Words to live by

What does the Bible mean to you? Is it a book filled with pretty stories? A guide to social life? A history book? Or God's revealed Word, the salvation story for our lives?

If you observe these four points in reverse, you will realize what the Bible is for each of us. Firstly, it is God's revealed Word. Every sentence that you read in it, comes from God Himself, who put the words in the mouths, or pens, of various writers. It is not words written by men, or their own interpretations about God, no, God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, wrote this Book. It concerns God's plan of salvation for mankind. Beginning at the creation, through to the fall of man, the journey of God with His people, to Jesus and His act of mercy at the cross of Calvary, His resurrection, the beginning of the Church, to the things to come in Revelation and other books – God's concern was with us, how we can be saved, how He can draw us to Himself through His love.

Additionally, the Bible is also a history book. All other relevant events, since creation, between God and mankind, His creation, are described. With the same certainty that Jesus came to earth, there were also our ancestors, Noah, Adam and Eve. For it is not the word of people, but the Word of God Himself.

The Bible also provides us with instruction on our social interaction with others. This certainly does not only relate to the Gospel, where Jesus is our example on how to interact with each other. The Letters of the Apostles also witnesses to how God envisioned our interaction with others. For those who wish to argue that there are many cruel things contained in the the Old Testament, I wish to point out the following:
“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” - sounds very archaic to us. However, when one considers that the law of the strongest applied at that time, this was the first step towards justice, which protects the weak and equates them to the same rights as the mighty...

Yes, lastly, in the Bible we also find a lot of stories, life stories written in unison with God. Not fairy tales thought up by narrators, but true stories written about the lives of people who walked with God.

This is the order in which we should understand the Bible. Whomever omits any one of these points, does not comprehend the power of God's Word. Whomever takes away or adds portions to God's Word, wants to change God's Word into man's word.

Although we (and I include myself) still don't comprehend fully everything that God wants us to know with His Word, accept it notwithstanding all your questions, don't doubt that which you read, even when you don't quite understand it. One day we will understand God fully, when we allow Him completely into our hearts.

I wish you a blessed day in His Word.

Rainer Gigerich