The Bible Reveals Truth, Not a Set of Instructions

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." -- 2 Corinthians 3:17--18

Unlike the instruction manual used for step-by-step assembly of IKEA furniture, the Bible is not written to be a handbook or instruction manual for life. I hear the growns already! What, Mike? How can you say this? I've heard this for years from my pastor. The fact is, the Word of God doesn't always explicitly tell us what to do in every situation in life, or what is the next step after the one we're currently on.

I'm familiar with "the Bible is God's handbook for solving life's problems." It may preach well, or sound reassuring and profound. Still, the fact remains that this kind of rhetoric presents an oversimplified view of Scripture, leading to a misunderstanding of the true intent and application of God's Word. The evidence of this is seen in the apathetic, even marginalized, relationship that we might have with the Bible.

I love this quote from Michael Reeves, a professor of Reformation History at Ligonier Ministries. During one of his online lectures about the Reliability and Authority of Scripture, he makes this statement concerning how truth is revealed in God's Word to us: 

"Through the multi-faceted genres of literature that comprise the Bible, the Glory of the Message of Scripture shines through." (1)

In other words, even though the Bible doesn't always explicitly tell us what we should do in any given life situation, being saturated with the Word of God allows the collective wisdom of the Bible's author, the Holy Spirit, to imprint understanding on our hearts and minds. This process of sanctifying or renewing our minds transforms our hearts and minds to think and approach life as Christ would have us think and approach it. As we consistently absorb the message, understanding, clarity, and objective reason that can inform the choices we make every day begin to emerge.

However, this type of relationship does not occur through short and infrequent encounters with God's Word, any more than a deep and meaningful relationship with another person will emerge from brief phone conversations and text messages. This approach is precisely what happens, though, when the "handbook for life" model is embraced.

Instead, we need communion, frequency, and connection with God's Word. I think we all recognize these same practices as being naturally part of cultivating a meaningful relationship with a friend or loved one. And it is precisely the same approach we must employ in our relationship with His Word. We commune with the Spirit of God through the Word of God.

Apart from this relationship to the Word, Christlikeness will only ever be, at best, a system of behavioral modifications and self-righteous actions — works. This is because handbooks and instruction manuals have only one primary purpose: to assist in assembling and using a product for its intended purpose.

This, however, is not how God views us. We are not a product. Our lives do not need to be assembled and then put to work performing a particular task. This is not the goal of Christlikeness! Instead, God has revealed Himself to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ so that we might now know the riches and fullness of Him, and thereby enjoy Him forever.

The inspired, written Word of God, the Bible, is His special revelation, necessary to inform us of our need for justification before God through the righteousness of Christ. But it is also how His Spirit, dwelling within us, objectively and practically, transforms us into becoming like Him.