📖 How Should We Approach the Bible?

It’s not us that are reading the Bible, but the Bible’s reading us 📚✨ — it’s the Lord who is with his word and actually comes to you through his word.

📜 Isaiah 55:11 says:

“My word . . . goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”

⚔️ Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is . . . sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.”

How does it do that? 🤔

The law ⚖️ is on one side and the gospel ❤️ is on the other side.

The takeaway: The Bible is going to do stuff to you. 😲

The word of God kills and makes alive. ☠️➡️💖

Jesus is the word made flesh 🕊️ to dwell among us. He is the way 🚶‍♂️, the truth ✨, and the life 🌱.

Let’s flesh out the two different ways that people tend to read the Bible 📖:

1️⃣ Read the Bible looking for answers

📚 Reading it like this may allow someone to obtain information in order to gain knowledge.

(That’s not necessarily bad, but that’s not why the Bible was written. ❌)

2️⃣ Read the Bible as if it revealed God for us

🙏 Read it in faith knowing that God is actually coming to you.

Just like God gives us preachers 🎙️ to bring his gifts to us.

Key Takeaway:

Learning something 🧠 is very different from felt comfort 💛. Learning can distract us from what’s wrong, but the law exposes our sins and the cross ✝️ gives us forgiveness.

Only focusing on the law ⚖️ when we read the Bible can make us Pharisees 👨‍⚖️ or lead us into despair 😔.

In summary: When we open the Bible 📖, look for the very Word of God himself — the Word who became flesh. 🕊️

So instead of asking, “How do I treat the Bible?”, a better question is: “How does the Bible treat me?” 🤔

The Bible is the word of Jesus ❤️, and Jesus came so that he would save his people from their sin. ✝️

Contributor Marsh Shamburger is Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin, CA.

#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #bible