BIBLE READING WITHOUT LISTENING TO GOD’S VOICE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF FAITH

It was never God’s plan that people would learn to know him just by reading the written Bible. God’s plan has always been that people would listen to his spoken voice. If having access to a written Bible was necessary to knowing God and acquiring faith, the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 would not be heroes of faith. The only reason they are heroes is that they heard God’s spoken voice. They did not have any written texts to teach them about God, but they did hear God’s voice and that is why they did the things that God says are commendable in Hebrews 11.

Religion is based on the literal words of the written Bible, but faith is based on God’s spoken word. The Bible is something that can be seen and touched, but God’s word is heard — not seen. The written Bible, therefore, is not a thing of faith  because it can be seen. Thus it must be said that religion and faith are not the same thing.

It must be said also, however, that the act of reading the words of the Bible does not constitute faith and does not always lead to faith. Reading can lead to faith, but it will not lead to faith unless the reader satisfies the following conditions exist:

• • • • Repents for practicing religion and turns to God with all their heart.
      • Humbles himself/herself.
      • Does not trust the spoken or written words of false prophets.
      • Seeks God with all their heart.
      • Asks questions like a little child about words of the Bible they do not understand.
      • Teaches others what he/she has heard God say.

STUDY TIP: See this link for tips on how to learn how to hear God’s spoken voice while reading the Bible.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of the right heart attitude.

One of the things that religion deceives people about is heart attitude. Religion says that if you earnestly, sincerely, and faithfully follow religious laws, and if you read your Bible, you will please God. That is not what God wants. What he wants is that people listen to his voice so that his spiritual laws will be written on their hearts. It is his spiritual laws that he wants us to obey — not the literal words of the written Bible.

Religion is able to deceive people into following religious laws because it teaches that the words of the Bible are all God’s spoken word. Religious people sincerely desire to please God so they find it believable that following his written word is what they need to do. They do not understand that God’s written word and his spoken word are not the same.

Perhaps as many as half of the words in any version of the Bible may be the filler words inserted by scribes/editors. This begins to explain why the total number of words varies from one Bible version to another.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of how and why scribes/editors added filler words to the Bible.

It must be said that all Bible editors/writers have four, basic, personal agendas:

• • • • Promoting personal theological beliefs.
      • Preserving and advancing the beliefs of the organizations that hire him/her to write the Bible.
      • Displaying their intellectual knowledge.
      • Earning income by applying their intellectual knowledge.

God is not concerned with these matters. His only concern is that people suffer spiritual death because they do not listen to his spoken voice. That is why he anoints prophets and sends them to speak words of life to the dead. And prophets do this willingly, without any personal agendas or rewards as an act of greater love.