You search the Scriptures, for in them you
think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you
are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
John 5:39-40
Bible study will not
give you eternal life. You could memorize the entire Bible and be able to
discuss minute issues of biblical scholarship and yet fail to experience the
truths found in its pages. It is a subtle temptation to prefer the book to the
Author. A book will not confront you about your sin, the Author will. Books can
be ignored; it is much harder to avoid the Author when He is seeking a
relationship with you.
The Pharisees in
Jesus’ day thought God would be pleased with their knowledge of His Word. They
could quote long, complicated passages of Scripture. They loved to recite and
study God’s Law for hours on end. Yet Jesus condemned them because, although
they knew the Scriptures, they did not know God. They were proud of their Bible
knowledge, but they rejected the invitation to know God’s Son.
Can you imagine
yourself knowing all that God has promised to do in your life but then turning
to something else instead? You may be tempted to turn to substitutes. These
substitutes aren’t necessarily bad things. They might include serving in the
church, doing good deeds, or reading Christian books. No amount of Christian
activity will ever replace your relationship with Jesus. The apostle Paul
considered every “good” thing he had ever done to be “rubbish” when compared to
the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). Never become satisfied with
religious activity rather than a personal, vibrant, and growing relationship
with Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment