Why did God give us the Bible?
Believe it or not, it wasn’t so that you would have one more thing on your already full “to do” list.
It wasn’t even so that we would have a list of “do’s” and “don’t’s” for life.
Instead, God gave us the Bible because He loves people.
From the beginning, it was God’s desire to have a personal relationship with His Creation. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, it separated humanity and God. The Bible is the story of God’s plan for people to come to salvation so that this relationship could be restored and we could live forever with Him.
God gave us the Bible because He wants men and women to come to salvation.
He wants us to spend eternity with Him.
Even more, He gave us the Bible so that every person would have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Him—to understand Who God is, what He thinks, how He feels, and what He desires for mankind.
Like an autobiography, the words of the Bible are God’s way of voluntarily revealing Himself to humanity in His own words.
It’s important to remember that the Bible isn’t a book written by men ABOUT God. Instead, the very words of the Bible were God-breathed, inspired, God’s words spoken through men telling us about Himself.
It was God’s idea to reveal Himself. No one forced Him to do it.
God selected the manner, the place, and the circumstances He revealed Himself.
God determined how, when, and where He would reveal Himself—revealing some parts of His character in the Old Testament and other aspects in the New Testament.
It’s important to remember that the content of the revelation was what God wanted us to know about Him—nothing more, nothing less. Only what the Bible says about God is pure truth. No man can add to it or take away from it.
Most importantly, we need to understand why God revealed Himself through His Word. It is an invitation to know Him, walk with Him, and have a personal relationship with Him throughout your life and into eternity. However, like all invitations, it requires a response.
God does not demand that we read His Word, that we obey it, or that we receive His offer of salvation. That choice is up to us.
We choose to learn about God through His Word or ignore His invitation.
We decide if we will obey God’s Words as a gracious roadmap for life or choose to take our own road.
Most importantly, each of us must decide if will we accept or offer God’s gift of salvation through Jesus.
The invitation sits before us daily waiting for our RSVP.
God has done all He can to help us get to know Him.
The question is now, “Will we accept His offer?” Will we accept His invitation to have a personal relationship with Him through prayer and reading His Word?
Adessa Holden is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God specializing in Women's Ministry. Together with her brother, Jamie, they manage 4One Ministries and travel the East Coast speaking, holding conferences, and producing Men's and Women's resources that provide practical Biblical teaching for everyday life.
When asked about herself, she'll tell you "I'm a women's minister, a sister, and a daughter. I love to laugh and spend time with people. My favorite things are chocolate, the ocean, sandals and white capris, anything purple, summertime and riding in the car listening to music. It is my absolute honor and privilege to serve Jesus and women through this ministry."
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