I could recite the proper letters in the proper order. My Optometrist would pronounce my vision to be 20/20. Learn the chart, recite it correctly, and my worries are over. Except for one problem: I still would not be able to see as clearly as I should. Memorizing the chart is not the same as being able to see the chart. An eye chart is not about knowledge, or correct answers. It is about being able to see.

Some people think about the Bible like I think about an eye chart, but the Bible is not simply a set of facts to memorize. It is the story of God's relationship with man. It is told with God's own words. It is a blueprint for living. The Bible itself says that it is a "lamp to my feet and a light for my path." God speaks to us so we can see him, know him, and live with him.

So the problem with using the Bible as a series of facts to be learned misses the point. You still will not see. It is one thing to know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is quite another to see that God sent a Son from heaven to live among us, to let us know him, and to provide a way to live in his house forever.

Knowing the right answers does not always make for a right life.

The purpose of the eye chart is not just to get the answers right; it is to help me be able to see. The purpose of the Bible is not to just get the answers right; it is to help me see God.

If you want to talk about this, write me at steve@hopeforlife.org or check out our blog at www.hopeforlife.org.

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.

Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This new life is a free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to know more about this life that only Jesus can give you, sign up for one of our Bible courses. Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. You may also contact us at info@hopeforlife.org if you have questions about becoming a new creation.

 

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© 2009 Herald of Truth Ministries

Title: "Eye Exams"
Author: Steve Ridgell
Publication Date: March 04, 2009

House by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker Best-selling authors Peretti and Dekker join forces for an adrenaline-laced thriller!

Steve Ridgell serves as the Director of Ministry for Herald of Truth Ministries in Abilene, Texas and writes for Hopeforlife.org. You can reach him by writing to sridgell@heraldoftruth.org.

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