Last week, we spoke about whether or not you could trust God. My prayer is that, if you are unsure, God is slowly but surely revealing Himself to you! It is an amazing thing to have an encounter with the Lord. To feel His presence and to know that He is revealing truth to you is an incredible experience!
Having said that, we need a bit of assistance in verifying the truth of God’s Word. As we see in Matthew 4:1-11, Sata knows Scripture well and will twist it to lead you into sin against God (much like how Satan caused the fall of the first Adam in the Garden of Eden). Knowing what God’s Word actually says and understanding its true meaning is vital to your walk as a believer. In fact, it’s what takes you from being a “fair-weather fan” of God and an “avid fan of Christ.” (A concept we’ll look at more in a future blog post!)
There are plenty of reasons to know the Word of God. Here are a few:
- Knowing the Word makes it harder to deceive you: “If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance.” (Matthew 24:23-25) [CSB]
- It will strengthen you when you feel weak: “My life is down in the dust; give me life through your word.” (Psalm 119:25) [CSB]
- God’s Word guides you on the right path: “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) [CSB]
Now, I know what some of you may be thinking:
Yes, but how do I know the Bible is true?
This is a question so many people have at some point in their walk. Some have it when they first commit to following Jesus and others stumble and question later. My prayer for you is that you will, much like learning if you can trust the Lord, explore the Bible with an open mind and heart. There are so many ways to read the Bible and I’m sure if you do a quick search you will find every way imaginable. Our goal at Football Faith is to equip you with the right knowledge to put in the work yourself. I cannot give you my faith. That is something you must do for yourself. In Philippians 2:12 the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”. However, this is not a journey you have to walk alone. I may not be able to hit the switch that will make you believe (Only God can do that; John 10:1-5), but what I can do is help make your journey easier!
Here are some tips for reading the Bible:
- Select a Bible: This is the obvious first step, right? There are plenty of versions to choose from and everyone will have their preference. Personally, I find the English Standard Version (ESV) as a great Bible to use for study as well as the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). Still stumped? Perhaps the next tip will help with that…
- Find a strong Biblically Sound Mentor: You will undoubtedly have questions. Who wouldn’t!? Like a Football Player in need of a trainer for a specific need, you need someone who understands the Word and handles it properly.
- Remember that there are deceivers out there so judge rightly: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” John 7:24 [NLT]
- Instead, look at the way they carry themselves: “You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.” Matthew 7:16-23 [CSB]
- Pray for God to reveal His truth: Mentors are great for helping out but never neglect the revelation given to you by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul points out that, “whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil (e.g. our inability to properly interpret the Word) is removed.” (2 Corinthians 3:16b) [CSB] It is God, through His Holy Spirit, that helps us understand His Word and true meaning. Most importantly, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” Proverbs 3:5 [NLT]
- Find a Daily Bible Reading Plan to Follow: When I recommitted to my walk with God, I used the Our Daily Bread Bible in a Year daily reading plan. It made reading a habit for me. So much so, that I committed to reading a new plan this year! Find a reading plan that works best for you…there are a ton of free resources! Right now, I use YouVersion’s app to explore Bible Reading Plans.
Now, before you depart and dive into the Word I want to empower you with a few things to think about when it comes to the validity of the Bible:
- The Bible is God-breathed: Scripture is inspired by God. Though written by men, the Holy Spirit guided them so that His truth would be revealed. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
- There are textual variants (differences in wording among manuscripts): Don’t worry! Most of these variants have to do with spelling and don’t negate the message God wants you to receive. Most Bibles will even have notes identifying the differences between manuscripts!
- When in doubt…look to Jesus: Jesus makes many truth claims in the Gospels and if this is your first time really reading the Bible with intention, allow Him to confirm things for you. He is the real reason we believe the Bible. So, start with the Gospels and get to know the cornerstone of [our] faith. It all hinges on who He is and He will prove Himself more than trustworthy.
- John 5:39 – “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!”
I hope that this brief post encourages you. How has reading the Bible strengthened your faith? If you have more questions, don’t be afraid to reach out to us here at Football Faith either through the comments or via email. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll discover it together as one team!