John 1:10-14

So this may seem a bit silly, but lately I have had somewhat of a revelation... a bit of an epiphany of sorts. You see, I used to view the Bible in a way that a lot of people view it. I used to think of the Bible as more of a "rule book" filled with guidelines of how to be a good person... what you should do and what will send you to hell if you do partake. I viewed it as a "this is how you do it... work your way to heaven" book. I have never really thought of it as a story of time or a biography of God. This thought only recently popped into my head. Today was the first time that I have reflected on it.

I remember having this conversation a few years ago with a friend. I was struggling mightily with my life at the time. She was in restricted country, I was on my couch, comfy in Manhattan, beating myself up because I did not know how to "live life the right way". I did not know how to follow the rules of the Bible. I was living trying to work my way and do right to be closer to God. I read, not to understand in my heart but to go through the motions. We sat and talked about how difficult it is to explain what the Bible really is about. It was not a book of rules. The conversation was difficult because of her location at the time. If it was not a book of rules, then what was it? If it was not just guidelines, then what good was it? At that time, I had no relationship with Christ, but called myself a believer.

I now realize what she could not put into words via instant messaging from the other side of the world. I now understand the difference of my thinking then and my knowing now. The rules based approach is more about me and how to live working my way to God. While the scriptures do apply to my life, it is not about me. It is all about God and how much he loves me (or us... I am just going through the way I process). It is the story of a Son who came to us out of the Father's love. It is a book about love. It is all about Jesus. While there may be a small underlying theme of "me", it is all about Jesus. We read and we learn about God's love and see how we are gifted to bask in the glory of it. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection and believing in his name as the gateway to God, we live in his love. We examine Jesus' life for his Father. We evaluate and learn to live how God truly wants us to live. He reveals life through his book. He reveals his love through the incredible romance novel he has already written. He reveals his truth and love through the story of the Bible.
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"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn -- not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son."

~*John 1:10-14 (NLT)*~