The Bible: A Means to an End
“The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”
A.W. Tozer wrote this in the preface of The Pursuit of God. As I reflect this afternoon, I am convicted of my inability to stay centered on the fact that the main goal of my life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I can only enjoy God if I know Him. How do we get to know Him? God reveals Himself to us in His Word. How often do I approach the Scriptures as something to be understood so I can teach them to others instead of seeking to grow in intimacy with the Father? How often do I open the Bible in order to check off the list of “to dos” for the day? Sadly enough, this is how I can easily operate.
After such realizations in the past, I would beat myself up and just try harder, but I don’t feel like this is the proper route to go. My motivation to seek God must come from something greater than some mustered up self-will. I need to repent and confess my sin before God and others. I need to ask God to help me because I am in desperate need. Then I need to preach the Gospel to myself.
How can preaching the Gospel to myself help me seek God? I must remember who God is, what He’s done, and who I am. God is holy. He is good, perfect and always right. I am a sinner and I am deserving of Hell because of my rebellion against God. God has brought me from the domain of darkness and death and adopted me to be part of His family. With such great love that I cannot imagine, God has wiped my slate clean and given me a new heart. I no longer try to earn anything because, plain and simple, I can earn nothing but death. He lavishes His grace on me and calls me to seek Him. Even typing this is an awesome reminder to me of what Rich Mullins writes, “the reckless, raging fury that we call the love of God”. My motivation is delight and not duty.
Times do exist when we will walk through the valley where we will have to continue the disciplines, but our goal in all of this time is to brought near to God and know Him more. May we be like Moses and plead with God that we might see His glory and not settle for the things of this world that are mere dung in comparison to knowing our Amazing God!
Filed under: Gospel by Chad Lewis
thank you for wise words. i’m with you in that struggle, but it shouldn’t be, and hopefully won’t be as i mature in my walk with God. the Bible was used as punishment in my home when i was a child, and it is still so hard to not view it as such, but that is something for ME to overcome and move beyond. your article was an inspired encouragement!
we do tend to view scripture mechanically anymore. We as christians need to move beyond such shallow faith.
Thanks for sharing. Its a continuous battle b/w carnal nature of man and that of nature of God which is the word (its a fight of faith) Remember Paul telling timothy to fight the good fight of faith and towards the end of his life said “I have fought the good fight of faith. We need to remember as christians that the battle has been won already and we have to leave in that consciousness everyday. Being called into God’s rest we have ceased to struggle. Our motivation comes with spending time with word of God (God himself) and seeing Gods word at work in us (applying it). Be encouraged because the word does work and we are more than conquerors in Christ. Keep on keeping on