For eons, we’ve had access to the Bible. It’s been transcribed and translated into hundreds of dialects and versions within those dialects. Those of us living in Canada have the freedom to read the Bible openly. We can publicly carry it, quote from it, memorize it. We can compose songs from scripture and make artwork based on its words. There are even competitions based on intense learning of chapters of the Bible.
While we know a lot of what it says in the Bible, where we struggle is in believing what the Bible says.
Personal Bible study and devotional time are widely encouraged. Trustworthy evangelists recommend that their audiences don’t rely solely on their words. Rather, everyone should explore the Bible for themselves. The Seventh-day Adventist denomination has done well to produce and print an assortment of materials for all age categories. Whether you’re new in your faith journey or well-seasoned, there are pamphlets, books, apps, and websites suitable to one’s study needs.
Our minds are familiar with the concept of a loving God. We can recall the right words for the right scenario, oftentimes verbatim, and can explain the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Still, recitation can be done without the heart’s involvement. Only knowing, while not believing, doesn’t strengthen our relationship with God.
Having a deeper experience with Christ requires action on our part. We need to believe what we know because what we know in our heads doesn’t always relate to what we feel in our hearts.
The Bible is an eloquent, true, historical account of God’s unfathomable love for all humanity. In order to share the gospel message effectively, in order to tell others about God as a loving, merciful and gracious Father to all, we need to believe it for ourselves first.
The effects of our knowledge are limited if we don’t choose to personally believe God’s Word and start living His truth in our lives.
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{This post is part 1 of 10. You can find the entire series on the introductory page, A Deeper Experience.}
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Sabrina Jacques-Rowe
Communication Leader
Henderson Highway Church