As a seminary student I am currently learning about the entire doctrine of the Word of God. As I am learning, I have realized that many Christians, including myself🥴, treat the Bible as a self-help book. Some, if they are being honest, treat the Bible as a 1-2-3 step guide to better themselves as a person.

Don’t misunderstand me, the Bible is full of wisdom, encouragement, and principles that will help us in our life. The Holy Spirit reveals, directs, and rebukes us through the Word.

The point of today’s blog is to encourage us to not fall into the trap of only approaching and reading the Bible to solve our problems. We live in a culture where “me-centered” theology and seeker friendly preaching is so popular, that we miss the true purpose of the Bible. Biblical theology focuses on the unity of the Word to form the entire story of the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal God’s ultimate plan, JESUS CHRIST. We can’t miss that the Bible reveals the characteristics of God and His redeeming love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Bible is for us to see Christ from Genesis to Revelation. It is meant for us to see that Jesus Christ is the final plan of God who came to save, restore, and sanctify humanity.

What exactly is “me-centered” theology? From what I studied and observed, it is a mixture of the prosperity gospel and man’s ego to build and create this life for themselves that is not promised in the Word of God.

Instead of allowing scripture to do what it’s supposed to do (reveal the person and character of God), we somehow twist it to relate to our problems and our issues. I am sorry to say this, but the Bible was not written TO 21st century Christians. It had a specific audience, background, and context. This is not to say that the Bible is not FOR 21st century Christians. We should read and meditate on the Word, but we must properly interpret it (taking into consideration the context). “Me-centered” theology makes every verse about people and their problems, and this is improper. Instead, the Bible should point us to the person of Jesus, and through Jesus we will find what we need. “Me-centered” theology also focuses on how people can be exalted, prosperous, and blessed. So many people use God as a stepping stone for them to grow a profitable business, find a husband or wife, or/and live the life they think they deserve. The truth is you may not get everything your heart desires. The truth is life may not always turn out the way that YOU wanted. Scripture does not teach this, so this is not something Christians should believe in.

As Christians, we need to be committed to BIBLICAL THEOLOGY.

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY teaches that:

1. Jesus is the center of everything we do
2. Every verse we read, study, and meditate on points us back to exalting, honoring, and praising Jesus
3. We must understand the ENTIRE story of redemption. When you understand the Bible’s view on a specific subject or theme, it has the ability to guide, correct, and bless your life

I want to encourage you to be cautious about “me-centered” theology. This theology deceives and misrepresents the trueness of the gospel. When you understand the purpose of the Bible, you will see the value it has to your life as a 21^st century Christian.