Why More Than 90 Percent of American Christians Are Vulnerable

According to recent research from the Barna group, only 8.5 percent of American adults are reading their Bibles daily. [1]. There was a time when Scripture memory was a common component of Christian discipleship, but at this point, most Christians aren’t even reading Scripture let alone memorizing it. I have no desire to lecture, but I will sound an alarm.

Why?

Because failing to take in a steady diet of God’s Word is like showing up to fight a war toting a water pistol. It makes you vulnerable. There’s a good reason why the apostle Paul likened God’s Word to a “sword” (Eph. 6:17). Without God’s Word, life is going to knock you on your tail. Oh I know, life knocks all of us on our tail. But the people who know the Scriptures stand back up, and when they do, their feet are on solid ground.

Look through the Bible, and you’ll see that Jesus was immersed in God’s Word. When Jesus was tempted, He responded by quoting the book of Deuteronomy to the devil (Matt. 4:1-11). As he carried his cross en route to Golgotha, he spoke of the prophet Hosea (Luke 23:30). When we hung on the cross he quoted Psalm 22:1 and Psalm 31:5. The Scriptures were constantly on Jesus’ lips and the same should be true of His followers.

The New Testament teaches that God inspired all Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) and that it is living and active in us (Heb. 4:16). Apart from God’s Word, we grow anemic in our faith. At any given point, we are either walking in the Spirit or the flesh (Rom. 8:5). If we want to walk in the Spirit, we need a steady dose of God’s Word pulsing through our veins. There are no substitutes for the Scriptures. If the sinless Son of God needed to be immersed in the Scriptures, how much so for us?

Practically speaking, how should we approach Bible reading? If you’ve never read the Bible before or been away from it for a long time, I encourage you to start in the Gospels. If you are able, get a study Bible that has good notes. As you read the Gospels, engage in the text. As yourself questions like:

• What does this passage tell me about Jesus?
• How does Jesus respond to those around Him?
• What does this passage tell me about Jesus’ character?

Even if you’re a seasoned Bible reader, I recommend having a Bible reading plan. Without one, we tend only to revisit the parts of Scripture we are familiar with. You can find several Bible reading plans at https://www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans. As you read the text, ask yourself the following questions:

• What did the original author intend to convey in this passage? (Consider the context and study the surrounding verses).
• What is God revealing about Himself?
• Does this passage contain truth that prompts you to praise Him?
• Does this passage lead you to confession because it sheds light on sin?
• Are there imperatives in the text that encourages you to ask for the grace to obey?

Whatever it takes, make Bible reading part of your daily rhythm. You can’t flourish in your faith apart from the Scriptures. I’ll leave you with a quote from Charles Spurgeon: “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.”

*If this has been helpful, please share it with other on your social media outlets or copy and paste the link and text or email to a friend.

[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/state-of-bible-reading-coronavirus-barna-abs.html.