It seems that there’s a trend happening today where many Christians feel it’s not necessary to have or read a Bible because they can hear from God without it. This can be dangerous when we assume that the voice we are hearing is God speaking to us. It’s not an option to ask, “Why do I need the Bible?”
The Bible is not just a book. Every word in it was given by God to faithful men to write down and record so that we could read them and know the heart of God. There is NO other way to know God. We can experience His love around us through other believers; we can see His glory in the beauty of nature and the magnitude of the universe; we can even sense His presence in the center of worship music, BUT we canNOT know God unless we read what He has given to us to read.
- All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.—2 Timothy 3:16-17
There are many books on the market that are replacing the Holy Bible because they are written by people who have interpreted the Scriptures their own way to appease the itching ears of so-called believers. There are also many good books that are written to help believers in their walk with God. How to know the difference? The authors of the latter encourage the readers to study their Bibles so they can know God, and they don’t write anything contrary to the Scriptures. Such are the books written by this author.
When we receive Jesus as our Savior, He also becomes our Lord, and that means that we serve Him! We follow Him. We read our Bibles and get His truth deep into our hearts so that we can know Him and obey Him and do His will. We canNOT do these things if we don’t know God, and we canNOT know God by any other means except by what He has given to us in the Scriptures.
- Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.—2 Timothy 2:15
Not all that glitters is gold! We are warned many times in the New Testament (of course, you have to read it to know this) that in these last days, there will be many false leaders and doctrines. Deception is at an all-time high! People are foolishly being deceived into following false Christianity because they do NOT know the Scriptures and cannot tell the difference between truth and a lie.
Contrary to this new Christianity, you canNOT get into Heaven unless you repent of your sins, ask Jesus to be your Savior and forgive you, and then fill you with His Spirit. No one will get into Heaven who has not received Jesus as their Savior; no one will get into Heaven who continues to live in sin.
- Then Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”—Acts 2:38
God does speak to us in our hearts, but how will you know it’s God talking and not Satan if you don’t know God, don’t know what God’s will is, and don’t have His words in your heart to verify what is being said? You can’t! This is why it is SO dangerous to not read your Bible! The devil can deceive you into thinking that the little voice of comfort is God when it’s really him. And this delusion can cost you your life!
When God speaks to our heart, it is verified by Scripture. He will NOT tell us anything that isn’t already witnessed in His Words, which are the Scriptures. God’s Holy Spirit lives in us and acts only on God’s Words. So, if we are praying and we hear a small, still voice that tells us something, what He is saying will be witnessed by what we have learned in the Scriptures.
God’s Holy Spirit lives in us to keep us in the constant presence of God, our Father. It is His Spirit who teaches us—not the world! It is God’s Spirit who instructed men to write the Bible, and it is God’s Spirit who will teach the hidden things of the Bible to us. We canNOT learn anything about God or His plan or His truth unless God teaches us. But, how will we learn if we don’t read the Bible?
- But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.—John 14:26
Jesus said in the Scripture above, “whatever I have said to you” and where do we learn the things that Jesus said? In the Bible!
The world cannot know God. It has its own versions of what it thinks God is, and it has many of its own gods that the people believe are the God of Heaven. However, there is only ONE God, only ONE way to Heaven, and only ONE way to know God, and that is to read the Scriptures prayerfully so that you can know the truth, live in the truth, and not be deceived by the wiles of this dark world.
- Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”—John 14:6
God has not changed. What He said six thousand years ago still stands today. The prophecies throughout the Scriptures all speak of Christ, of His birth, His dying for our sins, and His eminent and soon return to this earth as King. The world changes all the time, always falling further away from God. Now, just as it says in Isaiah 5:20, good is called evil, and evil is called good; all are an abomination to God who defined good and evil.
It is crucial for every believer to study the Bible so they can know God, His ways, His laws, His judgments, His blessings and His plans for this earth. This world is heading into the Great Tribulation and it will become so wicked that it’s beyond our imagination. We need to know God and to be ready because He is going to call all the real believers to join Him in the clouds—and very soon. Many people who call themselves Christians will miss this miraculous event simply because they didn’t read their Bibles, had no idea that Jesus was coming, and weren’t ready. (Matthew 25:1-10)
Yes, we need the Bible because the words in it are life to us who believe in Jesus and who love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength!
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Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day! … ronnie
Smile, God Loves You! 
I’ve heard members of our church explain this. I’ve seen people, a relative included, which in our talks, is on the road. What that road entails, I don’t know. But I believe God is working in their lives in ways I don’t know or understand. As such, I never tell anyone they need to read the bible daily. I have met people, an uncle included, that lead lives of believing. I believe my uncle has read the bible, has one in the house, but I don’t think he has opened it much except when he is looking for something to understand. He once said to me, follow what you know is right in your heart. He’s very contemplative.
That was in scripture, which told me he understood something without knowing how he knew. Maybe, he did know. For in scripture, it explains the truth will be written in your hearts.
There’s something I’ve noticed in the church that I’ve also noticed throughout my life. I’ve also been subject to this from time to time, and I think I understand it better. Some people, when searching, hear others with advice. The advice is good. But they don’t completely understand, and so, they completely immerse themselves in behaviors, and because of this (and others around are saying the same things), because they believe, they tell everyone else this is the way.
