In the past hundred or a hundred and fifty-years or so, many Christians have started believing and doing things which have impacted how many of us live—or don’t live—as followers of Jesus.

First, a significant tradition has emerged which treats the Bible exclusively as a historical document. And don’t get me wrong, it is most certainly a collection of historical documents. But it’s not only that. 

The Bible is also the word of God. In Mark 7:13 Jesus calls the law of Moses the “word of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16 says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God…”

Second, many people—especially in the modern west—have adopted a “naturalistic worldview.” In other words, they have adopted the thinking that reality primarily consists of what you can see, feel, and touch. These things are repeatable and measurable in nature. 

And again, yes, all of this is a part of reality—but it’s not the only part. There is also God, angels, demons, heaven, hell, and miracles.

When we treat the Bible only as a historical document and not also as the word of God, and when we think that reality only consists of what you can see and touch, and not what you can’t, we are walking through life with a blindfold. I believe that we also become lukewarm, faithless, and lost.

Over time, if we start to buy into in these ways of approaching the Bible and reality, we will devalue or discard miracles, the unseen realm (including angels, demons and spiritual warfare), the idea of objective truth, the resurrection, and even the divinity of Jesus!

I’m all in favour of lifelong learning, advances in science and medicine, and using our minds for a robust modern faith. But I’m also in favour of approaching life with the powerful and transformative perspective of Moses, the prophets, Paul, the apostles, and Christ himself.

Let’s be wise, not naïve. When we trust the Bible, and when we trust the picture of reality (i.e. worldview) as presented in the Bible, we will be more confident as disciples, we will be more loving as God’s children, we will be more effective as his agents in the world, and we will shine the light of Christ more brightly.

As Jesus himself said in John 17:17, the word of God is truth.

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Notes:

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.