Life is filled with “what ifs.” Think of those chances or directions not taken where you ask, “What if?” There is that famous nursery rhyme, which actually goes back to the 1600’s, about “ifs” and wishes and horses and beggars. Then there is Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem that was filled with a string of “ifs.”
Here’s one for us Christians to contemplate. “What if the Bible is true?” And this is not in a theoretical sense—that it is accurate. Rather, what if the Bible is “true true”—true and authoritative for real life and everyday living?
For instance, what if the Bible is “true true” when it comes to prayer? Jesus makes some whopping promises about prayer. Prayer is at the heart of much of the biblical action. Think about the prophets and their prayer lives. Luther lived out such teaching claiming in his Large Catechism that the whole Reformation advancement had to do with prayers.
What if your life lived out the biblical truths about prayer? What would it look like day by day? Does it?
Or what about salvation itself? What if it is really “true true” that our sins are forgiven, we are reconciled to God, all this is a complete gift, and we will live forever with Him in glory? Does that impact our gratitude-to-grumbling ratio? Would that change what is or is not on our bucket list, or even whether or not we have one? In what ways does greater clarity of eternal life touch today’s life?
Then there is the topic of love. What if the Bible is “true true” when it comes to love? God loves us. We love God. We love neighbors. Neighbors include family. Neighbors include enemies. The Bible does not speak to, or at least never commends, falling out of love with someone.
And so on. You pick the topic: mercy, justice, money, sexual purity, politics, child rearing, language, life itself. What if the Bible is “true true” about such things? Not “true true” for everyone else, but “true true” for you?
Of course one of the things this would all mean is the importance of reading and knowing the Bible. We read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Scriptures not for theological information, but to live in relationship with Jesus as The Truth and with the “true true” wisdom He provides.
All of this may seem obvious or somewhat irrelevant for us to consider. But as I heard one church leader say, “Too often we Christians live as functional atheists.” We are tempted to live as if the Bible is not really “true true.” Such living leads not only to an impoverished walk with Jesus, but it also takes the legitimacy and the inclination out of witnesses.
Jesus invites us into His Word. Reading the Bible is not a new work anymore than receiving Baptism or Holy Communion. Take His invitation. Take His invitation gladly daily.
Just think, what if it is true?
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