The Bible Won't Make You Sexy

Perhaps we have cheapened the Bible, actually making it less sacred in our attempt to "make" it more sacred.  So many churches and Christians, me included (bigtime!), spend our time trying to convince people that the Bible has the answers people need.  Read the Bible.  Trust the Bible.  Believe in the Bible.  These are catch phrases for us.  But Jesus never said these things (obviously because the Bible was not yet compiled).

 

And to "convince" the world that the Bible is relevant, we hijack the motives and meanings of the authors to say that the Bible is something that it is not - a guide for life.  (Uh oh, here it is...the heresy has begun.)  Truthfully, the Bible was not written so that you could know the three keys to a healthy marriage, or principles to financial peace, or the top five guidelines for disciplining your children.  Unfortunately, we have re-packaged the 66-book treasure as a "how-to" manual.  We tell people that they need it to be saved, to be happy, to be rich, to be safe, to be smart, to be strong, etc.  We sell the Bible very high on all the claims it never makes for itself, but we're almost silent about the one gift that it really is.  In reality, the Bible is a gift that simply presents a history, a story, a promise, a purpose...all centered on the main character, God.

The Bible will not necessarily make you happier, healthier, holier, stronger, sexier, faster, smarter, more patient, more mature, kinder, gentler, etc. (although it can certainly aid many of these attributes), but it can...and does...introduce you to the God-man, Jesus of Nazareth.  If you want to learn about Him, follow Him, worship Him, love Him, and be transformed by Him, then by all means, read and listen to the words of scripture as much as possible!!!

But don't think for a minute that the Bible ever sets out to make you a "better you." In fact, do you want in on a little secret? The Bible is not a roadmap to help you get ahead in this world. On the contrary, it is an obituary-like guide telling you to die to this world. One quick way to cheapen the Bible is to make it a "self-help" book.