2 Timothy 3:16-17
(NIV)
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work.
As
followers of Jesus, we revere the Bible as God’s Word. We see it as our guide
for life and for holiness. The Bible makes us aware of our sinful state and
offers to us the amazing gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus
Christ. The Bible plays a central role in the life of every believer.
Having
established the authority of the Bible, it raises the question, is the Bible a searchlight
or a mirror? For many people, the Bible is viewed as a searchlight. It is used
to “shine the light of truth” into other people’s lives. The Bible is often shined
on other people to expose their sin and their misdeeds. It becomes a weapon to
be used to condemn the world and justify the saints. We have to ask, is that
really the best way to use the Bible?
I want
to suggest that the Bible is not a searchlight but a mirror. God intends for us
to see ourselves in the pages of His Word. As we study the Bible we begin to
see our own sinfulness. We see all the ways that we fall short of God’s glory.
It also helps us to see that, through faith in Christ, we are redeemed and
children of God. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul invites us to take a long look in the
mirror. The focus is not on exposing other people’s faults, but taking an
honest look at ourselves.
The
Bible is meant to teach us about God, about ourselves, and about God’s design
for His world. It is filled with wisdom and instructions about how to live a
godly life in an ungodly world. In many ways, it is a training manual for godly
living. But it is more than that.
The
Bible is meant to awaken us to our sinfulness. We all have spiritual and
emotional blind spots in our lives. The Bible makes us aware of these and calls
us to change the direction of our lives. Paul highlights this aspect of God’s
Word in Romans 7.
Romans 7:7 (NIV)
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not
have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what
coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
Paul’s
point was that he was ignorant of his failure until the Word of God opened his
eyes to see it. The same is true for us. We are all ignorant of our sinfulness.
We take certain aspects of our character and life as just being normal. That is
until we see the reality in the Bible.
Once our
eyes have been opened, the Bible then takes us one step further. The Bible is
meant to correct the shortcomings of our life. The Bible’s primary purpose is
not to condemn, but to redeem. What would you think of a doctor who accurately
diagnosed cancer in your body and then failed to offer you treatment? God, in
His grace, does not want to leave us in our sin. Instead, He wants to redeem us
and bring us back into a genuine relationship with Him. His goal is to remove
us from the kingdom of darkness and invite us into the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in
whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV)
But the
Bible is not done with us yet. The last goal of the Bible is to train us for
God’s service. Someone has said, God loves us just the way we are, but He loves
us too much to leave us that way. God’s ultimate goal is for us to be conformed
to the image of Jesus. Once we become a child of God, through faith in Jesus,
He begins the work of reshaping our lives. The goal is for us to be fully
equipped to be and do what God desires.
If we
see the Bible as a searchlight, it becomes a weapon that we use against others.
But if we see the Bible as a mirror, it becomes an instrument in God’s hands to
change and transform our lives. The Bible is a powerful tool. Used in the right
way, it is redemptive and energizing. Used in the wrong way, it become
destructive and divisive.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does
not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
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