My dearest friend Katie and I were recently discussing the fact that neither of us have ever actually read the entire Bible. So, in a moment of determination and optimism, we decided we would find a plan, read the whole Good Book in a year and check up on each other's progress. We're one week in, and so far, so good.
I think this is going to be a really good thing for me. I've noticed that even just having to discipline myself to read 3 or 4 chapters a day is a kind of big change. To be completely honest, I've gone weeks without reading the Bible. Getting into it every day has been keeping my mind more focused on God.
I don't think that scripture is the only way God speaks to us. I believe the Holy Spirit is constantly speaking to us, through that still small voice, through other people, through nature, through coincidences. But I also believe the Bible is an awesome gift to us and I don't want to neglect it.
Today I read Romans 6. The very last verse, 23, is: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. I'm sure you, like me, have read it a hundred times.
Most of the time I've heard it discussed, the focus is on the first clause. "The wages of sin is death." True. We're terrible sinners and that's why we need Jesus. But one of the beautiful things about reading the Bible through is that you get context. And pretty much the whole chapter leading up to this point focuses on the "free gift of eternal life" issue.
We're free from sin. We are now slaves to righteousness. Our old self has been crucified with Christ. Never, ever again to we have to live in bondage. That is the point of the cross. I could sit on this for awhile.
Another passage in Hebrews 3 says,
ReplyDelete"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
And that's just what happens. After we are saved, we are a new creation that is free from sins bondage but we need the word of God and each other to be renewed in our minds with truth. Sin comes from the father of lies and has to deceive us to gain power over us.
You are my wonderful blogger wife!
Beautiful post Alexis. I'm sure we would get along far better now than we ever did "back in the day"... although, we didn't get along too badly. Keep blogging! I love it! Peace.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your decision, it is definitely a great one! i agree with you when you say that the holy spirit leads us but I think they go hand and hand. you get word from the holy spirit, compare to the word to make sure it is genuine. spirit and truth, ya know... also, my church has a campaign that helps you read through the bible in a year, maybe you guys would like it. http://www.readcampaign.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I do like that site.. I like it when they have you read the Old and New Testaments at the same time. We're using youverion.com and we're pretty happy with it. We scheduled it out from the day we started and just finished Genesis and Romans :)
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