What the Bible Isn’t

Can I ask you a question? I like questions, because they lead me to answers (I hope they will for you too). What is the Bible to you?

Have you ever opened one up and read for yourself to know what its pages actually say? Or have you allowed other sources and people to form that opinion for you instead of going straight to the source?

I grew up going to church. I attended weekly religion classes and went to church most Sundays. Okay, I occasionally went to church on Sunday. I didn’t necessarily enjoy it, but I didn’t hate it either.

Even in high school and as an independent young adult, I felt a draw to church. It might have been out of slight fear I was going to hell if I didn’t, but part of me was always intrigued. 

I think God lit an early flame in me. To be honest, there was nothing fun about religion classes or going to church when I was younger. No youth group games to draw me in or summer camp offered that would get me away from home for a week. But there was a little something I can’t exactly explain. 

Despite going to church growing up, I never opened a Bible. Not one time that I can remember. The only thing I can remember about the Bible as a kid is well, nothing at all.

As I was getting ready to leave for school, I remember a dust-covered paperback Bible packed in a bin with the rest of my not-used but can’t get rid of high school memorabilia. 

Thirty-plus years of church taught me nothing about the Bible. The Sundays I did make it into that old wooden church pew, left me with only daydreams of what my evening would look like and a few memorized prayers that meant nothing in my soul.

How is it possible I grew up going to church and yet, learned nothing about the Bible? How is it possible I never heard the words Jesus loves me or never heard the words that make up John 3:16?

Maybe the answer is simply the repetition of religion. Maybe it’s because I thought I only needed to check a box. I’m not really sure to be honest. I’m still trying to figure this one out.

But one thing I am sure of, God never stopped pursuing me. No, it wasn’t in church pews or Sunday school. It was in ordinary moments of my everyday life.

It was in gentle encouragements from a Bible-loving client. It was in the difference I could see in the people who went to those “other” churches. You know the ones who didn’t have a traditional religion in its name.

I don’t know what your experience was with church growing up, or what it is now. Maybe you have a similar story of never learning a thing about God’s Word or who Jesus really is despite the fact you sat in front of those stained glass windows for a good portion of your years.

Maybe your view of God has been misconstrued by broken people who misused the words of scripture on accident. Or just maybe it was on purpose. 

Whatever the case may be for you, I pose this question to you…what if all the meaningless church attendance or well-meaning but misguided church people of your past were simply a means to teach you exactly what the Bible isn’t? Could all of the off-the-mark church experiences of your past be leading you to a deeper truth of who God really is for your present and your future? More questions, I know;)

I find it slightly ironic God has put me in this place of writing about Him. No, I never imagined having this zeal for Jesus or His Words. I never imagined my daily life would be centered around God’s Word or His ways. I was perfectly happy living the life I had built for myself. 

But when the Truth hits, it hurts to live without it. There is no going back once you experience Jesus in the way He so desperately wants. He just wants to know you and for you to know Him. The real Him, not the picture stained by unattainable religions and traditions. 

He wants you to know His true character through His Word and the way He lived when He walked this earth. He wants you to know who He isn’t despite what misguidance and misconceptions you may have piled up.

Questions…

Occasionally you run across someone who just gets it like you do. Someone who’s life experiences of battle wounds and the empty tomb have shaped you in such a similar way. I recently ran across a woman on a random podcast that popped up. Her rawness had me right away. She wasn’t trying to win anyone over with cheap cliches or tidied-up life stories.

Brenna Blain was real and honest in a way you don’t always hear. So when I stumbled upon her recently written book, “Can I Say That, How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God,” I of course had to read it. 

She is a questioner just like me. Maybe saying out loud what others are too coward to verbalize. She isn’t afraid to confront the shortcomings of the church or the people in it.

She asks the hard questions in hopes it will lead you to holy ground and a healed faith. I’m right there with you Brenna.

I think Brenna and I have asked a lot of the same questions and come up with similar answers. Both on who He is and what His Word isn’t. Let’s dig into a few of these questions together.

Who He isn’t

Jesus isn’t some rigid rule enforcer as so many see Him as. In fact, quite the opposite. Yes, He has standards which are showcased in His Word. But a relationship has to come before the rules, or you will never understand His heart for good guidance. 

A dictator

The Lord freely gives us the choice to follow Him or not. He is such a gentleman, He will open the door for you in subtle ways that He hopes will grab hold of your heart, but you get to make the choice to see the signs and walk through the opening He has for you. 

He will never make you follow Him or make you believe in Him. It’s a personal choice we all get to make.

A Hater

Jesus is the ultimate example of a rebel in the best way possible. He totally flips the script on society in where people stand. If you want to see His own words as an example of this, read the Beatitudes. 

He has such a heart for those who are often overlooked and undervalued. People who society looks at as less than. He sees them and He gets close to them. He talks to them in a way that touches deeply and changes their lives forever. 

He doesn’t just not overlook the scoundrels and the drunkards, He sees them. He sees their heart and lends compassion in ways and when you and I could not.

He’s not about status or money. Your trophies and your title won’t impress Him, but an honest and giving heart will. He may hate sins, but He still loves the sinner, enough to die for each and every one.

