I was listening to an interview with Jeremy Camp the other day as I drove into work. During this interview he said that during these hard times folks need to be “focused on the Bible”.
What?!!
I mean – yes, I understand where he is coming from. But I disagree.
We need to be focused on the person of Jesus Christ – not the Bible.
Focusing on the Bible is like studying old love notes why your spouse is sitting on the sofa wanting to snuggle!
Don’t get me wrong – the Bible is the inspired word of God – read it, study it and know it. But don’t focus so much on the Bible that you miss the Person of Jesus.
And no – reading the Bible is not the same thing as “focusing on Jesus”. Jesus is a person and as a person you must talk to him, listen to him, hang out with him – just like you do with your friends or spouse or family.
Read the Bible – but focus on Jesus.
Amen son
I could not of said it any better-this is all about knowing HIM and his character,that way we can emulate his likeness to the world.We are the light of the world a city set on a hill.
please change your title –”forget the Bible”
We are commanded to be good students of the scriptures who need not be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15), so that be do not become a tool of the enemy and distort the Scriptures to our own destruction! (2 Peter 3:17 We are commanded to not adhere to or practice anything that either Jesus or the apostles did not teach or practice. This is for our PROTECTION!!! So that we won’t be used by the enemy.. AND YES OUR LOVE AFFAIR IS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LORD, but Jesus stated that IF we truly love HIM, we would OBEY HIM. The Scriptures are our INSTRUCTION MANUAL AND HIS LOVE LETTER TO US!!! IF WE SENSE HIM LEADING US IN SOME WAY, HE HAS GIVEN US A RESOURCE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS TRULY HIS SPIRIT GUIDING US AND NOT THE ANGEL OF LIGHT MANIFESTING HIMSELF AS A MINISTER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
RE: please change your title –”forget the Bible”
I agree – we should be reading and studying the Bible as it is from the Lord Most High. My title was basically for shock value as it seems that most Christians focus way too much on studying the Bible while forgetting the One who saved us. I find it interesting that Jesus did not tell his followers to read or study the Scriptures – instead, he tells them that he would send a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to guide them into “all truth” (John 16:13 – fulfilled on Pentecost in Acts 2).
It’s also worth noting that while the Bible is true, not all truth in the Bible. Now before you stone me, stop and think about that statement for a minute. Ok – now you can stone me. =P (just kidding – please put down the rocks…)
Part two of two
The Bible is basically a collection of stories written across hundreds of years. It is not an “instruction manual” in that it does not list all the possible situations in the world and the proper responses to them – as your TV manual or cell phone manual would do. Instead it tells a story of what God has done and is doing in the world through His followers. We are to read these stories and then ask God how to apply the lessons therein to our lives. By itself the Bible is nothing more then a book that leads to death (think Romans). Coming full circle, this is partly why I reacted against Jeremy Camp’s comment about “focusing on the Bible”. We need to be focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ, who in turn will lead us back to the Bible as His Spirit comforts us and leads us into “all truth”. Believe me – it doesn’t work the other way around.