“HALF-HEARTED READING”

5 “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Proverbs 30:5

The Bible calls us “salt and light of the world,” “ambassadors of Christ,” and “the body of Christ.” These terms aren’t just nice titles to make us feel good. When we consider the seriousness of our calling as God’s people, we have big roles to play in bringing heaven to earth.

Therefore, as a skeptical world is watching, we should be mindful of our speech, deeds, and choices. Our mandate is to not only preach the Gospel but to live as Christ lived. In a world of darkness, confusion, and hatred, God wants us to show to the world that He is real, that Jesus is alive, and that He wants to save everyone.

In a perfect world, Christians always do what is good and pleasing before God. But the fact of the matter is we don’t. Sometimes we do well, but sometimes we fail. So, I think we have to evaluate ourselves and see if there are things we need to work on to help us become better representatives of Christ to the unbelieving world.

With that in mind, I intend to discuss five things we Christians should stop doing.

Cherry-picking Bible Verses

A true born-again believer is convinced that the Bible is God’s authoritative word and every part of it is essential. But we sometimes find ourselves picking verses we like while ignoring the rest.

If we believe only the parts of the Bible that we like, I don’t think we’re doing such a good job living as God’s children. So, we should revisit the importance of the whole Bible and understand it the way it should be understood.

The Bible is the living, Holy Spirit-inspired word of God. Scripture says that for a reason. It’s not just the work of the human writers but the words that come from the very mouth of God.

The Bible presents God as true and perfect; so is His word. Today’s verse shows that God’s word is pure (the Hebrew word refers to the process of purifying metal), that is, God’s word is worthy of our trust. There is nothing dubious or fraudulent in it.

The Bible has been tried and found to be true and reliable. When we fail to read the Bible in its proper historical-grammatical context, we can easily misinterpret its message. As such, we miss out on the life-changing blessings of Scripture.

So, I encourage us to read the Bible like careful, curious, and diligent students. Let’s find out what it means so we’ll understand what it can mean to us. If we read it with eagerness and humility, we will discover that God’s word is true, powerful, and a reliable spiritual resource that transforms our lives.

Pursue the Savior today!