Someone once said that the purpose of reading the Bible is not for information, but for transformation. According to Pastor Robert Jeffress this type of transformation consists of: “the Spirit of God using the Word of God to transform you into the image of God.”1
And of course, this kind of transformed life can only come about when an individual, by faith, accepts Jesus Christ into their heart as Lord and Savior. But once we make that decision to let Jesus into our heart the journey just begins. For the rest of our lives, we are given the awesome privilege to read and study the Bible so God can use the lessons we learn to conform us more into the image of Christ.
Pastor John Stott, in one of my favorite quotes on why we need to read the Bible, once remarked: “If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God’s, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.”2
Rather than try to unpack this powerful quote from John Stott I pray that you will re-read it several times and ask God to help you implement its message every time you read a portion of Scripture. My friends, while Pastor Stott’s advice is truly powerful, I believe it is also transformational, and if taken seriously will revolutionize your walk with Jesus!
1 The Purpose Of Reading The Bible – Pathway to Victory (ptv.org)