Is the Bible relevant today? The first time I wrote that, years ago, I said, “Of course. Absolutely”. But today I wonder, what does that mean? Relevant to who? And relevant for what reason? So I changed the question. Is the Bible relevant to you in your life today?
People in the Western world maybe have an image of Jesus that’s along the lines of the adjacent image.
He’s some guy dressed in robes. And He spoke to people dressed just like He was.
In many parts of the world, this is still the norm.
It’s also irrelevant! It doesn’t, or shouldn’t, matter how someone dresses. They are still people.
So let’s get past that image, and focus on the real issues.
First, is the Bible relevant to you? And second, is the Bible relevant to how you live your life?
I submit that if you think it’s not relevant, then either you don’t understand it, or you do understand it but don’t like what it says about your lifestyle. Your priorities. The things you consider fun. Things like that.
If it goes against what we want to do, then we’re likely to consider the Bible irrelevant.
But guess what? The Bible actually says that. And so, it is relevant, if for no other reason than that it happens to be right about people rejecting it because they prefer their life the way it is.
Summary
Is the Bible relevant to you in your life today?
- argues that the Bible is still relevant and offers guidance, wisdom, and truth for people in the modern world.
- uses examples from the Bible, such as Jesus’ parables, Paul’s sermon in Athens, and the promise of life to the full, to show how the Bible can address various issues and questions that people face today.
- announces a series of articles that will explore the connection between the Bible and a secular list of 23 things successful people never do. The author hopes to show how the Bible can help people achieve their ideal self and enjoy life to the full.
Is the Bible really still relevant today?
Let’s consider a different image.
How about this one? A 1st century Jesus in a modern office setting?
Maybe even a corporate boardroom?
Maybe Jesus is comparing the Corporate Bylaws to The Bible?
Talk about an instance where someone doesn’t like what the Bible says!
But does that make The Bible irrelevant?
Or does it once again prove the validity of the Bible because it says people like their lives the way things are?
Does the Bible really say we like life the way it is?
You can judge for yourself on the question of whether or not the Bible really says we like life the way it is. It’s part of a very well-known passage. Although, the latter parts of the passage aren’t so well known. Probably, that’s because people don’t like what it says.
John 3:16
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Did you see it? It starts at verse 19.
I don’t normally use The Message Bible, but I’m going to here. I want to put this in a more simple, common language for today. That way the symbolism in the NIV translation above won’t cloud the issue if it’s not understood.
16–18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19–21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Jn 3:16–21). NavPress.
You see, it does actually say we like our lives the way they are, so we run for the darkness. We run where we think God can’t see what we’re doing. And we run from anyone who’s going to tell us what we’re doing is wrong. For instance, in the corporate boardroom, maybe the idea of paying people enough that they can actually afford to live?
Who is this question meant for?
Is the Bible relevant to you in your life today? Obviously, it’s for you. Where and when are the questions that you need to ask yourself. It should be relevant all the time.
If you’re alive, it’s for you. If you work for someone, it’s for you. Or if people work for you, it’s for you. Even in the corporate boardroom, it’s for you. Corporations aren’t people, but the people who run it are, well, people.
Now, the issue once again comes down to whether or not any of us want to pay attention to what The Bible says. Or do we want to stay in the comfort of our darkness?
Don’t settle for less
Maybe you don’t believe the Bible really is for everyone, no matter what.
I’ve had a hard time deciding what to do with a series I’m trying to write. It’s been started on a couple of different sites, under different names, and with different purposes.
I’ve decided to put it back here, where it started. It will be a redo of the “Settling for less” series. But this time the series will be renamed to “Why settle for less?” It’s more positive.
The titles will also be positive. Instead of “don’t do …” they’ll be something we should do.
What won’t change is that the source ideas are from things in the secular world. Like in the workplace, in school, in everyday life. And then we’ll look at the same things from a Christian point of view, and see how they can be even better if we add in what the Bible tells us.
Do you want to enjoy life to the full?
If someone asked you, like I’m doing now, “Do you want to enjoy life to the full?”, what would you say?
