Day 30

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

If the Christian life is a life of faith in God, how does our faith grow? The answer is by getting to know the object of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. Where do we find Him? In his word. The reason we read the scripture is not primarily to know the scripture, but to know Christ. The scripture is a means to an end. The end is God Himself.

If we detach Scripture from that purpose, we read it as an end in itself. We read it for ideas, for truths, for instructions, for commandments and promises, but miss the deepening relationship with God Himself it is designed to give. Jesus once criticized the Jews or studying the bible. 'You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life' (John 5.39-40). They were studying the bible to get to know the bible - and it made them Pharisees, and Sadducees sending them into endless debate about rules and regulations and minutiae. 'These' said Jesus, 'testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me.' They had missed the whole point and substituted the intended relationship with an unintended religion, which, far from liberating them, hung as a ball and chain around their ankles.

If I carefully examine the manual of a new car, I could underline it, memorise it, put it to music, sing it, join a local motoring fellowship for expositions of the manual and eventually find myself bored out of my mind with the whole thing! The purpose of the manual is not for me to know the manual but to know the car! The purpose of Scripture is not for us to know the scripture, but that through the scripture we know God more and we know Jesus Christ better. That is its purpose, and that enables our faith to grow. The more we know Him, the more we trust him.

Miss that, and Scriptures cease to be words of life, but words of burden. In the language of a hymn about Scripture in Olde English, 'Break thou the bread of life, dear Lord to me,' this idea is beautifully expressed in the line: 'Beyond the sacred page, we seek thee Lord. My spirit longs for thee, thou living Word.' The written word is the place our longing hearts go to find the Living Word.