Our Bible

We are to Honor the Word (not the Bible). Studying the scriptures requires the Holy Spirit which is inward, not outward. The Holy Spirit is within us believers, Christ dwells in our hearts, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. When placing a big claim on the Bible, there is a danger of idolatry. The seduction of idolatry have been very strong and very successful since the days of the Old Testament books. Throughout the Bible, God have warned people to be careful of idolatry because we could slip into it almost without noticing it. Idolatry is an excessive devotion or reverence to an object or objects (i.e. Bible). Idolatry is what God is saying something like this for today's Christians, "You have committed adultery by worshiping idols instead of worshiping Me. Your hearts have been unfaithful to me because you are loving yourselves more than you love Me. Your hearts longs for something from Me and that is idolatry. Worship means: All I want is your hearts alone and adore me for Who I am.” My Bible is my authority but at the same time, I will never put my Bible ahead of God, the Author. Spiritual growth requires us to understand the Scriptures and get to know our God the Father, our Savior the Son, and our comforter the Holy Spirit. “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17 (NLT) (READ your BIBLE and KNOW the Word of God). As a Christian, I must understand God's universal truth, translate it into my own particular situation and live it out. Am I studying the Bible for myself and observing God's Word? Is my personal Bible study a daily discipline for my spiritual growth? The purpose for reading the Bible is to change me as I read, believe and obey. Do I obey the Bible or do I obey the Author of the Bible?