Historically, one of mankind’s great desires has always been to connect themselves to their god, whoever and however they defined their god to be. This is no different for us who believe in the God of the Bible, than it is for those who have followed after other gods. The only real difference is that the God of the Bible is the one true God, the creator of the universe.
Now, I realize that others might argue that point; but my purpose here is not to prove that Jehovah is the one true God or to convince anyone who does not believe in Him that they should. My purpose is to answer questions about God and the Bible. If someone is truly seeking God, that will be enough to help them find Him.
The Christian Bible, as we know it today, consists of 66 separate “books,” written in two languages, by 35 authors, over about 1,700 years. It contains the full text of the Jewish “Tanakh” included as the Old Testament, as well as the writings of the apostles and others who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write what is known as the books of the New Testament. Interestingly enough, there is a large body of other “extra-biblical” writings, which supports the teachings and historic accuracy of the Bible, even though they were not deemed worthy of being included in the Bible as we know it.
It is worthy to note that the Catholic version of the Bible contains another seven books, which are called the Apocrypha by non-Catholic Christian scholars. These books were not included in the original Tanakh, as composed by Ezra, the scribe, as they were written in what are commonly called the “silent years.” The time between the writing of the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and the life of Christ; a period of about 425 years.
It is the Bible which gave rise to the printing press, during the time of the Reformation. Since then, there have been more copies of the Bible printed, than any other book in existence. The entirety of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, has been translated into 804 different languages, while various parts have been translated into more than 3,300 different languages. That’s a sizable percentage of the more than 7,100 languages spoken in the world today. This makes the Holy Bible the most widely translated book in the world.
There must be something behind the Bible being translated into and printed in so many languages. One could assume it to be a massive conspiracy by Christians; but for that to be true would require coordination of millions of believers, over more than five centuries of time. Considering that not all Christian denominations have amicable relations with each other, it would be highly improbable to coordinate such an effort.
The Bible Tells Us About God
From the first page to the last, the Bible speaks about God, telling us who He is. While some verses are clearly describing something about God’s character, most show us about God, through the way that He interacts with people. His personality and character are clearly spelled out through its 66 books.
Many people see the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament as two different people or at least two different personalities. But they are not. Both parts of the Bible speak about the same God and He has not changed. What has changed between the two, is the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; the very embodiment of God here on earth. Through His life, the love of God was shown to all mankind, allowing us to see Him in a more intimate way than ever before.
Jesus Himself told us “I and the Father are one” in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 30. Writing about Him, the author of Hebrews said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). If Jesus is unchanging and He and the Father are one, then it only stands to reason that God is unchanging as well, making the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament the same unchanging God.
So, why does it seem that He has changed? Because the message of the Old and New Testament, while being interconnected, have different focuses. Where the Old Testament teaches us about God’s justice, the New Testament teaches us about His grace. Together, they give us a more complete picture of who He is.
Because the New Testament can be seen as focusing on Jesus Christ, some of the greatest revelations about God are found in the Old Testament, where Jesus is not mentioned by name. While Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19), in the New Testament, it appears to us that it is Jesus who is doing it. We don’t have that filter in the Old Testament, making it easier to see that it is about God the Father.
In the Book of Job, an Old Testament book that few believers bother to read, not understanding it, we find God speaking to Job about himself, in a way that we don’t see anywhere else in the Bible. If we want to truly know who God is, these chapters (Job, chapters 38-41) paint a truly amazing picture of who He is. In these chapters, God speaks of Himself in many different ways, including:
- As the architect and builder of the universe (Job 38:4-7)
- As powerful (Job 38:8-11)
- As having authority (Job 38:12-15)
- As existing since eternity past (Job 38:19-21)
- As having control over nature and natural forces (Job 38:22-30)
- As being higher than the heavens (Job 38:31-38)
- As nurturing and providing for animals (Job 38:39-41)
- As serving as midwife to the animals (Job 39:1-4)
- As the giver of freedom (Job 39:5-8)
- As having lordship over the animals (Job 39:9-12)
- As the creator of things we can’t comprehend (Job 39:13-18)
- As taking care in His creation (Job 39:19-25)
- As the teacher to nature itself (Job 39:26-30)
This isn’t all, because God goes on to speak about His justice, something that Job hadn’t understood, asking for his day in the “celestial court” to prove his righteousness to God. In that, God also talks about His strength, and mastery over the greatest and strongest of animals, specifically the behemoth and leviathan, creatures that theologians are unable to fully identify. Yet God knows who they are and talks about his care in creating them, giving them specific strengths and characteristics. At the same time, He talks about His power over these creatures.
But Job isn’t the only place in the Bible that talks about God, the books of prophecy tell us much as well; even the Old Testament Law does. God tells His people to be holy, for He is holy (Leviticus 11:44). Just in case any of us might think that this only applies to the Jews, as it is in the Old Testament, Peter makes reference to it in his first epistle:
But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15-16
So, just what is holiness? The word literally means to be dedicated or consecrated to God. This includes the idea of being separated from the world or at least the world’s system. We find out how to do that, through the Old Testament Law. Each of the 613 commandments included in the Books of the Law, the Torah, show us something about God’s holiness and how we too can be holy.
It should be noted that God never expected anyone to succeed in fully obeying the Law. It is by faith that we are saved, not by obedience to the Law. Paul, who was a Pharisee among Pharisees before his Damascus Road experience with Christ, tell us:
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. – Galatians 2:15-16
So, why even bother having the Old Testament Law? So that we can know who God is, especially His holiness. At the same time, everything that is commanded in that Law is given for our benefit, to protect us from harm. God shows His love for us by telling us not to do things which can hurt us, just as a mother shows her love for her child, by telling it not to touch a hot stove.
