I was once asked, “What is the relevance of the Bible today?” At the time I was just beginning my journey toward believing. I was in the investigative, is this really true phase and had no idea myself if it was really applicable today or not. Now, 2 years later, I have many reasons the Bible is the most relevant book in today’s world. I want to begin today by giving you the number one reason the Bible is relevant today. Salvation.
Google defines salvation as preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin or loss. Everybody in the world needs that at some point or many points in life, right? The Bible explains the how. How are we, you and I, saved from harm, ruin or loss?
Well in the beginning… Just kidding! Simple answer: Belief in Jesus Christ. The whole truth of Jesus Christ. That includes his birth, his ministry, his death and his resurrection. And just as importantly the truth that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
The Bible, being the actual word of God, lays out the story of mankind. And it isn’t pretty. God made us for fellowship. He made us for relationship. And in order to have pure affection for one another, he had to give us free will. As we know, genuine friendship and adoration cannot be forced. It would just be a charade and an empty meaningless exchange between two beings. If we didn’t receive free will and we were created without the choice to love our creator that would make God out to be a selfish narcissist. And that is the opposite of God’s character. Free will gives us choices and unfortunately our limited human intelligence, insight, foresight, and our grande sized egos, and pride, and self centeredness have caused us to make poor decisions in life. Most specifically in the Garden of Eden when mankind first made the choice to not follow sound guidance and to attempt this life on their own understanding. Hence the fall of mankind.
It is at this time in history that the spiritual war for our souls began. Lucifer calling to us through offering us immediate gratification of our wants and thoughts and egos versus God calling to us through promises of truth, goodness, love, and a peaceful eternity.
The Bible goes on to explain how God sets out to accomplish his win by showing his love for his people despite our broken and sinful nature. He declares a sacrificial system to cover our sins so that we may be clean in His most holy and righteous sight. But as we humans turn this system into a superficial work, not an internal spiritual change, think sorry not sorry, God provides the ultimate sacrifice by sending His son. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, comes to the world to walk among man. To experience the sorrows, persecution, hatred. To be beaten and hung on a tree and die a humiliating death. To be the sacrifice for us. Just as we say, I would die for my child. Christ died for his children. He was then pronounced dead by his persecutors and placed in a grave. And if that’s where Jesus’ story ended this all could be just a cool story. Jesus could have just been a good moral teacher. Although, he couldn’t really be a good moral teacher if his claim to be God in the flesh is thought to be false. That would discredit all the “good” in him and make him a loon. Thankfully, that is not where Jesus’ life ends. Three days after his burial his closest friends went to the gravesite to mourn. Just as we do today. (It’s funny how the patterns of people and history alike is revealed in what was written over 2000 years ago.). When the ladies arrived at the grave for mourning the boulder was removed and Jesus’ body has never been found. As in, his body cannot be produced by skeptics or believers. Why? Because he is alive. The truth doesn’t end with the empty grave. Jesus actually returns and walks among the people, revealing himself in the flesh. Scars and all, to over 500 people before ascending into heaven with witnesses present. (Any other religion you can think of either has gods who died, were buried and remain in the grave, or who have never walked this earth as you and I, but are beings thought up by human minds. Not Jesus.)
This isn’t just a fictitious story. Many an atheist, many a archeologist, many a historian have researched the biblical story and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There have been many tangible, physical articles and artifacts of evidence that reveal and continue to reveal the truth, the facts of Jesus’ life.
Jesus, being the ultimate atonement, for our rebellious, selfish ways, covers us with his bold, covers us with his love, covers us with his grace. When we exercise our free will and choose to put our faith in Jesus Christ He in turn shields us from God’s justice and sentencing of our guilty verdict. Jesus calls us his own and our sins are wiped clean. Unseen by God.
The Bible continues past the ascension of Jesus to explain how the word of God, the validation of Jesus Christ spread throughout the nations. It also explains what is yet to come for this crazy world, but that is a whole different post.
So… you ask how is the Bible relevant today? It couldn’t be any more relevant. It leads us to peace, to comfort through understanding who were are, why we are here, our purpose in this life, what happens when we die, and how to overcome this world through faith in eternity with our savior Jesus Christ.
The gospel is how we triumph in the end. How good beats evil. That’s what we all want anyhow. It’s what our souls need today.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9