Stop! Read Your Bible
I have a love / hate relationship with social media. There are so many things that I can see as good in regards to social media. There can be community, friendship, and fun things that come from social media. Social Media is literally the only way I talk to some of my friends and how we keep each other updated on life. I know there is good that can come from social media.
On the other hand, social media has emboldened people to say things via messages and comments that you would not say to their face. Social media has brought out the ugliest parts of society and humanity. For every good aspect of social media there seems to be ten negative aspects to counter it.
For the Christian, it seems as though social media has replaced scripture study. Have I done official research on this? No. I’m mostly going off of what I’ve seen online. It appears that social media and watching pastors online through their sixty second reels has replaced scripture study for some Christians. However, there is a Pew Research Study that shows that 33% of Christians don’t read their bible. Taking away the 1% that doesn’t know how often they read their bible (which is a whole can of worms I am not opening right now), that leaves 66% of Christians, professing Christians, that read their bible. If we threw those numbers into any other field or discipline, the conversation would be totally different.
If a doctor said they did 66% of medical school but watched doctors online every week on Instagram, would you trust that doctor to treat you?
Some of you might be thinking that I am overreacting to these statistics. In fact, some of you would call me dramatic for comparing it to a doctor because obviously doctors go through extravagant processes in order to be licensed because they are dealing with people’s lives.
Well, Christian, we’re dealing with people’s souls. We are dealing with eternity. Life on earth is temporary but eternity isn’t something any of us get to escape. Where Christians are getting their theology matters.
Our salvation is on us. We have to make the choice to follow Jesus and accept him as our savior. This is Christianity 101, it’s the basic stuff. However, once we are saved, we are called to go out and make disciples. [Matthew 28:19-20]
What does disciple mean? For most of us, we immediately think a disciple only refers to the twelve that followed Jesus. Disciple isn’t a word that is used outside of Christianity in modern times. I’m a big fan of definitions so let’s look at the definition of disciple.
Disciple: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another
Jesus told his followers to go and make disciples. We are called to go and make disciples. Which means we are called to accept and assist in spreading the Word of God. All of us that claim Christ as Savior have that call.
This is why those numbers alarm me so much. 66% of Christians read their bible. What I don’t know is how many of the 33% that don’t read their bible are speaking Christianity on social media. How can you assist in spreading the word of God when you don’t know what it says? How can you be sure that what you’re consuming from other Christians is sound doctrine if you don’t know what the bible says? Don’t even get me started on breaking down that 66% into categories. At best, we have 43% that read their bible once a week. That still isn’t enough to know and understand the bible. That isn’t enough to understand who God is and what he says. That’s how we have Christians online claiming things that go directly against God are okay. Christians are so divided on topics the bible is clear on because Christians aren’t reading their bibles. Christians aren’t studying the word. Christians are taking the logic, the thought process, the ideas of man and society and confusing them for the word of God because it “sounds right.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against false teachers who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus tells us to know them by their fruit. How would you know the difference between good fruit and bad fruit if you don’t know what the bible says? Wolves in sheep’s clothing are going to look like people who say they are christian but promote, endorse, affirm things that go directly against the word of God. You cannot spot false teachers unless you pick up your bible and read it.
Too many Christians are relying on christian memes, graphics, and online pastors for theology. Too many Christians are expecting to be saved because they try to be a good person. Too many Christians are living in the world but show up on Sunday expecting their pastor to be what their faith is secured on. We see this when people fall away from the church because a pastor fails. When you follow Jesus, your pastor can fail and you’ll still be following Christ. If your pastor’s actions determine how you see God, your faith wasn’t in God, it was in a man.
Your pastor cannot get you into heaven. Online memes and Instagram Reels cannot save you. Christian, pick up your bible and read it. Learn who God is and learn his character. Learn your bible so you can spot false teachers and teachings a mile away. Read your bible so you can go and make disciples. Stop trusting those who don’t know God to tell you about God.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash