Grow Up Strong ( 1 Peter 2:1-5)

When Sarah-Grace, one of my daughters, was five years old, she would ask us every night if we would read the Bible to her since at Sunday school the teacher sang with the children, “read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow …” She took this truth to heart her whole time growing up was faithful in reminding us to read her Bible.

Reading the Bible has also been very important to me since I was in elementary school. I personally have tried to read my Bible every day since I was ten or nine. I can’t imagine not reading my Bible regularly. It is exciting. It is transformative.

The very first doctrine of The Salvation Army states that “the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.”

In Romans 1:16-17, Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes... For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

The gospel is contained in the Bible. The word ‘gospel’ (Gk: euangelion) itself means ‘good news’ or ‘good message’ (cf. Isa 40:9, 52:7). It is the whole Christian message. It is the information, from none other than God, that Jesus, God’s unique Son has become the spearhead of God’s ‘kingdom to come’ and the news that, in this new kingdom all that is bad, even sin and death themselves, have already been defeated.

The Bible is exciting. It is given by the inspiration of God Himself and gives us examples and encouragements on how to live a life where we are truly free to serve God. It contains the good news that Jesus died, rose from the dead, and is coming back for us. The power of the gospel contained within can transform our lives completely as we accept the truth of Jesus’ gift of eternal life. 1 Peter 2:2 reads, 'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow.' Why should we read our Bibles? We should read our Bible because as we do we will indeed grow, grow, grow.

Do you read your Bible on a daily basis? What other ways can you grow and what can you do to encourage others to do the same?

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Presented to River Street Cafe in Toronto, 18 September 2015 and 20 January 2017 (https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2015/09/week-52-1-peter-22-grow-op.html)

Based on the article by Captain Michael Ramsay, Why Should I Read the Bible? Nipawin Journal (February 2008) On-line: http://sheepspeak.com/sasknews.htm#Bibl

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