TWhat do we think is the Bible’s primary message? Do we think the Bible is primarily about humans, or about God? How we answer will dramatically affect how we read the Bible, and how we read life.
Those who believe the Bible is primarily about humans see it as a collection of moral stories, whose purpose is to show humans how to live. The main problem with this is that almost every major character in the Bible is seriously flawed. Take King David for example. Though he was a great leader, a ‘man after God’s own heart’, and had God at the centre of his thinking, he committed some of the worst sins in the Scriptures (e.g. adultery and mass murder), and was a terrible father.
A second problem with this view is it can only lead to either (i) pride, because we’re way more moral than the likes of some, or (ii) despair, because we know we cannot live up to the morals of others. If we leave church most weeks feeling like God is waving his finger at us, or struggle to think God will ever be happy with us, perhaps it’s because we think the Bible is primarily about humans.
Rather, the Bible is about a God who works through some of the most horrendously sinful people in human history, to bring about salvation in Jesus Christ. In fact Luke 24 tells us the WHOLE Bible is about Jesus; about what he’s done to save us from our sins. When we understand this, the Bible’s message both (a) humbles us, as Jesus had to die for ME, and (b) gives us confidence, for if God can work through people as sinful as King David, then he can work through me too.