We have our own ideas about what a full life entails. It’s not likely to be a foreign concept.
What is the biggest regret in life for most people?
In surveying the responses of hundreds of participants in six studies, the researchers found that, when asked to name their single biggest regret in life, 76 percent of participants said it was not fulfilling their ideal self.
Did you realize, Jesus promised life to the full for those who follow Him? He did. My own experience, after way too many years of trying to either do it my way, or at least keep part of my way, is that His way really is more fulfilling than mine was.
The adjacent inset box is a look at surveys showing 76% of people responded that their biggest regret in life was in not fulfilling their ideal self.
Fulling our ideal self is exactly what Jesus promises us when we truly try to follow Him. Who knows what our ideal self is better than God, who created us?
Let’s examine the passage where that promise was made. The promise of life to the full. After that, we can better understand why a Christian might want to look at a secular list of things to not do.
The Shepherd and His Flock
This is basic and important stuff for every Christian. We should be following Jesus, not anyone else. That’s what He’s explaining here. This passage, like so many others, does show the Bible is still relevant today.
That is, unless we convince ourselves that our life is as good as it can get. If we manage to do that, then we will settle for what we have. Oddly enough, even though many of the people I’ve known who claim to be happy with what they had still hoped Heaven would be better.
It just doesn’t make sense. If we like our current life so much that we won’t even try Jesus’ way in this life – do we honestly think we’ll be happy in Heaven? And if we reject Jesus now – do we honestly think we’d accept Him later? Not to mention the even bigger problem – after we die, it’s too late to accept Jesus. We must accept Him in this life.
Jn 10:1 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
Jesus is the one who enters by the gate. But anyone who comes in by another way is a thief, trying to take the sheep. That’s the difference between us following what Jesus taught, and what someone else teaches – even if they are using His name.
It’s also the person who once told me that he wants to go to Hell, because Hell is where the fun people are.
Those are also the people who will tell you that what you want is better than what God wants. Maybe it is more fun in the short run. But if we think long term, big picture, there’s just no option better than following Jesus into Heaven.
The unexpected surprise is that this life gets better as well. Not necessarily in monetary terms, status, and the like. But definitely in terms of peace, joy and love, as God defines them.
3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
It’s important that we really know what Jesus actually taught. Just reading the Bible a few times a year cannot do that. Truth is, doing one of those “read the Bible in a year” plans won’t really be enough either.
Not that reading the Bible is bad. It’s not. And even something is better than nothing, especially if it leads us to want to know more. To be able to tell the difference between what Jesus taught – and when someone introduces false teaching into the mix. Otherwise, we can and probably will follow the thief.
Then we’ll be one of the 76% wishing we’d made different choices later in life. And maybe just plain too late.
Jn 10:7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus repeats the previous thought. That’s a technique used throughout the Bible to let us know that the thought is really, really important! And, we read the part about us having life to the full when we follow Jesus.
Sometimes, probably like lots of people, I wonder where I’d be now if I made different choices earlier in my life. But here’s the thing. No matter how messed up parts of my life have been, I wouldn’t change anything. After some years of beginning to try life Jesus’ way, I like where I am.
If I made different choices, I might not be where I am now. I might not have made the choice to go back to Jesus. Maybe I’d be dead. Who knows? But I do know that even though I literally walked away from a 36-year career in IT, I have no regrets about leaving it behind. It prepared me for what I’m doing now.
Jn 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Now, something on the dangers of following the thief. And going all the way back to Eve, being able to tell the difference between Jesus and the thief. Between Jesus and Satan.
Jn 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus says again that His sheep know Him. Question – do you know Jesus enough to tell the difference between Him and someone else? Does Jesus know you? Or are you a stranger to Him?
You see, in the end, Jesus will tell us one of two things. 1) “Well done, good and faithful servant!” or 2) “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Which do you want to hear? This also goes to the issue of us rejecting Jesus in this life. If we die and still haven’t accepted Him, we will hear the second one.
16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus died for us. Because He loves us. As Christians, we won’t want His death to be in vain. We must learn His voice. His teachings. And, let’s not forget, we will want to follow Him.
