Yesterday I shared some of the questions I've wrestled with in the past about why I should read the Bible. Many Christians don't read the Bible on a regular basis. Why is that? Maybe the Bible isn't really necessary, maybe we can learn about God without it?
Let’s acknowledge that there are a lot of things we can learn without the Bible. Here are three:- To know God exists. Almost all religions and people would acknowledge that God (in some form) exists. Simply by observing people and nature there is evidence of God. The Bible itself even says that there is evidence of God in His creation all around us (Psalm 19:1, Acts 14:16-17, Romans 1:19-12.)
- To understand moral laws. Most people know something of God’s moral laws. Every human has a consciousness that speaks to them on what is right and wrong. This is important as it allows people, regardless of their faith, to work alongside one another and co-exist in matters of civil law, community, basic ethics for business, and acceptable patterns of conduct in ordinary life.
- To know some things about God’s character. As is evident from various religions throughout history, there are several aspects of God’s character that people generally understand: they know God exists, that He is their Creator, that they owe him obedience, and that they often times come up short or sin against Him. Systems of sacrifice that are often found in primitive religions (and even this mindset in most people today, of trying to earn God’s approval) is evidence of people understanding these aspects of God. By observing nature people throughout history have also come to the conclusion that God is loving, forgiving and a provider.
So if we can understand all the above about God without the Bible, is there anything the Bible uniquely can speak to us about? We'll explore that question tomorrow.
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