John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Read your Bible!

That’s what Jesus told the Jews in John 5. Jesus told them to get into the scripture… because he was and is there to be found in it!

Jesus was standing right there at the time …and yet he himself told them to get into the Bible to truly know him… because if they didn’t see him in the pages of scripture, then they also would not recognize him in the flesh standing before them.

It’s important to remember that all they had was the “Old Testament” at this point.

And yet Jesus is saying… I’m in there! In fact, it’s ALL about me…

How do we get to know each other? By spending time speaking with each other. If you want to get to know someone, you meet them, spend time with them… and hear them firsthand, so you know for yourself and then there’s no doubt.

How do you get to know God? … The word of God! Rather than what other people have to say about him, read what he has to say about himself… to you! Jesus is God, God’s word is his OWN word. Let him introduce himself! …pleased to meet you Lord!

But maybe you’re trying to experience God through other means because scripture just isn’t “sexy” enough… and many drift into occultic practices and mediums to experience “God” through many various means other than the Bible.

To delve into the seductions of the spiritual realm apart from scripture is incredibly dangerous for the believer and the seeker alike, because you do not know what you’re messing with! You’re operating in the dark, wide open to deception and delusion.

Jesus said that “God is a Spirit” and John 1 says “no man hath seen God at any time”. Because the only way God was ever seen was veiled in his human form, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ.

But he’s gone for now. He ascended up to heaven, leaving with us the promise of his return, and leaving us with all the revelations of his teachings that he committed to his apostles to found and guide the New Testament church upon.

He also promised to send his Spirit to dwell in believers, who would save and spiritually illuminate them, who would bring what he said to their remembrance, ministering the word of God to them, who would guide every believer into all truth.

And so the way we see and experience God reliably and truthfully today is through the testament he left of himself… the Bible, which the Holy Spirit always honours and harmonizes with.

And if Jesus says search the scriptures… that’s not just have an odd look and brief glance… when you “search” for something you look here, there and everywhere. Aka – search the whole Bible! “Seek, and ye shall find”

To find out what is true, what to believe, what God has said, to test and hold to account everything you’ve ever held to be true and see whether you think right, speak right, do right… and to find out if you truly know God as you think you do… read your Bible!

Remember, when Jesus said this verse, he was speaking to people who sincerely believed they knew God… and they did not know him AT ALL.

Lots of people say they know God and sincerely think they do… but many don’t. And that is scary, and scary for me also. I don’t want to live a lie! But may none of us be in that case, and let’s all of us search the scriptures, because they testify truly, certainly and surely of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Blog Apostle Bible Christian Church Faith God Gospel Holy Spirit Jesus Salvation Scripture Spirit Testament