Why are so many Christians confused about following Jesus? (Pt. 2)

This is Part 2 of a series. Read Part 1.

---

Following Jesus isn’t easy. But it doesn’t have to be confusing. In fact, God has already given us everything we need to be faithful followers of Jesus.

In Part 1, I said that the reason I write this content–and really the whole thrust of my ministry–is to help followers of Jesus understand what it looks like to live the Christian life well. Far too many Christians walk around every day unsure about where they stand with God, what he expects from them, or what faithfulness even looks like. That doesn’t need to be true of you. God isn’t trying to keep you guessing.

So how does God help us live faithfully? He hasn’t left us to figure it out on our own. Every Christian has been blessed with at least three things to help you follow Jesus: the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and the local church. (I covered the Holy Spirit in Part 1 and plan to cover the local church in Part 3).

The Scriptures

Many Christians feel confused because they aren’t regularly engaging with the Bible. Without God’s Word, we’re left to rely on feelings, culture, or personal opinions to make sense of our lives and the world around us. But God has given us more than opinions or emotions. He has given us a direct and authoritative revelation through his Word.

Every Sunday when I read God’s Word to the people of Cornerstone, I ask them to stand if they are physically able. We stand out of respect for the authority of God’s Word. The practice has biblical foundations: Nehemiah tells us that God’s people stood as Ezra read God’s Word to them (8:5). We stand to honor the fact that God has spoken to us clearly through his Word.

After I read the Scripture each Sunday, I then say (and many say along with me) “thanks be to God.” We say thanks be to God out of gratitude. Rather than leaving us in darkness, God has revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus and recorded the entire story of redemption in the pages of Scripture.

The Bible itself is a miracle.

God inspired around 40 human authors across 1500 years to write the words of Scripture on 3 different continents in 3 different languages. And despite its multiplicity of authors, locations, cultures, and eras of salvation history, the 66 books of the Bible tell one grand and unified story about the living God’s work to create and redeem a people for himself through Jesus.

But it’s also a miracle that we get to hold the Bible in our hands and have direct access to the Word of God. Not only has God overseen the process of preserving our sacred book, but he has also raised up faithful servants who have sacrificed time, effort, and even their very lives to ensure that you have access to a Bible written in a language that you can actually read and understand.

I’m not sure you whether you’ve thought about it before, but there are countless scholars who have given years or even decades of their lives to learn the biblical languages, understand the intricacies of translation, and deliver faithful renderings of Scripture into English (and myriad other languages). More than that, men like John Wycliffe and Martin Luther risked their lives to get the Bible into the hands and languages of common people like you and me.

But one of the greatest heroes in this effort was a man named William Tyndale. He was the first person to translate the New Testament from Greek into English. And Tyndale paid for his efforts to make God’s Word available to us with his life. He died as a martyr when he was burned at the stake in 1536.

Every time you hold God’s Word, you are holding a miracle in your hands. The story is a miracle. The fact that God made it available to us is a miracle. And the incredible sacrifices that made it possible for you to hold it are all the result of God’s miraculous providence.

Reading the Bible

God gave you his Word so that you could know him. The Bible is a vital tool to help us follow Jesus. The average English Bible is roughly 1,000 pages. That’s the longest book most people will ever read. I know it can be super intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be.

One of the best ways to become more comfortable reading the Bible is to learn more about the Bible. Ironically, there is a little book on this topic I read with our staff called Reading the Bible Better. We all loved it and have recommended it over and over again. You can purchase a copy or borrow it from the library at church.

But if you don’t have time to read a whole book right now (even though it is a super short and easy read!), here is the most basic method I know to help you read the Bible well: Observe, Interpret, and Apply. Next time you read the Bible, ask yourself these three questions using those categories:

• Observe – What does it say?
• Interpret – What does it mean?
• Apply – What do I do?

And if you don’t know where to start, I don’t think you can go wrong starting in the New Testament. Read a Gospel like Matthew or John to spend time with Jesus and hear from him directly. Or, start with something short and practical. Read one of Paul’s letters like Philippians or Colossians. Or, just read through the Psalms and learn about the relationship that exists between God and his people.

Reading the Bible for yourself is a critical step in following Jesus. God uses his Word to draw you close to him, teach you about himself, and show you how to live faithfully. People gave their lives so you could hold the miracle of Scripture in your hand. Don’t take it for granted. And do you know the best way to grow in your understanding of Scripture? Do it alongside others in the local church—more on that next time.

---

Okay, I know—I went long again. Here’s Part 3 on the local church.