Church on 99 - Squamish BC

<b>HOME</b> <b>MINISTRIES</b> Women\'s Ministry Men\'s Ministry King\'s Daughters Women\'s Conference Youth and Young Adult Ministry King\'s Kids Children\'s Ministry Nursery Music Prayer Ministry Small Groups Project Love <b>ABOUT US</b> Beliefs History Core Values Leadership Directory <b>EVENTS</b> <b>AUDIO</b> <b>DIRECTIONS</b> <b>VISITORS</b> <b>MISSIONS</b> <b>PASTOR\'S Q & A BLOG</b> <b>ONLINE GIVING</b>

Should I be concerned if I don’t read the Bible? Posted on June 11 2011 Question: Sat, June 11, 2011 Anonymous: We often hear in sermons that once you become a child of God you immediately have a longing to read the Word of God. If I don't have that same longing, should I be concerned? Answer: Dear Anonymous, There is no doubt that preachers challenge and exhort their flocks to read and study the Scriptures; and so they should. The reason for this is quite rational; anyone claiming to be a Christian is someone who claims to have been converted. A Christian, by definition, is someone who believes in and follows Jesus Christ. This being said, it is quite evident that not all converts, or not all who profess to be Christian, have the same degree of desire or drive to know God intimately and fully. I believe this is what Jesus was implying when He said, "Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:8, 23) As for the "longing" you mentioned, Scripture exhorts us using this very word: "Like new born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2-3) Interesting analogy isn't it? A newborn baby instinctively craves the milk that comes from his/her mother's breast. This nutrition is essential to the newborn's life, health, and growth. Peter applies this same principle toward all converts to Christ. As milk is natural and essential to an infant's life, so Scripture is natural and essential to a believer's life - so long for it. Again, not everyone is going to "long" to know and obey God's Word to the same degree (some 100, some 60, & some 30). And to be fair, a believer's appetite will ebb and flow at various times and seasons throughout one's pilgrimage. My great concern is for those who profess to be Christian and have absolutely no appetite or longing to know the Word of God. This a major concern because it is a serious contradiction. If there is no "longing" whatsoever, than what evidence is there that that individual possesses the very spiritual life he professes to have? None. In this case they should heed the apostle's warning that he gave the Corinthian congregation: "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5) One final thought. Some people either can't read or do not like to read: and it is because of this that they don't read and meditate on Holy Scripture. But if the "longing" that we've been discussing exists in their heart at all, they will overcome this handicap by other means. Two solutions immediately come to mind: One, they can have someone else read the Scriptures aloud to them. Two, they can purchase the entire Bible on CD and listen to the Scriptures that way. There is plainly no excuse for Christians to be biblically ignorant. We are ignorant by choice. We are either too lazy or flatly not interested - have no longing. In either case I'd point them back to 2 Corinthians 13:5. Steve Chapman Tags: Bible - Genuine Faith - Growth - Spiritual Appetite - Spiritual Growth		Tags Election Resurrection Death Spiritual Growth Godhead Bible Divinity Second Coming Depravity of man Trinity Sinning saints Redemption Spiritual Appetite God of Israel God's blessing Hell The human will Commercialism Divine Judgment Most recent entries Struggling with the “Trinity” Is there one God or many; one Lord or many? When the redeemed sin and God still blesses If God exists why is there evil? Pre-Tribulation Rapture nonsense Should I be concerned if I don’t read the Bible? What happens when you die? Death of children Human ability vs. Divine election Most Popular Questions Human ability vs. Divine election (881 views) Death of children (790 views) Pre-Tribulation Rapture nonsense (610 views) What happens when you die? (556 views) When the redeemed sin and God still blesses (532 views)