It is amazing how young children so often ask why? Suppose one asked you, why do we have the Bible? What would you tell your child? Knowing the answer to that can motivate you to want to study it more. So, let us process an answer together.
The Bible begins by presenting God as the prime energy source, the King of all creation. The dominate theme throughout the Bible, explicitly in Jesus’ teachings, is the Kingdom of God. The kingdom refers to a governing authority, so the kingdom of God refers to the range of God’s effective will. It is present wherever what God wants done is done. Anything/one who obeys His word is within His kingdom. Refusing to obey only brings harm to oneself. His kingdom has existed from before creation and will never end (Ps 145:13, Dan 7:14). God is the one who not only created all things but also holds all that is physical exists together.
The first chapters of the Bible record His words being so authoritative that He spoke all things into existence. After a physical universe including stars, vegetation, birds and beasts, He then created man and woman in His image. He made them superior to all His other creations by reflecting in them many of His own virtues. One such feature was a creative mind; another was a free will. He gave them authority to rule with limited control over a limited part of His creation—the garden of Eden. There He placed safe boundaries for them in which they could live without want. His ultimate purpose for all humans was for them to join Him in ruling and reigning over all His creation.
Unfortunately, Satan seduced Adam and Eve to choose to become independent from their King’s authority. This resulted in a totally just God having to put them out of His perfect Kingdom. Knowing this helps us understand the reason for the Bible. The Bible is God’s primary tool for communicating who He is, His love, laws and ways to His trophy creation.
Although God’s trophies failed by choosing to be independent instead of obeying God, their choice only delayed His purpose from being fulfilled. Included in God’s curse on Eve for her costly choice, He promised it would be one of her offspring (Christ) who would bruise Satan’s head, which Jesus did several millennia later.
He inspired everything in the Bible to be written in multiple literary forms to communicate with fallen and depraved humanity. In contrast to being angry and vindictive, God longed to interact with humanity so they could know His gentle authority and His reckless love for them. He was so passionate for them to turn around and individually reverse Adam and Eve’s choices that He sacrificed part of Himself (His Son) to pay sin’s penalty of death. For those who choose to turn around and receive His forgiveness, He regenerates and through His Word tutors them in His truth and ways so they not only could they live without want but also prepared to rule and reign with Him for the rest of eternity.
Imagine being privately tutored and reshaped into Christ’s image by the invisible prime energy force who created you! Can you identify with the man’s anticipation after discovering a hidden treasure in a field? In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. The merchant who discovered a pearl of immense value shared the same eagerness. He enthusiastically sold everything he owned and bought it! (Matthew 13:44-46, NLT2)
What have you been willing to sacrifice to have the prime energy force reshape you into the likeness of God’s Son through serious study of the Bible? And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Mark 8:36 (NLT2).
Challenging words! Thank You