than the absence of God in any life or situation. Sin is the cause of people who murder, assault, abuse, pedophilia, abortion and any demented lifestyle.

I was an alcoholic for about fifteen years. Now, right away, all the AA people and shrinks are going to say, “There is no 'was' when it comes to alcoholism. You are an alcoholic for life!” Well, I’m sorry but they are wrong because when I became a Christian, Jesus saved me from that miserable addiction. When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior and surrendered my life to Him, I never had a craving or a desire for alcohol again. That was thirty-eight years ago, and I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since, nor have I had a craving for it. Of course, the next words from them are, “Well then you were not an alcoholic.”  Well, I guess all those counselors were wrong when they diagnosed me as an alcoholic. I had tried for years to stop drinking beer. That was my choice of alcohol.

But I would make it a month, three months or even as long as six months but it never failed, I was right back drinking gallons of beer. I didn’t have the power to stop for good. But when Jesus spoke clearly to me when I woke on a Sunday morning with a hangover, I agreed to allow Him to stop it and He did. Jesus never sinned. He was born without a sinful nature. He is the second person in the Godhead, the Son of God. He couldn’t have a sinful nature because He is God and sin cannot stand in the presence of God.

It was a flawed and sinful person who introduced me to alcohol when I was a preteen. So, why would I trust in a sinful flawed person to keep me away from alcohol? That’s what AA is all about. People helping other people to not drink. You see, AA is a religion. It’s a religion where people who are suffering from the damage alcohol has done to their lives, depending on other people, with the same problem, to help them. It’s a system they believe very strongly in. But it’s flawed because it is centered on people helping other people with their addiction and the addiction never goes away. It's always there because it is driven by the sin nature within them. Religion will never save anyone, and AA will never cure alcoholism. The system tells them there is no cure. But the system is wrong because the cure is Jesus.

This is not an attack on AA even though it is a flawed system. It is just a good example of what religion is. When a person is saved from their life of sin by Jesus, they become a new person. God sends His Holy Spirit to us, and He dwells within us. We are made new and even though we still have that sinful nature within us, the Spirit keeps it down and out of control. I never had a desire for another swig of beer and about a week later, I realized I had not spoken one curse or cuss word. I had a foul mouth and at work it was one of the worst. At home, it wasn’t quite as bad but still bad. I wasn’t trying not to cuss; I just wasn’t talking that way anymore. The Holy Spirit was keeping my language clean, and I realized how ignorant it had been and how it sounded.

I realize that people who are not saved and have no desire to hear anything about Jesus would simply just scoff at stuff like this. And they will continue to think they know all about Christianity. But the truth is, they know nothing about God or Christianity. They will continue to call it a religion when in fact it is a relationship which begins when Jesus comes into our lives. A relationship with Jesus is like a relationship between husbands and wives. The Bible describes the Church, Christians, as the bride of Christ. Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride. It’s a formal relationship just as marriage is. Now, for everyone who still thinks this is all bunk, go home and tell your wife/husband your marriage is simply a religion and nothing more.

 

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son    JN 3:16-18

 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.   JN 1:1

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.   JN 1:14

Now, I know there are some who will never believe anything about Christianity. They will never believe what any Bible quote might say. To them it is all fairytale stuff. They will always believe Christianity is a religion and only causes harm. They will cite historical religious wars or damages supposedly caused by religion, and some were, but they will never accept that those were all caused by sinful people conducting evil and wrongly in the name of God. I only have this to say to them. Do your own investigation into Jesus and Christianity. At least satisfy your belief. Many intelligent men have set out to prove Christianity and Jesus to be nothing more than a hoax but eventually discovered the truth and were saved. So, do it and see for yourself. Don’t just take the words of others. You might be surprised.

Our relationship with Jesus is based on our belief in what He has done for us. He died in our place to provide salvation from our sin. We accept His grace and mercy on us which provides for us forgiveness and an eternal life with Him. It’s a relationship not a religion.

-Bill Petite