The most compelling reason to read the Bible, ever

Guest post by Aaron Armstrong

Why should you read the Bible, especially if reading isn't your "thing"?

Often when we're asked about why we should read the Bible, we appeal to personal fulfillment, the exciting stories, the grand drama of redemption within its pages... Certainly all this is good and right and true. But there's a better reason, a more compelling reason for the Christian to read the Bible than any other.

God commands you to.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples," Jesus told the Jews who followed him (John 8:31), and "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God'" (Matt. 4:4). We are told to "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" by Peter (2 Pet. 3:18), sanctified in the truth of God's Word (John 17:17), and, like Joshua, meditate on God's word day and night, so we might be careful "to do according to all that is written in it" (Josh. 1:8).

Notice, there's no hedging in God's Word here. There isn't a sense of option when it comes to the Bible; there's no "if you feel like it" attached. We have a duty to carefully study God's Word, which is given to us so that we would know Christ and His voice, and so follow Him (John 10:27).

While "duty" sounds like the least possible compelling word in the world to make us want to read the Bible, for those whose hearts are inclined toward the Lord—to those who have been given new life through death and resurrection of Jesus—this duty is anything but a burden. It's not like God's given us the most boring, seemingly irrelevant book in the world to read (and even if He did, we'd still be required to read it!).

It is—or should be—a joy to read and study the Bible for all Christians, to examine it diligently and see how Christ is at work on every page. We grow in knowledge of Christ's person and character, and we grow in godliness as a result of the Holy Spirit's work through the Scriptures.

And we are all commanded to engage in this by God. How can we say no?

(cross-posted at bloggingtheologically.com)