Wednesday, November 19, 2008

If We Understood Everything in the Bible...

Would we still want to read it?

Would we want to study it?

Would we get bored with it?

Would we even want to go to bible study?

Would that knowledge puff us up with pride?

Would we delight in it?

Tonight I was thinking how great it is that we DON'T understand everything that is written in the Bible. We had some really good discussions at our small group Bible study. Many good questions were posed. Questions that cannot be answered in a night. Or maybe a lifetime. Questions that the great theologians have debated for centuries. Questions that are fun to think about. The kind that make your brain hurt as you think out loud.

For example... What is the wrath of God? I mean, what is it EXACTLY? Jesus suffered the wrath of God in our place. We (all sinners) deserve God's righteous and just wrath. But in God's mercy, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer under God's wrath. Jesus took our place and paid for all our sins. But what exactly was God's wrath that Jesus suffered? Was it His crucifixion? Lot's of people have been crucified throughout history. Was He sent to Hell before He rose on the third day? I don't believe that but I have heard it preached before. Was it the fact that his death was undeserved because he was the only one who could ever live a perfect life and fulfill the standard of righteousness?

I like questions like these. And this may have a simple answer that can be found with more research and study. But in general, I like deep questions that make you think. It makes studying God's word so exciting. If you think about it, it is simply amazing that the Bible never gets old. Can you imagine a book or movie or song that you NEVER get tired of reading/watching/hearing? You could read the bible over and over again your whole life and still not exhaust it. There is infinite wisdom to be grasped. No other author could do this. Only God. No other book could be the best seller of all time. God doesn't even need sequels. He doesn't even need any new material. The same thing just keeps getting printed out and people just keep buying it. How great is that! His revealed word is sufficient to keep us busy for a lifetime.

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