Seeking Faith–But Struggling with the Bible?

Seeking Faith

There have been several recent reports of people who have felt a strong desire to seek out the Christian faith. These reports have been recorded on several popular podcasts such as Joe Rogan, Shawn Ryan, and many others. They have also been reported on social media sites and other internet sources. I attribute this to the global increase in wickedness and spiritual darkness, and have written about it in several of my articles. Another aspect is the rejection of modern worldviews which teach that there are no real truths, everything and everyone is God, or that everything is just an illusion. Peoples experience has shown that these views are absolutely false, and they are now turning to God’s eternal truth. An example is the testimony of Shawn Ryan, one of the most popular podcasters, from my article, “Fleeing Wickedness and Seeking Righteousness: The Growing Desire for Spiritual Growth,” where he describes his own journey to faith because of the growing spiritual darkness surrounding him. Here is the link, (https://wp.me/p7IAAU-z9). These are interesting events that seem to be happening more frequently. For example, in one broadcast a person seeking faith said that he rejects the scientific view of spontaneous creation out of nothing and now believes in a creator, so he has started reading a portion of the Bible every day. He then related that his journey has been hindered by his difficulty in understanding what he is reading. He has encountered several translations of the Bible, and he doesn’t know which one he should begin with. The host added that he too struggles to understand the Bible and he often has to read a passage five times to try to make sense of it, but he still does not understand it. These complaints are quite common for new believers and seekers who pursue the Christian faith apart from the Christian community. “God speaks to us in community, and the communities of God’s people have various people with various gifts. Use of these means is, in the providence of God, a way we learn to depend on one another,” (Grudem, W. (2009). The Perspicuity of Scripture. Themelios, 34(3), 297–298.)

The below text, (Acts 8:30-31), explains the need for a member of the community to act as a mentor.

If you can relate to the seekers from the situation shown in the example above, then you will be relieved to know that you are not alone and there is assistance available. This ministry is one of many that exists to help guide new believers in their spiritual growth. It also provides knowledge for those seeking proper instruction in the faith. It is important to understand that there are many false teachers and ministries who are teaching the deceptive doctrines of demons, and they clothe themselves in Christian wrappings and use Christian terminology but with different meanings. See my article on the Prosperity Gospel, “False Teachers, Teaching a False Doctrine, to False Converts,” (https://wp.me/p7IAAU-1cT). Due to the rise of deception in our current society, all persons need to proceed with caution when searching for truth. This is why it is necessary to have God’s instruments of the preacher, the teacher, and the evangelist to help guide you toward true understanding. They are God’s servants prepared for coming alongside you to mentor and protect you from false teachings. This is the first instruction that I can give to pilgrims on the road to biblical truth.

Reading and Understanding God’s Word

In regard to reading and understanding the Bible, I would advise the seeker to begin with the right translation. A thorough instruction can be found in this article, (https://wp.me/P7IAAU-27). Again, refering to the example above, the seeker did not know which translation to use, and he experienced difficulty in reading the text. He did mention in the broadcast that he used the KJV, (King James Version), which may account for his difficulties. I have witnessed to and assisted many people who have had the same issue with the KJV because they didn’t know there were other translations out there. The KJV was written in the 17th century using the English of that time period which is difficult to read and understand for the average 21st century reader. I would advise beginners to use the NLT, (New Living Translation), or the CSB, (Christian Standard Bible), which are translations written in today’s common language which is easy to read and understand. These translations are intended for the beginning phase of spiritual growth, and the student should progress to deeper and more advanced translations such as the ESV, NASB, or the NKJV.

With a Bible that can be understood the student can now begin his reading–But where does he/she begin? Many attempt to read it like any other book and begin at the beginning with Genesis. What happens to many who attempt this is they will abandon their reading when they get to the dry and tedious books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible is a unique form of literature. It is God’s revelation to mankind regarding creation, rebellion, redemption, and the conclusion of history. Another way to describe it is, the Drama of Redemption. The main act of this drama is the ministry of Christ, which includes His birth, death, and resurrection. This central part of the drama is documented in the four Gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is recommended to start with the four Gospels in order to meet the hero of the drama, Christ, and become captivated by His story. After meeting the Savior, then a return to the beginning at Genesis will reveal the reason why the Savior was needed. Some may desire to begin with Genesis and then proceed to the Gospels. My experience is that the charisma of Christ in the Gospels is so attractive that it inspires continued reading of the other books of the Bible. After reading these foundational texts than the student can select from the various forms of biblical literature such as wisdom (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), law, narrative, poetry (Psalms), history, prophecy, and apocalyptic (Revelation). The thirteen letters of Paul, (Romans-Titus), contain great amounts of theology which are the basis for much of the doctrines of the faith and can be difficult to understand so it is recommended that a mentor assists the reader. A Bible commentary or Study Bible can be very helpful if a mentor is not available.

Bible Study vs Bible Reading

As the student progresses in their reading and understanding of Scripture then they can step up to Bible study. Bible study and Bible reading are separate endeavors as the below passage explains. Further instruction on Bible study can be found on the Home Page.

Bible study is the means for believers to grow in understanding and knowledge. Bible study differs from Bible reading in that it requires more effort and mental skills. Bible reading is a more leisurely activity, where the reader gains a basic understanding of the book or chapter that he is reading. The reader can move through large parts of Scripture quickly, returning later to difficult passages to gain a better understanding. Study of the Bible generally involves smaller parts of Scripture, as it requires a greater amount of research and investigation.

Growing in Faith

Seeking faith and reading God’s word should lead the seeker to find faith. I use the word should because not everyone who seeks faith does so with a pure heart and a repentant spirit. These people remain in their rebellion against God because they desire their sinful ways over submission to the righteousness God commands. For those who find faith, the process of spiritual growth, (sanctification), is just beginning. Sanctification is the lifelong process by which a person is conformed to the image of Christ. It is the process of spiritual growth by which the new believer is transformed from a spiritual newborn to a mature believer who becomes more Christlike as he/she grows in the faith. This ministry website has many sources giving instruction on spiritual growth such as the following, https://wp.me/P7IAAU-L1. If you are seeking faith, then your desire is to find faith, and when you find faith then you are to grow in the faith. This is the path of salvation–therefore know where your search will take you because discovery of the truth leads you to the cross and into the arms of Christ.

Final Instructions

While the world is on a downward spiral, seemingly growing in depravity, immorality, and unrestrained hatred, there are many who are repulsed by the spiritual darkness that is all around them. These people are desiring to live lives of purity and righteousness which they know instinctively because they are made in the image of God–but they are being tormented and so they seek refuge from a hostile and wicked world, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8). These are the seekers who desire to live godly lives and know that they can find comfort only in Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the passage below, (2Tim. 3:12-15), that those who oppose the wicked and follow Christ will experience persecution. The dark spiritual forces currently at work in the world use deception to turn good to evil, and light to darkness, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness,” (Isaiah 5:20). The battle against truth through deception can only be fought with God’s truth found in Scripture. This is why those who are seeking faith are turning to the Bible. The Bible has endured through thousands of years of scrutiny and condemnation, but it still continues to shine as a light of truth in a world of spiritual darkness. Blessed be those that seek Christ and His word, may they find refuge in the Kingdom of Light that opposes the Kingdom of Darkness!

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