A Way

This is a tough one. Why do I say this…because maybe my heart has become a little more like Jesus in that I don’t want to see anyone perish eternally. My heart so desperately yearns for everyone around me to know the Jesus I know, to experience the Truth in a radically amazing and life changing way. And Jesus isn’t just a way, He is The Way.

I think one of the biggest lies society has sold is that everyone goes to Heaven. Death may not be the most fun thing to think about, but it is one of very few certainties we will ALL have to face. Don’t you think what happens after warrants some serious thought? 

Jesus isn’t a way, He is the way. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one will come to the father, in Heaven that is, for eternity that is, except through a relationship with Jesus (John 14:6).

If you don’t know what that means, I beg you to find out before you need to. One thing I know for sure is Heaven is where I want to be in the end, and I know I will be. And so can you.

I also respect the fact that not everyone wants to be close to Jesus now. And so does He.

Like I said before, Jesus is a gentleman, He won’t make you come near to Him now. He will respect your wishes if you choose a life far from Him, and He will respect that for eternity as well.

What the Bible isn’t

Truth never goes out of style. Never.

And in a world filled with ever-changing truths, I can’t help but appreciate the Bible more and more for the fact that it doesn’t change with opinions and the latest trends.

Irrelevant ancient text

God’s Word and His ways have this mysteriously amazing way of helping you through life and all its problems. God’s principles and the way of Jesus transcend time in a way I couldn’t have imagined. It truly is my guide to life. 

The Bible is my blueprint in everything I say or do (okay, most of the time. I am far from perfect and fall short far too often.) It’s actually a relief knowing I don’t have to have control all the time or figure this crazy life out all on my own.

I have the examples of Rahab or David and so many others to follow, both in what to do and what might not work out so well. What a gift to have examples of others’ mistakes so we maybe don’t make them too. Sometimes anyways.

The world may try to sell you its ever-changing truth, but I prefer the of-all-time tested truth.

A Band Aid

No, slapping a Bible verse in someone’s face isn’t necessarily going to fix every problem at hand. Sometimes it can even make the wound a little deeper. Sometimes people just need an example of Jesus in the flesh. They need to experience His healing power through our hands and feet.

God’s Word does give us guidance and thoughtful words to share with someone who is hurting, and sometimes we need to follow Jesus’ example of love by doing, rather than saying.

Maybe the right verse at the right time will make a difference in someone’s world, but so can a simple hug, a meal, or a helping hand. Be wise in the ways you use Scripture.

A Rule Book

The Bible reads more like a love letter than a big fat book of rules. If you actually take time to sit down and read God’s Word and dig into the context, you can’t help but notice the pages drip with love and a heart filled with a longing to get to know you.

We as a society have such a skewed view of what love is. Love does not just mean acceptance. Love means authenticity and honesty even when it’s hard. The Bible is full of truth and yes, some of them are hard to swallow. 

God gives us guard rails for our own good. He helps us get out of our own disastrous way in an effort to save us from creating our own heartache and regret. How can you fault Him for that?

A Weapon 

This one might hurt my heart the most. I see it every day, especially on social media. People who use Bible verses as a sword in a way it never was meant to be. 

Yes, God’s Word is a double-edged sword. Yes, it is alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and yes it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12 paraphrase).

But using cherry picked verses to cut down other believers, or worse, shame those who aren’t, is not the answer. Using God’s Word as this type of weapon will never bring unity to the body of believers or faith and the truth of God’s love to somebody who isn’t. 

Scripture is so powerful, be careful in how you use it. 

Your Questions Are More Than Okay

While my upbringing in the church didn’t teach me much truth, God didn’t stop piquing my curiosity. He wouldn’t let go of my heart or my questions.

Maybe you feel the same too. Maybe you have had similar experiences with religion or people who call themselves religious and it has caused you to turn your back and run as far as you can from the Almighty.

Maybe the misguided words of a well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) churchgoer, kept you from taking another step through the steeple doors. Just remember, they are just as human as you. And while misguidance and flat-out misrepresentation of the Bible is real, so is His Word.

Please, please don’t let someone else’s words or opinions plastered with a Bible verse at the end be the only means you use to form your entire opinion on God and His Word.

Open a Bible for yourself. Read it for yourself. Pick it apart for yourself. Question it for yourself.

Just as broken people have maybe pushed you away from God, there are good ones, genuine ones, who will love you enough to not let the other voices overshadow who He really is. Brenna Blain is one of those voices. 

If you are a doubter that God’s Word is true, if you are a skeptic who doesn’t believe the Bible’s words are relevant for you today, don’t stop looking to the Truth for Truth.

If you have had hurtful experiences with church or religion in the past, remember, Jesus did too. Religious people killed Him in the most inhumane and brutal way. 

Let’s learn from each other’s questions and searching in a way that will leave a lasting and life-changing impact. Just as people may have turned you away, give other voices a try to turn the tables for you. 

If you want someone’s story of struggles and pain, questioning and searching to begin the journey of genuine Truth, pick up Brenna Blain’s book, “Can I Say That? How Unsafe Questions Lead Us to the Real God,” right now. And don’t forget a pen, a Kleenex, and a Bible, you’re gonna need those too.