Frank J. Dunn
After 55 years of studying and preaching the word of God, the author gives the following reasons why we should all seek to know the Bible. Why must you know your Bible?
1) Know Your Bible in order to have everlasting life. In praying to the Father, Jesus said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). The Bible is the only source of perfect, saving knowledge of God and Christ.
2) Know Your Bible to know the greatest book ever written. The Bible is the best book because God is its author. There were 40 penmen, but only one author. All of the writers were “moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). No other book can compare with the Bible. It is truly God’s book!
3) Know Your Bible so that you will know who you are. Only from the Bible can you know your origin, mission, and destiny—where you came from, why you are here, and where you are going. We are not a product of evolution. We are a product of divine creation. God made man in His image, and man became a morally responsible, living soul (Gen. 1:26,26; 2:7). Our mission is to glorify God and become as God-like as possible in preparation for the judgment and our personal accountability to God (Rom. 14:11-12).
4) Know Your Bible to be saved from sin. The Bible is the only book that has as its main message the salvation of sinners. The Bible alone answers the world’s greatest question, “What must I do to be saved?” “The Father sent to the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). He saves sinners by His Gospel which is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Therefore, Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).
5) Know Your Bible in order to identify the church of the Lord and know its importance. When one obeys the Gospel by being baptized into Christ, he is born again of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5), into the family of God. This is the spiritual body of Christ, the church of which He is the head (Eph. 1:22-23). Christ has only one body (Eph. 4:4), one church (Acts 2:47). In the New Testament, members of the Lord’s church were Christians only (Acts 11:26); and, they were the only Christians.
6) Know Your Bible to find the Christian way of life, worship and service. The inspired Scriptures are the only doctrine of the New Testament church. The Scriptures alone furnish us completely unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The inspired word teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:12).
7) Know Your Bible in order to reach the highest goal, “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). Paul counted all things “but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). We should strive to be like Paul, who near the time of his departure from this life could say,
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
