The Way of Man

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, 

that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. 

—Jeremiah 10:23—

No one really wants to be ignorant. We like knowing things. Whether we’re talking about knowing scores or the news, we like knowing things. We don’t want to be thought of as being dumb or stupid. Some will insist that “Ignorance is bliss!” but who really wants to be ignorant?

One of the problems with knowledge, though, is that if it’s not tempered by discernment (being able to tell the difference between right and wrong), then knowledge alone only puffs us up (1 Corinthians 8:1), and makes us full of ourselves: just knowing things doesn’t necessarily become for us wisdom.

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may test and approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11). Bible knowledge is imperative to us as followers of Jesus. We need to know what He said and taught, and how He conducted Himself among sinful people.

To me, one of the most important characteristics of our Lord when He lived among mankind was His compassion. There’s one particular story that comes to mind where Jesus was angry with religious leaders because of their arrogant lack of compassion:

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 3:1–5).

The apostle Paul points out that the world around us is full of people who walk in the futility of their minds, and that we’re not to live the way they do:

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! (Ephesians 4:17–20)

Here’s the thing: twenty-first century mankind is (morally) no different from 1st century mankind! As the apostle Paul put it:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:18–22).

We want to believe that we control our destinies, but we don’t; despite having smartphones and all our modern conveniences. Losing electricity for a few days humbles us mightily (as it should). And, as the prophet Jeremiah cried out: “the way of man is not in himself … it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

We desperately need humility (James 4:6–10). As God proclaimed through the prophet Isaiah: “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).

Maybe we believe that ignorance of God’s word is somehow going to help us, but how? We’re all going to stand before our Creator in judgment (Hebrews 9:27 / Romans 14:11–12 / 2 Corinthians 5:10 / Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be 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” (Romans 12:2). If we want heaven, then we need to know what pleases God. Read His word (Romans 10:17 / 1 Corinthians 2:6–16).

When Does Neglecting the Bible Become Sinful?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing 

through the word of Christ.

—Romans 10:17—

WE KNOW THAT WE NEED to read God’s word for ourselves. It’s one thing to hear it being proclaimed (preached) but it’s quite another to read it for ourselves with our own understanding and effort. But, what happens when we don’t read God’s word for ourselves the way we know we should? The “big” question is this: Is it a sin to not read the Bible?

I’d suggest that reading for the sake of reading is not what we’re striving for—it’s not merely the activity, although the doing of the thing is obviously important. But it’s the purpose of our reading: what are we trying to gain from it? The apostle Paul wrote that “When you read this, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). Reading is designed to help our understanding—to be filled with God’s word is to be filled with His Holy Spirit:

That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19)

Can we see the benefit of reading God’s word for ourselves? And if we are spiritually insecure—believing somehow that the reading of God’s word for ourselves isn’t going to help us—then we need to ask of God for wisdom (James 1:5–8; see 1 Kings 3:9–12; Proverbs 2:3–6). God’s generosity is unwavering.

Neglecting Bible reading can lead us straight into sin because our desire is not after eternal things (Colossians 3:1–4). There are only two options laid out by our Creator in eternity: heaven and hell (Matthew 7:13–14). We cannot accidentally serve God; by His grace we must learn what it is He seeks in us and then zealously do it (Ephesians 5:7–10; John 4:23–24; Titus 2:11–14).

The writer of Hebrews admonishes:

For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:2–3; also see Matthew 22:5).

Neglect is sinful, because neglect means we’re not taking these warnings from God seriously. But we can repent of it. “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be 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” (Romans 12:2).

“This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that you may test and approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11).

David wrote that the word of God is more to be “desired than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. … Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:10–11, 14).

What we allow to occupy our mind affects our thinking and our conduct. This is why God wants us to be mind-full of His word, to meditate upon it always (Psalm 1:2; 77:12; 104:34; 119:15, 97).

Reading isn’t intended to be “busy work,” but a connection to the very mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:9–12), and therefore to God Himself. “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16; see John 15:15). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105; also read 2 Peter 1:16–21). Are we growing? If we’re not, then what alternative is there?