If you’re not Christian, of course my hope is that you’ll consider all of this carefully and evaluate your life and your choices.
There is no sitting on the fence
Going back to my days as a Catholic, I remember the priests saying you can’t sit on the fence. We must decide, one way or the other. But, if we try to not decide, then our decision is to reject Jesus. Accepting Him is a choice we must make ourselves.
That kind of gets confused with the passage below.
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us
9:38-40 pp — Lk 9:49, 50
Mk 9:38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
Mk 9:39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”
This one is different. It’s not about sitting on the fence and/or trying to avoid making a choice.
Jesus said – whoever is not against us is for us. That means when we hear someone trying to lead us somewhere, we must be able to determine whether they are against what Jesus taught.
That’s not the same as trying to see if there’s any truth in what they say. As Eve found out, some truth mixed with some lies equals lies. Please see Truth + Half-Truth = Half-Lie = Lie for a real-life example. No – what we need to do is look for false teaching, and then …
Is the Bible relevant to you in your life today? – Answers from a secular source?
Let’s look at that last sentence again.
what we need to do is look for false teaching, and then …
Many Christians would complete that sentence with … and run!
For some, maybe even many, that’s not a bad idea. But I often want to look deeper, and find the corrupted truth behind what was said. Remember, God creates. Satan corrupts. So if there is false teaching, we must recognize it. Maybe the best thing to do is run. For some, we’ll want to examine it – see what’s behind it – and then use it. Maybe use it to show what the truth really is. Or maybe to see what the person saying it might really be looking for, as Paul did in Greece:
In Athens
Ac 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
At first, it seems like Paul’s just wasting time. Reading – All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest idea – doesn’t sound like anyone’s really looking for God. Or anything. Other than just to hear themselves talk. And yet, there’s an opportunity. So Paul takes it.
Ac 17:22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
The inscription is to an unknown God. There are lots of times when I hear someone or read something that, if we look below the surface, sounds like someone looking for something. Like whatever they have isn’t meeting some need, so they’re searching.
Often times the basis for their search is a lie. Like looking for something in a person, a need that can only be met by God. I feel that if we look below the surface, and can identify that need, maybe we can show that God will take care of that need. Will satisfy the desire, the hunger within them. It’s worth a try. But again, it requires the ability to know the difference between truth and falsehood.
Ac 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
And so, Paul launches into his impromptu sermon to the men who are looking for this unknown god. Even if it seems pointless. He shows that the Bible did have answers to their questions. And it still has answers to ours today. The Bible is still relevant.
Ac 17:29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
Ac 17:32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Yes, it seemed to be of no value. A waste of time and breath. And yet, even for the sake of a few, Paul did it. I dare say, even for the hope of one, Paul would have done the same thing.
Conclusion – Is the Bible relevant to you in your life today?
23 Things Successful People Never Do
Through this series, we’ll look at those 23 things successful people never do. Although, rather than take the “don’t do this” approach, as I mentioned, we’ll turn them into positive things that we can do. After all, Jesus summed up hundreds of Jewish laws, many of which were in the “don’t do this” vein, into two concise “do this” statements.
The Greatest Commandment – Matthew
22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31
Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
So, we’ll see if there’s anything in those 23 things that might point us to the truth in the Bible. Anything that might point us to verify a statement that yes, the Bible is relevant today. To us.
Not that we want to necessarily follow those exact 23 things. But we will take a look and see if there’s any correlation between those 23 things and what’s taught in the Bible. For instance, many things that are considered common sense today are actually in Proverbs. That alone shows how the Bible is relevant today.
But there’s so much more than just proverbs. There are life experiences that, if we understand and adjust for cultural differences, are just as meaningful today as they were relevant in Biblical times. We just need to look. And take the time to see how relevance in the Bible has been “adjusted” to become relevance in the secular world. Then turn it back into what it was originally meant to be.
Should be an interesting journey. Hope you come along. And learn.
All images by Image Creator from Designer, powered by DALL-E 3, based on my descriptions