Many diverse people have quite varied notions about God in today’s world. While some of those concepts are drawn from the Bible, others are not. Does one need to rely solely on the Bible to understand and obey God? Or should we go elsewhere for further information or insider knowledge about God? Let us examine what the Bible says directly, and then consider the boundaries of what the Bible can reveal.
The Bible equips for good work
First of all, the Bible states that its contents are beneficial for preparing God’s people for [all good deeds]. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work,” says 2 Timothy 3:16–17. This is not simply a list of some good acts, but a list of all good things.
The Bible teaches how to serve God
Every attempt we make to obey and serve God is informed and bolstered by the Bible. As Christians, our beliefs and actions should be guided by the Bible. We look to the Bible, and no other source, to understand who God is and what He expects of us. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence,” as Peter notes in his second epistle (2 Peter 1:3).
The Bible teaches how to live holy
This verse highlights two key points that need to be noted. First, we see that everything we need for life and godliness is supplied to us by God. Not everything that can be known about the world is included in the Bible. Rather, it has everything we require to live a godly life. Put another way, the Bible teaches us everything we need to know to live a holy, Christ-honoring life.
To know God and Christ we need to read the Bible
Furthermore, what does the Bible tell us about godliness and life? It imparts knowledge of Him—that is, Christ—to us. [Knowing Christ] is the key to a Christian existence. Though many have written and spoken about Christ, the Scriptures are the only reliable, unerring, and inspired source of information concerning Christ. Many individuals are eager to hear from God and discover what He has to say to them in the present. However, in the words of eminent religious figure Martin Luther: “Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture.”
Know God through Christ and know Christ through the Bible
Because the Son of God is revealed in the Bible, the Bible declares that the Bible is the location to hear God’s voice. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son,” the author of the book of Hebrews states at the opening of his epistle (Hebrews 1:1–2). Why would we want to search elsewhere if our goal is to understand God and what He expects of us, if understanding Christ is the key to life and godliness, and if the Bible is the ideal revelation of Christ?
General revelation versus special revelation
The Bible is not meant to give me the weather forecast for tomorrow, the reason for my wife’s irrational anger, or which job offer I should accept. Instead, it is meant to reveal Christ and prepare us for all godliness and good works. God has given us both special revelation (the Bible) and general revelation (nature), but in order to comprehend and apply what God has revealed to us, we must utilize our wits.
We need to study His word to know God
Some individuals anticipate receiving God’s word and His unique plan for their life in a tidy, well-organized bundle akin to a divine download. However, Jesus expects us to consider carefully what God has already stated in order to know God and His will. Occasionally, we pray to God for guidance, but we fail to pay attention to what He has previously said. We must carefully consider the lessons He has previously imparted to us and develop the ability to make wise judgments in light of them.
Know God through the Spirit, nature and reasoning
The Bible is sufficient for knowing and obeying God as long as we are reading it together with 1) the leading of God’s Spirit, 2) what we can learn from nature around us, and 3) the reasoning of the minds God has given us. The Bible is sufficient, but that does not mean that we must stick our fingers in our ears and block out the rest of the world and the Holy Spirit in order to think we are depending on the Scriptures alone. However, we must keep other sources of knowledge in their correct places. Realize that the work of the Spirit, the knowledge we gain from creation and our own reason are tools that God uses to point us to the perfect revelation of Christ, namely the Bible.
