The Book
Roger A. Rush
Theodore Roosevelt said, “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” For Christians, the Bible must always be at the heart of our preaching, teaching, and way of living. If the Scriptures do not guide our lives, we are lost. No other book compares with THE BOOK.
Woodrow Wilson advised, “Give the Bible to the people, unadulterated, pure, unaltered, unexplained, uncheapened, and then see it work through the whole nature. It is very difficult indeed for a man or for a boy who knows the Scriptures ever to get away from it. It follows him like the memory of his mother. It haunts him like an old song. It reminds him like the word of an old and revered teacher. It forms a part of the warp and woof of his life.” He also said, “We have deprived ourselves of the best there is in the world if we deprive ourselves of a knowledge of the Bible.”
What makes the Bible so very special? First is its origin. It claims to come from the Creator (2 Timothy 3:16), and the evidence confirms the claim. Second, it definitively answers the pressing questions of life regarding origin (Genesis 1:1), purpose (Ecclesiastes 12:13), and destiny (2 Corinthians 5:1). Third, it speaks to the longings of the human heart providing hope, peace, comfort, and joy even when life comes crashing in around us (Philippians 4:10-13). Fourth, it provides a remedy for man’s greatest problem (sin) through God’s only Son (Romans 6:23). Fifth, it offers a road map for life enabling us to live abundantly (John 10:10). Sixth, it removes the sting of death, casts off fear, and fills the heart with love (1 John 4:17, 18). Seventh, it reveals the glorious future of the redeemed (Romans 8:34-39).
The Scriptures are under constant assault. The devil will do everything he can to undermine its credibility and destroy its influence. At the moment, it may appear that he is achieving his goal, but he is not. He will fail, and the Bible affirms his ultimate defeat (Revelation 20:11-15).
The world declares the Bible an outdated, irrelevant text of ancient legends and myths, but the world is wrong. Christians know that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, we handle it reverently, read it prayerfully, study it carefully, obey it cheerfully, and teach it faithfully. The hope of our nation and the salvation of our souls depend upon it!
Sir Walter Scott observed, “The most learned, acute, and diligent student cannot, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of the Bible. The more deeply he works the mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore; new light continually beams from this source of heavenly knowledge, to direct the conduct, and illustrate the work of God and the ways of men; and he will at last leave the world confessing, that the more he studied the Scriptures, the fuller conviction he had of his own ignorance, and of their inestimable value.”
As Christ’s church, may we never forget the place of THE BOOK in the hearts of His people, for, if we do, we will cease to be His church. -534 Sixth St., Marietta, OH 45750.