Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, “The Bible was not
given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” Later I
came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous
at worst. The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is
primarily the message of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ, with
everything in Scripture before the cross pointing to God’s redemptive
work and everything after the cross–including our sanctification–flowing
from that work.
There is an element of truth in this statement, however, and the Holy
Spirit used it to help me to see that the Bible is not to be read just
to gain knowledge. It is, indeed, to be obeyed and practically applied
in our daily lives. As James says, “But be doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
With my new insight, I prayed that God would use the Bible to guide
my conduct. Then I began diligently to seek to obey it. I had never
heard the phrase “the pursuit of holiness,” but that became my primary
goal in life. Unfortunately, I made two mistakes. First, I assumed the
Bible was something of a rulebook and that all I needed to do was to
learn what it says and go do it. I knew nothing of the necessity of
depending on the Holy Spirit for his guidance and enablement.
Still worse, I assumed that God’s
acceptance of me and his blessing in my life depended on how well I did.
I knew I was saved by grace through faith in Christ apart from any
works. I had assurance of my salvation and expected to go to heaven when
I died. But in my daily life, I thought God’s blessing depended on the
practice of certain spiritual disciplines, such as having a daily quiet
time and not knowingly committing any sin. I did not think this out but
just unconsciously assumed it, given the Christian culture in which I
lived. Yet it determined my attitude toward the Christian life. Keep Reading >>>
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