Friday, February 20, 2009
John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
THE CORE OF THE BIBLE -- CHRIST
The Jewish people were careful with the Old Testament. Instead of touching the sacred text with their fingers, they kept their place with a pointer stick called a "Yad." When they copied the Old Testament they would count words and letters to ensure that nothing was added or taken away.
Jesus said that the Jews diligently studied the Scriptures. That was good. Jesus said they believed the Scriptures could give them eternal life. That was true.
What they missed was Christ. The whole Old Testament led God's people to believe that Christ was coming. The whole New Testament later showed how He came and provided forgiveness for every sinner.
If you cut Christ out of the Bible, you don't have much left. Sure, you can learn a lot of things from a Christ-less Bible. The Proverbs are full of wisdom, and the Bible's history gives us a reliable record of the ancient world. Many stories have life lessons to convey. But if you have a Savior-less Bible, than all that it amounts to is a book of laws and lessons that are only good for this life -- if they're any good at all.
Paul said it like this, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Corinthians 15:19).
Thankfully, God's Word is not Christ-less, and it is not only beneficial as a book of life lessons. The Bible is christocentric, pointing us to our Savior from sin at every turn.
Remember this principle when you read the Bible for yourself: All Scripture relates to Christ. When you've identified the main teaching that God is expressing in a section, then also ask, "Now, how does this truth relate to Jesus and to my salvation?" That way you won't lose sight of the core truth of all Scripture.
