The Bible is more than a book. God inspired its writers so that God’s people can know how to be right with Him and serve Him in the right way. He has not left us to work out the best way for ourselves, or abandoned us to the ideas of human philosophers. No; the Holy Spirit personally instructed the Bible’s authors so that what they wrote is certified as God’s Word. And that applies to every part of the Bible; we are not at liberty to choose some parts which we like and discard others.
 
The Bible is a literary masterpiece, but it is not intended to be admired in a museum. It is contemporary to every age, full of detail about how to be saved and live a life which pleases God. It is God’s essential tool for turning a sinful human being into a man or woman of God. Its fourfold purpose is a complete package of instruction: teaching tells us what is right, and why; rebuke tells us where we are wrong, and why; correction tells us how to move from being wrong to being right, and how to do it; training tells us what is needed to live in a way which will serve God and others, and how to do it. We may not know specifically how God wants us to serve Him each day, but the man or woman whose character has been moulded by obeying God’s Word will be prepared for anything He asks.
 
Without reading the Bible we will inevitably stray away from Jesus. However, reading the Bible not only provides us with essential information but the Holy Spirit also speaks into our hearts to convince us that we are wrong and need to change. So we also need to be willing to accept God’s teaching and rebuke; we cannot progress if we refuse to be corrected and resist obeying what He says. We can choose to ignore Him; but that is grossly foolish. As God graciously speaks to us as we read the Bible, and helps us to obey; should we not take the Bible much more seriously? Should we not repent of our personal self-motivated philosophy of life? It is time to read and obey, repent and change, and get ready to be useful to the Lord.