Thought for the week: The importance of seeking the truth in the Bible
Last week the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland carried a report that sales of the Bible in the UK have increased by 139 per cent since 2019.
Many Christian bookshop owners are seeing a notable increase in young people buying Bibles. And all indications suggest the trend is continuing.
The Alliance commented that in a world where there is lots of "fake news" and truth often does not matter any more, "younger generations are particularly drawn to good news that is true, profound and beautiful. Churches that keep the substance the same, but relate well to culture will flourish. Expect new Christians to cite reading the Bible as pivotal in their journey of exploration and decision moment".
One of the key reasons why I am a Christian is that I believe that truth matters. It is so much more valuable than the trending issues of today on social media; so much more valuable than the spin of politics or the allure of slick advertising; so much more valuable than the advice of life coaches or the guidance in self-help books. Artificial intelligence is no match for truth and truths from eternity brought in person to this world by Jesus Christ.
Yet very little of the Bible is an easy read. For as God speaks to us through it, a response is required from us – but one that is also made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. For example: in the gospel that Matthew wrote, we read this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself."’
Both these commandments take us in exactly the opposite direction to what is promoted every single day in our society – live as you want to; look after yourself; just do what is right in your own eyes. And all will be well. Simply not true. Or again – the Bible sees the quality of our lives before God as infinitely more valuable than anything else we may seek or get: "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!" (Proverbs 16)
For those of us committed Christians, we would do well to show the new generation of Bible readers the difference it makes – day in day out to the way we live and how we relate to other people. Truth matters, but only when it is shown to be so much better than falsehood, fake news and opinion. For as Jesus himself said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8.31/32). Perhaps that is the real reason why so many more people are buying a Bible and reading it for themselves. The truth of the Bible and knowing Jesus himself are inextricably linked.