The Bible Tells Us About Jesus
It’s obvious that the New Testament talks about Jesus Christ, especially the four Gospels. But what may be surprising to many is that the Old Testament speaks extensively about Him as well. It isn’t in such an obvious way, as much that is spoken of in the Old Testament is spoken of through symbolism; but it speaks of Him nonetheless.
It is widely recognized that the Song of Solomon, also called the Song of Songs, speaks not only of a relationship between King Solomon and one of his wives; but also speaks, in a symbolic way, of Christ and His bride, the church.
Another such example is the creation of the Tabernacle, which was built in the time of Moses. Theologians recognize a huge amount of symbolism in the design and construction of the Tabernacle, which point directly to Jesus. One of the many examples is that the gate entering into the courtyard is called “The Way,” the door into the Holy Place is called “The Truth,” and the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place is called “The Life.” Jesus said of Himself:
Jesus said to him (Thomas, the disciple), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. – John 14:6
Knowing who Jesus was and is, helps us to know Him. Since He and the Father are one, knowing Him helps us to know the Father.
The Bible Tells Us About Ourselves
Not only does the Bible tell us about who God and Jesus are, it tells us about who we are as well. Knowing who we are helps us to have a relationship with God, as our relationship must be based on the truth of who we are and our need for Him in our lives.
There are over 1,000 names given to the believer throughout the scriptures. Each of those names means something, conveying an attribute to the believer. These are things that God is calling us, as His children. In doing so, He is speaking those things into existence. Amongst the many other things that God calls us, we find:
- We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
- We are friends of Christ (John 15:14)
- We are kings (Revelations 1:6)
- We are lights to this world (Matthew 5:14)
- We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- We are members of Christ’s body (Ephesians 5:30)
- We are redeemed ones (1 Peter 1:18)
- We are the temple of the Holy Spirit or Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)
- We are vessels of mercy (Romans 9:23)
There are many more things that the Bible says we are. But more importantly than this, the Bible tells us, through telling us who we are, how much we need to be in relationship with God, receiving His grace, mercy, and love. It is only when we truly understand who we are, that we even begin to understand why we need to have an ongoing relationship with Him.
As humans, we are all fallible. The Bible tells us “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). That knowledge alone tells us that we need a Savior, who is Jesus Christ.
The Bible Tells Us How to Connect to God
Knowing who God is and that we need a Savior, the next logical step is to show us that Savior and how to connect to God through Him. There are many verses in the New Testament which talk about salvation; but perhaps the best of these is through what is known as the “Romans Road.” These are verses in the Book of Romans, which describe the mechanism of salvation. It starts with Romans 3:23, which we just looked at, then goes on to tell us just how God has made provision for our need for a Savior.
Our sin has taken us out of being in relationship with God. He is a holy God, and we cannot come into His presence with sin in us. God’s holiness and sin are incompatible.
For the wages of sin is death… – Romans 6:23a
The wages of sin are death not because God desires to kill us all, but because of His holiness and purity. His holiness and glory are so great, that to enter into his presence without being purified would cause the sin within us to kill us.
…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23b
Because God has such great love for us, He Himself paid the price for our sin. Think of this, before the world was formed, God realized that He would personally suffer the most horrible torture that mankind has ever devised, in order to pay the price for our sin. But, He did it anyway!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. – Romans 5:8
God didn’t wait for us to be “good people” before Jesus went to the cross. He did it for us in faith, believing that we would accept Him, but still doing it whether we would accept the sacrifice He made, or not. We don’t have to be purified before we come to Him; we have to come to Him so we can be purified.
For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. – Romans 10:13
It isn’t what we do that makes us saved. We can go to church every day, give lots of money to ministries, and give up our home for the poor. We can live a life in which we try to obey every commandment in the Bible. But, none of that makes us saved. The only thing that can save us is the blood of Jesus; the free gift of God. We don’t have to pay for it, because Jesus already did. All we have to do is accept what He’s done for us.
That if you confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9
Two things working together; first we believe, then we confess. It isn’t really much of a belief if we don’t say it, and it isn’t much of a confession if we don’t believe it. Put these two things together, and see what it means to be part of God’s family.
The Bible Tells Us How to Have a Relationship with God
Our relationship with God doesn’t end with accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it begins. We can spend a lifetime learning what the Bible has to teach us, without ever learning it all. The Bible has countless lessons to teach us about our relationship with God, starting with our connection to Him. Jesus told His disciples:
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
As part of the Body of Christ, we are His ambassadors here on the earth; the ones He uses to accomplish His will. That can include introducing others to Him, as well as helping them in their walk with Him. More than anything, it is doing what Jesus would do, which of course, as we’ve already discussed, is what God the Father would do in those circumstances.
God uses His Word to speak into our lives. While the Bible speaks to all, it also speaks to us individually. The Holy Spirit will lead us to study specific passages, which will minister to our personal needs. One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to be our teacher (John 14:26). He will give each person understanding and revelation of the scriptures, as they study. That may be different for one person than the next, as we all grow at different rates. Ultimately, the purpose is to bring us all to the same place, even though our journeys might look quite different.
But in order to accomplish God’s will here on earth, or even in our own lives, we must maintain a relationship with Him. That means studying His words to us, as recorded in the Bible and prayer. Many people say prayer is “communicating with God;” but for the majority of people, that’s actually a one-sided conversation, as they talk to God. Taking time to listen to Him as part of prayer is useful as well, because God will often speak to people’s hearts, answering their questions and teaching them things they need to know.