The Relevance of the Bible

[by Lantz Manomano]

Is The Bible relevant for these times? Does it still have answers to issues that we face in this day and age? Are some portions of the Bible just mere myths?
Usually people despise the Bible’s relevance because it corrects sinful behavior and whenever we love sin, then the Bible will appear to be a book that restricts our life. Yet the Bible itself has words which bring life and conviction and faith in order to bring us to God so that we may be free from sin instead of being a slave to sin.
Hebrews 4:12 says: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

To date, the Bible still remains the most purchased book in the world. The Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book in the world. This fact alone is evidence that there is something special about the Bible and that the Bible still remains relevant in the world.
There are many books that have been written by people, but many of those books have lost their relevance with time.

The Bible is historical, poetic, and full of real adventures and mysteries. But its main focus is for man to understand his origin, the problem that crept in and the solution to that problem. However even as the Bible focuses on the spiritual things it does not neglect our day to day activities. It teaches us how to conduct ourselves in this system we are under. Let’s look into how the Bible still remains relevant in this day and age?

Why Do We Still Need The Bible?

It Was Written By Our Creator

The Bible was written by the Holy Spirit through men whom He inspired to put down God’s thoughts, instructions, direction and commandments to follow until His final judgment.
2 Timothy 3:16 says: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness

Notice that 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is “breathed out” by God. What does this mean? It means that God is the Author of the Bible. Yes men put pen to paper to write it – but it was God Himself who inspired the writings and every word that is in the Bible. Another way to explain it is that men were God’s pen through which the Scriptures were written.

The Bible speaks of God’s love for us, man’s rebellion and how God has reconciled us to Him and how He will return for His children. The authors are from different generations spanning thousands of years, but yet they spoke of one message and that message was about Jesus Christ. All their writing were compiled to give us the Word of God and it endures forever (1 Peter 1:25) meaning that it will always be relevant.
So if we want to know our Creator and His plan for our lives as mankind, then we must learn from His word.

The Bible Was Written To Warn Us About Sin

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 says: Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

The Bible contains warnings about the consequences of living a sinful lifestyle as it gives us many examples of people who obeyed the Lord and those who rebelled against Him. So we can always look back into His word and see what God hates and how we can humbly repent and come before Him.
The Bible is the only book that does not look to make people happy but it wants them to see themselves for who they really are and the fact that they need Jesus Christ in order to have eternal life (John 10:10).

The Bible Reveals That There Is Nothing New Under The Sun

Even though the Bible speaks of events that happened many centuries ago, the same Bible speaks of prophecies that are yet to happen in the future.
However the issues and problems that mankind faced in the Bible are still the same issues that mankind is dealing with even in the 21st century.
For example, in the Bible there were issues of slavery where the Israelites were in bondage and were slaves to the Egyptians. To this day, the world still deals with colonialism in all its forms as well as modern-day slavery which is rampant in many countries.
Other examples of issues that mankind faced in the Bible are homosexuality, sexual immorality, corruption and lack of good leadership from kings, poverty, war between nations, relationship issues, betrayals, genocide,greed, hatred, suffering and so much more.
Throughout the Bible there was something about mankind that happened then and which still remains constant even today in the 21st century. This constant thing is the issue of sin which began with the first man Adam (Romans 3:23). Mankind was sinful in the Bible and mankind remains sinful even to this day. And so the problems and issues that were in the Bible still remain relevant even today.
In the Bible we also see acts of love, acts of bravery and courage, acts of humility and righteousness, and even acts of patience and endurance from people in the Bible. So through Scripture we can also learn some positive things that inspire us to seek God and to do righteous things whilst being led by God.
So the Bible does not only show us man’s sinfulness, but it also shows us the things that happen when we decide to follow God.

The Bible Answers The Issue of Life & Death

The Bible answers the issue of what happens to us when we die. It tells us where we will go depending on the choices we made in our current life. So it answers the issue of life after death which continues to trouble many. When man was created, he was to live forever worshiping and to be in fellowship with God. However we were given a free will from the beginning and Adam rebelled against God which brought in death. God didn’t change His plan for man so He gave us Jesus as a sacrifice so that we could attain eternal life where we will worship and fellowship before God forever (1 John 5:13).
1 John 5:13 says: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

God’s Word Is Final & Inerrant

God’s word is final. The Bible cannot be added or subtracted (Revelations 22:18-19). God’s word does not change because God Himself remains the same yesterday, today and forever.
Many books written by people have lost their relevance. Many books written about different subjects from science to morality and psychology have been corrected or even phased out or deemed out-of-date. Yet the word of God is still relevant on many issues that pertain to mankind.
In many countries the Bible is the only book that is still used for oaths and dying patients. In courts those testifying are under oath to speak truth, and hospitals and prisons have chaplains who come to preach hope to the hopeless and help them come to a place of comfort in their pain and suffering and depending on one’s heart some make wise decisions that lead to eternal life.

The Bible will always stay true, it will always be the people’s guide and those who are wise will be led by the Spirit of God. The Bible is meant to be read by all who genuinely desire a relationship with God. It is a book not only meant to be studied by a priest or pastor but it is meant to be read by all people because it is God’s word to all of mankind.
We must study it because it warns of false teachers who will use it for private interpretation to manipulate and control others. So it encourages us to test all spirits whether they be of God (1 John 4:1-6). It gives us the example of the Bereans in Acts 17 who studied the scriptures for themselves.

We must study it because it gives us direction as to how we ought to live and please God. We must read it because through the Bible we get to know the character and nature of our Creator.
The key to understanding the Bible and its authenticity is knowing its true Author, His motive, and to read for yourself in order to witness or experience its relevance.