Love Your Bible, But Love God More

[In October 3rd's City Church gathering, we introduced our church family to the idea that we live in a culture where the Bible, and the knowledge of God, can be among our greatest idols. Knowing this is a new concept to many folks, and how weird that statement sounds, I wanted to dive further into that concept, to make sure we teach it clearly.]

We Love the Bible.
The only proper place to start is to say boldly that we love the Bible, and you should too. We wholeheartedly affirm that it is God's revelation; God's words; "sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus... breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2Tim 3:14, 16). The Bible is the primary, and specific way in today's world to know of God, obedience, holiness, righteousness, sin, and other aspects of life and faith. It's "sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psa 119:103). The Bible is the primary way by which we are "transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2).

If you've been around our church family at all, hopefully you've seen a 'biblical saturation' in all we do: we search scripture for everything, from church and leadership structures, to training/equipping and Village discussions, from our very mission to every specific way we're living it out. Other than a few 'family talks,' we'll continually preach through books of the Bible. One line of our membership covenant is that we "submit to the Bible as the final authority on all issues, and by God’s grace, to avoid activities that the Bible deems sinful or foolish." In a word, we love the Bible.

Some of our folks don't love the Bible. You need to. It's absolutely essential for you, your relationship with God, your knowledge of life, faith, holiness, and all things godly. But some of you love the Bible too much. And that's what we were saying in our gathering.

The Bible Must Point Us To God.
Saying that the Bible is God's revelation, and God's words, carries two truths: first, among other things, the Bible tells us about God. But it also means that the Bible isn't God. Likewise, theology can teach us about God, but theology in itself isn't - and can't become - a god. This is the first way the Bible and theology can become an idol for us: some of us have the tendency to look at the Bible, to read its words, to study it, analyze it, cross-reference it, and then stop. That leads to a good knowledge of the Bible, but not a good knowledge of the God of the Bible.

Jesus addresses this issue with the Pharisees of his day: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others" (Matt 23:23). Pharisees were 'teachers of the law' - they were folks who knew their scriptures better than anyone else of their time. But in learning every tiny detail of the scriptures, they missed the point, the 'weightier matters.' Their motive wasn't a pursuit of God, but only outward 'holiness.' They learned how to follow the scriptures, but missed the God of the scriptures. So Jesus calls them "whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (23:27-28).

Likewise, some of us have the tendency to become so enamored with the Bible or theology, that it becomes an end itself, rather than a means to a far greater end, God. The Bible isn't just a "good guidebook" or a "roadmap" or an "instruction manual" for life. If that's all it is to you, you'll end with empty, supposedly-self-enabled rules, religious practice, and duty. In this, you're no different than the Pharisees. Truly, the Bible is the story of God, of redemption, of what God's been doing from the beginning, and of the tiny part we get to play in God's story. If we miss this truth, we strive for obedience; we try to live out the commandments; we try to 'do what the Bible says.' But the whole time, we miss the gospel. We miss the motive. We miss our only ability to be righteous or obedient or godly or holy. We stare at the windshield instead of enjoying the great view beyond it. We know the Bible, but we don't know God.

Knowledge Must Lead to Worship and Action.
The second way that scripture and theology can become an idol is that it can turn God into an intellectual construct to study and know about, rather than a living being to know, follow, dwell with, love, and trust. Knowledge of God can lead us into mere intellectual ascents to God, rather than stirred affections for God. In other words, in this 'knowledge idol,' we can know a lot about God, without ever knowing God. Without ever following God. Without ever pursuing God or carrying out his commands. In a word, we can know a ton about God without ever worshiping God, in affections and actions. And knowledge without worship or action is simply intellectual arrogance: "we know that 'all of us possess knowledge.' This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up" (1Cor 8:1).

As we rightfully read, study, and dwell in the Bible, we can surely ask how it is transforming our mind. We must certainly think well about it. We must let it permeate and soak in; we must consider it well. But then, we must ask what God is calling us to do, based in the words we've just read. "How does this lead me to worship? What is this calling me to do, as my affections are stirred toward God and as I live out the faith I'm reading about?" As Jesus' own brother wrote, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing" (James 1:23-25).

If we just "hear" (or read, or study, or whatever) the Bible, without then worshipping God more or "doing" anything, we're missing its whole point. And again, knowledge or reading or understanding theology has become a goal itself, instead of worship. And thus, knowledge or reading or understanding theology displaces God, who is our one true goal.

Love Your Bible, But Love God More.
To summarize and conclude, the Bible is essential, sweet, and good. In order to know and worship God well, we must love, know, and dwell in scripture. But the Bible can't just be a source of knowledge about God or life, or a list of rules to obey. It can't be something that merely drives us to an intellectual ascent to its Author. We must use the Bible as the rightful, God-breathed revelation that God intended it to be: in the Bible, we must pursue God, not just his words. And in the Bible, we must pursue worship and stirred affections; not just knowledge or intellectual ascent.

If we can learn these things, then we're well on our way to overcoming idolatry of Bible and idolatry of theology. But if we can't learn these things, then the very means God gave us to know and love him more, becomes the idol that replaces him and becomes our god in his place.