It’s All About Jesus
I made the decision a year ago that I would read the Bible in its entirety in one year. It was something I always wanted to do, but I usually fell off the plan after getting to Deuteronomy. I almost gave up multiple times, but God gave me the strength to keep pushing forward.
When I embarked on the journey of reading the Bible in an entire year, it was mainly because I felt that as a Christian it was hypocritical to say you believed in God but never even read God’s word to us. I felt that we should know the scriptures inside and out. But as I read, my perspective on this changed. While it is great to have read the entire Bible and to know it well, it is not solely necessary for salvation. Some may believe that eternal life comes by reading scriptures, but the scriptures point to who really brings eternal life: JESUS (John 5:39)!
I also think about those who do not have access to a Bible but have been told the gospel and have believed. They may not be able to read the Bible at all, but they believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). They will be saved!
I was all wrong when I first started my read through. I was seeking intellectual knowledge, not seeking salvation through Jesus or a personal relationship with him. I was also planning to post my accomplishment all over social media once I completed reading the Bible. Why? In order to brag or appear holy? As much as I hate to admit, that may have been the reason. Instead, I only told a few of my dear Christian friends that I meet with and a few family members.
As I embark on reading through the Bible again next year, it won’t be so that I can add a tally to how many times I’ve read the Bible. It will be so that I can see Jesus Christ shine brightly throughout the entirety of the scriptures (Old AND New Testaments) and to know Him even more as my savior. I need to get it ingrained into my brain that he is all I need for my salvation. I need to learn how to see others as loved by God. And I will do this while I still have free and unrestricted access to my Bible.