4 Bible Reading Attitudes Part 4

Previously I introduced 4 diverse attitudes Christians have about the Bible:

1. We don’t respect the Bible.
2. We respect the Bible, sort of.
3. We respect the Bible and use it to justify what we believe.
4. We respect the Bible as God’s very words.

Last time I talked about the attitude, We respect the Bible and use it to justify what we believe. People who have this attitude generally respect the Bible, but only when it serves their purposes. They fall short of making it authoritative over their lives.

Attitude 4: We respect the Bible as God’s very words

Now let's look at the attitude of people who genuinely respect the Bible as God's very words. These people realize they are not God, nor do they want to believe in a god they made up. They come to the Scriptures (Bible) because they view the Bible as God's thoughts and communication to mankind.

They want to know who the real God is, what He thinks, what He wants. They want a genuine relationship with Him based on an authentic and accurate view; not based on ideas they either personally made-up or got from others who made it up.

They don't read the Bible to simply confirm what they already believe, nor to prove some point they personally value. They come to it expecting to hear what God says is true, and what God says He is like.

They are like those who are "Doers of the Word" in that they want to do what the Scriptures says God wants them to do. But they spend more time trying to understand what God is saying before doing it. Only after understanding this do they incorporate into their lives what God truly wants — by figuring and planning out how it applies to them. They don't simply apply something based on how someone else says they should apply it. They listen carefully so they come away remembering what they really look like. (James 1:22-25)

However, unlike those who take pride in being "Doers" they are careful listeners who are honest about their limitations, and failures. They listen carefully to know how to pray and how to act. They don't care so much about how their obedience is viewed. They are more committed to pleasing God than winning points with other people, because they really love God.

As a result, when they read the Words of God, they reason carefully, not irrationally. They adjust their view of reality, their lifestyle, and their attitudes according to the way God says things are really like, because they respect God. They don't try to adjust what God says to fit what they already believe or want to believe.

Their motto is always to read carefully to understand, not to assume. They value truth, knowledge, accuracy, and character above themselves or their peers' opinions.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash