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You might be wondering if the Bible is relevant for your life today. Have you ever asked yourself, “Does God exist?” or “Why am I here?” or “What’s the purpose of life?” Those are great questions. But can the Bible, which is ancient, answer these questions? After all, the New Testament was completed before 100 AD and the Old Testament is much older and records ancient human history that seems foreign. When you look at what the Bible really is, what it is meant to be, and its timeless truths, then you will quickly see how it answers these questions and more.
Imagine being in Israel and finding an ancient scroll that dates 3,000 or more years old, or walking into an ancient library in Greece with texts that are thousands of years old. How exciting would that be? The Bible is actually more of an ancient library than a single book - An ancient library full of scrolls and papyri that span thousands of years and is full of different genres set in different time periods and cultures. However, this ancient library is unique; it’s a unified story that leads the reader to Jesus. It has a unifying theme in Jesus the Messiah and answers some deep questions about God, life, and our existence. So what are the overarching themes in the Bible that make it relevant for today?
In Genesis 1-3, the Bible begins by telling us who God is: That He is the creator and that He is good. It also tells us that God created humans in His image to be in a relationship with Him and to be a blessing in the world. However, Humans chose to sin and fall away. Scripture teaches how God works through fallen humans to bring a way to redeem and restore humanity back into a relationship with Him. Because Humans are fallen and tend to choose bad, we are unable to work our way to God and restore this broken relationship. However, God came to us, took on humanity, and died in our place. He rose again, defeating sin, evil, and death so we can now have a restored and renewed relationship with God through Jesus. This is the Gospel; the good news.
As John states in his gospel account, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” - John 3:16-17
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, was written for us today and for anyone at any time in history or in the future. In Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy, he states the following:
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Paul is telling Timothy that, when understood properly, The Bible teaches you about God, humans, and the need for a savior. It points the way to Jesus the Messiah, and it helps you to live wisely, as it teaches, trains, corrects, and equips you to live righteously and do good.
Beyond telling us who God is, who we are, and the need and way for salvation, here are a few other principles the Bible teaches that are relevant to us all:
- The Bible teaches that we were made in the image of God (Gen 1:26). So, there is a real sanctity to human life that is to be respected.- Jesus teaches that the greatest of any commandment of God is to love God with all of who you are and love others as yourself (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37-39). - James tells us that real religion to God is to take care of the vulnerable in society. In his case, orphans and widows (James 1:27). - James also tells us to be quick to listen, slow to respond, and slow to get angry (James 1:19).- Peter says that if you want a good life to not be deceptive and do good and seek peace! “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.“(1 Pet. 3:10-11) - Paul tells Timothy to pray for leaders so that we can live a peaceful, quiet, and dignified life (1 Tim. 2:2).- The fruits of the Spirit that Christians should exhibit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
So…is the Bible relevant for today?
Absolutely. The Bible teaches us timeless truths like who God is, who humans are, what the point of life is, why we need a savior, and who Jesus is. It also teaches us how we should live and respect human life by loving others, taking care of those in need, doing good, and seeking peace. It teaches us to listen well and be slow to anger, and practice things like love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. When we consider all of these things, how can we deny the relevance the Bible holds for every one of us?
Husband and father. “The Professor” and teacher of Sun Valley University, and in my DMIN program. Love to read, listen to podcasts, and watch movies. I am also an associate at Rayhons Financial Solutions.