Probably one of the most common criticisms for Christianity is against The Bible - that it isn't accurate, relevant or necessary. I would like to suggest differently. It is highly likely that many of the people who hold the belief that The Bible is irrelevant and untrue have never actually studied it. Perhaps they have read it, but failed to understand it.
Now, there are plenty of Theologians who can argue for The Bible's accuracy far better than I can, so that's a topic for another time. However, my focus in this article is to explore some of the many scriptures within The Bible that are still entirely relevant to today. Who would have thought it? A book that is nearly 2700 years old is more than a mere artifact.
Let's get started.
Take the latest headlines for example - could The Bible, which was written many moons ago, really relate to something that is going on today? Absolutely.
One of the biggest headlines of today is the theme of social injustices - of people being hated and discriminated against based on race, religion, and other differences. The Bible has a lot to say about this topic.
Luke 6:31, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Mark 12:31, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
These commandments were as necessary then as they are now. 1 John 2:11 says that, "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." This scripture was written to a group of people, often referred to as "dear friends," to warn them against false teachings.
The author sought to caution the audience not to follow and believe such teachings that were contrary to what they were taught. In the midst of both truth and deceit, the people had to choose to love and forgive. Couldn't this be said of people today? They can either follow hate and discrimination (as seen within many of our headlines), or they can choose to love and forgive.
It's amazing how perfectly this excerpt relates to our world today. And the awesome thing is that this is only one example. There are so many more instances in The Bible where the same exact thing happens. Why? Because The Bible is not merely a history book, it can also tell us a lot about now as well as the future. Amazing isn't it?
2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is God breathed. The Bible is God's living, breathing word. It's not dead. It's not history. And it doesn't belong in some dusty library beside countless works of literature that died with their authors.
So many times while reading The Bible, I come across a story and I think, "this sounds a lot like us today; maybe we could learn something from this." And perhaps we could. You see, we have the greatest and most powerful resource at our fingertips, yet too many of us do not even realize it.
Louie Giglio preached, "scripture is not just ink on a page; it is God's breath in our hands. It is more than a manual for life; it is God exhaling His love for mankind to guide us away from the worst and toward the best." I don't know about you, but I've got to get me some of that.