I’ve read the scriptures many times. Some of the words others have told me, or advice they have given, I have not seen in the bible. Or at least, the interpretation is not as they share. Yet, they are completely convinced of their belief. To someone who wishes to read every day, I think that is very good. To someone who understands in their heart, lives their lives following, but doesn’t read every day, seeing and understanding as he/she lives, I think that is very good. And I’ve seen people, believing they are Christians, or on the road to believing, yet they don’t know it. They’re following the understanding written in their hearts. So, I don’t give them advice, for it’s their lives to lead and their road to discover, for how can I know how the good Lord is working in their lives. I just see something happening, and I’m amazed.
The longer I live, the more I see there are things happening in ways I don’t understand, but that the good Lord is working all the time, bringing us to Him. God bless.
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Regardless of how devout an individual might be, it’s highly improbable that they would know EVERY SINGLE word written in every scripture the bible contains. The bible is the only TRUSTED source which one can count on to tell us what the scriptures say regarding anything at any time.
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Yes, the Bible is the only trusted source for us to know God. And I agree that it’s unlikely for anyone to know and understand the fullness of the Scriptures during this lifetime. Even Billy Graham admitted in his old age that there was so much he didn’t know. But this is why we keep reading because each time we read, we learn something new. Thanks for sharing, Robin Leigh!
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I want to add something here. I’ve heard those at my church and others who implore people to read daily. I think, if a person is seeking, reading the bible is good. But I also think they have to do this from intrinsic motivation, not peer pressure if it is so. I have met people growing in understanding, some coming to understanding as is written in the bible, yet they never or hardly read, some more than others. Then, some have read a time or two, understood, and believed, but only read from time to time when they are looking for something. It was written that the laws will be on our hearts. **There’s a point I have heard in two perspectives. One is to understand what is written in the bible, the understanding has to also be in your heart, or people can interpret it any different ways. The other was of a friend who went to church, the clergy explaining things to him. He asked, why do you tell me these things? Well, if we don’t tell you, you won’t know. But if you tell me, how will I know you’re telling the truth? You see, even in his youth, he realized it has to be in us to recognize it when written.
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When you become a believer in Christ – that is, when you repent of your sins and ask Jesus to cleanse you and fill you with His Spirit and then you turn away from the ways of the world to serve Him – you are born again (John 3:3). You are a new creation. You need to read the Bible so you can know God, and when you read, the Holy Spirit will teach you the meaning of each Scripture. You will learn the law and obey it out of love, and this is what is meant by the laws will be written on our hearts. As you study the Bible, you will want to obey them because of your love for God and if for some reason you are tempted to sin, God’s Spirit in you will convict you.
As believers, we must take our eyes off of the people of the world and put them onto Jesus alone. It’s what the Bible says that counts, not what people say or do. In the end, we will each face Christ to answer for what we’ve done with our lives, not another person like ourselves. This is why we’re told in 2 Timothy 2:15 to study the Bible, and in Joshua 1:8 to meditate on it day and night so the words of God’s law will always be in our heart. It says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
We won’t easily fall into temptation or into false doctrines when the word of God is alive in our hearts. We cannot know God unless we read what God gave us to read, and so it is crucial that we read it prayerfully every day because if we don’t, the enemy of this world will try to slip in and deceive us. Our benchmark is God’s word and when that is in our heart, we won’t be deceived but instead, we will live in truth and God’s Spirit in us will keep us alive in that truth.
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I think you are an honest and searching person. I believe in the bible, knowing there are many translations and many interpretations, which what you say makes sense. We need God to understand the scriptures. But I want to add one thing, and this is only to support and offer other’s experiences. Often, what has turned me away from the church, and what may have turned many others away, is the pattern of talk, in that I often questioned whether the person speaking to me truly understands, sought for themselves, and came to belief through revelation, or believe only because they grew up with this and some fearing that to question might send them down the wrong path. And some have feared no longer being one of the church group, losing their church friends, while others feared their lives might fall apart if they questioned. It’s just a thought, an observation over the years. I guess, when I talk to anyone, I’m looking to see if they can also stand on their own, that they truly have a connection with what they’ve come to have faith in. Those who are atheists or are unsure have experienced what I’m sharing here, and that turned them away. But when I meet one who is sincere, often I’ve discovered it was many life experiences and even tragedies that caused the searching.
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Thank you for your comments. I hear what you’re saying but it really shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks because our walk is with God, not with the world and not with the people who go to church. God teaches us His truth by His Scriptures and when that is in our hearts, we see and think the way God wants us to. And when we meet up with those who think they know God or His Word but don’t, we need to pray for their eyes to be opened. I believe that if what they are telling us is wrong according to the Scriptures, that as God’s children we MUST tell them the truth and the consequences we suffer for it should not be an issue. Their salvation is the issue! We don’t judge them, criticize them or mock them, but God does expect us to reach out to them with the truth. Time is short and many will miss Christ’s call because they weren’t told the truth and got caught up in deception. We don’t want to stand before God and be reminded that some people didn’t make it because we were too embarrassed to speak out and tell them the truth. Lives depend on us being God’s Light in this dark world. We can’t hide that light because someone may get offended. We shine it brightly so they WILL be offended and will turn to the Scriptures and seek out the truth for themselves. Then God won’t hold us accountable if they don’t make it even though we will have told them the truth but they refused to listen. It will have been their choice to refuse the truth, not our shame for not speaking out.
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