by Pastor Mark Chin
The response to this question by any self-proclaimed conservative evangelical Christian is typically the following: “Yes! Absolutely!” However, before anyone can truly answer this question with any degree of integrity, there is another question that needs to be addressed. Have we seriously considered the claims of the Bible?
The claims of the Bible, if taken at face value, are outrageous – quite literally, incredible. The Bible claims that its words are the very words of the Creator of the universe – words breathed out by God Himself. Exodus 24:4 claims that “Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD.” 2 Timothy 3:16 claims that “All Scripture is breathed out by God …” Genesis 1 claims that the words that proceed from the mouth of God possess the power and authority to create the entire universe out of nothing in 6 literal chronological 24 hour days. Hebrews 4:12 claims that the Bible is a “living” entity. Isaiah 55:11 claims that the words of the Bible will not return to God empty but will always successfully accomplish God’s purposes for it. 2 Timothy 3:15 claims that the words of the Bible are able to make a person wise for salvation through faith in Christ. Psalm 19 claims that the words of the Bible are perfect, sure, right, and pure and that they revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes. Jesus claims that His words give eternal life. The Bible claims to possess the power and authority, not merely to change, but to recreate and transform our world and our lives. Do we actually believe what the Bible says?
As a former physician, I used to regularly witness many people’s willingness to sacrificially spend exorbitant amounts of money to purchase and regularly consume medications that claimed far less than what the Bible does. I used to witness many people’s willingness to rise each morning and take that medication without fail. Compliance to a specific medical regimen was frequently tied to confidence and belief in the necessity and benefit of a given medical regimen. Few people take medication regularly that they believe is doing nothing for their lives. Few people take medication merely because they think it’s the right thing to do or because their physician told them to take it. Compliance typically requires some belief in the efficacy of a given treatment. Compliance with a given treatment says much about one’s belief in it. This of course, begs the question: What does our compliance with the Word of God say about our belief in it?
As a pastor, one of the great heartbreaks is witnessing how neglected the Word of God is in the lives of people who claim to believe it. One of the questions I frequently ask “believers” is “How is your time in the Word?” One of the frequent replies I receive to this question is “Pastor, I’ve really been busy lately.” Time in the Word is frequently an afterthought for many professing “believers” – what comes after everything else in my life has been taken care of, what comes when I have time to spare, when nothing else important is going on. When lives get busy or difficult for whatever reason – work, relationships, family, vacation, illness, sermon preparation, ministry demands – one of the first things to get kicked to the curb for many professing Christians is their time in the Word (the other thing is prayer). As a pastor, one of the great heartbreaks is witnessing, as D. Martyn Lloyd Jones pointed out in his seminal work, Spiritual Depression, how many people in the church, though professing to be “believers”, remain discouraged and joyless. But what is even more heartbreaking, as a pastor, is to see how unwilling many struggling Christians are to go to God’s Word consistently for help in their time of need. These trends suggest that we don’t quite believe what the Bible claims – at least not to the extent that we think we do. Our priorities and compliance frequently tell a different story from our profession of what we believe.
If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that spending consistent time in the Word of God is frequently a struggle. Many believe that this is because we lack discipline. Many tell me that it is hard to do so. Some honestly share with me that their time in the Word is dry and uninspiring or that it simply no longer works for them. But if the Bible is truly what it says it is and does what it truly says it does – then the fundamental struggle is one of faith. Do we really believe what the Bible says is true? If the Bible’s claims are true, then it demands to be set apart and set above all other words or priorities in our life, even as it guarantees a life transformed into the image of Christ by those who truly receive it by faith as the living Word of God. The real secret to a transformative quiet time is not, first and foremost discipline – though discipline certainly has its place. The real secret is faith – faith that is a gift from God (Eph 2:8,9) – faith that comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. So let’s repent of unbelief and pray for more faith – for ourselves and those who are struggling – that we might all see and experience the glory of God’s Word in Christ – that we might actually believe what the Bible says.