Why is the Bible so important?
The Bible is important for many reasons. It most definitely sets forth a guideline for righteous living and is our comforter in times of distress. However, its primary theme, which is woven throughout both the Old and New Testaments, is the outworking of God’s plan for the redemption of the human race through the merit of his Son Jesus Christ.
God gives us the first glimpse of hope in Genesis 3:13-15 when he tells Eve that her seed would someday bruise the serpent’s (Satan’s) head. As the Book of Genesis continues we begin to see the unfolding of God’s plan when he dealt with individuals, such as Noah and Abraham. God then moved to the next step of his plan when he dealt with Abraham’s family, his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring would bless all the nations of the earth is reiterated to both Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 22:15-18; 26:1-4; 28:10-14). When the angel with whom Jacob wrestled changed his name to Israel, it was an indication that God’s plan was now positioned to expand blessings to a chosen nation. Later, God gave the nation of Israel the Ten Commandments as guidelines by which to live. He blessed them saying, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4) The “fullness of time” refers to the next phase of God’s plan. It was the time for Jesus to come on the scene. The call was no longer just to the Jewish nation, but to individuals from all nations (Luke 2:25-32; Galatians 3:21-29). Luke 21:23-28 specifically calls this new dispensation the “times of the Gentiles.” The Bible shows us the unfolding of God’s very logical, sequential plan. The plan began when God dealt solely with individuals. It expanded when He dealt with a special family and the Jewish nation. With the advent of Jesus, the plan grew to include the Gentiles throughout the Gospel Age. The ultimate goal of God’s plan is the gathering “up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:10)
The last phase of God’s plan is salvation for every man, woman, and child that ever lived (Colossians 1:18-20; Luke 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 John 2:2). This part of salvation where God deals with humanity is yet future, although the seeds of the kingdom are in place even as the trouble continues to go on (Daniel 2:44-45; Zephaniah 3:8-9). Jeremiah 31:29-31, Zechariah 8:20-23 and Isaiah 65:21-25 give us a glimpse of what humankind’s future will be like when God’s plan of redemption for all is brought to full fruition.
Why is the Bible so important? We believe the Bible is the word of God.
God talks to us through his word. We are comforted and strengthened spiritually when we study the Bible and learn of God’s plan.
The appearance of his Son on earth, his death and resurrection is the central event in all history. The Old Testament sets the stage for it. The New Testament describes it. Christ is the center and heart of the Bible. The whole Bible is built around the beautiful story of Christ, our Redeemer, and God’s promise to restore the entire human race to the perfection that was lost so long ago due of sin. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)
The Bible is a complex book and is not always easy to understand. To learn more about why it was written in this way listen to our two part series, “Why Didn’t God Make the Bible Easy to Understand?”