I am a foundations and principles kind of guy – build a strong foundation and the rest will be solid too. So when it comes to reading the bible I tend to look beneath the surface to find the transcendent teaching. To find that thing that can be applied regardless of person or situation. I don’t live in the Middle East during the biblical time period so there are truths I might miss if I don’t take this approach. But this can only be taken so far.
If the bible is only a book of rules and suggestions, if Jesus teaching is only about principles to live by, if the bulk of the New Testament holds great ideas for good living then we’ve missed the whole point. The first Christians were called “followers of the way” Acts 9:2, and many Christians refer to themselves as “followers of Jesus.” Why? Because God never intended to wind the world up, give us the bible as a “map,” send Jesus as an “example,” and watch what happens. We are spiritual people, and much of how we live is lived in the spiritual realm.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
If anyone attempts to be a Christian without complete dependence on Jesus to do what we can’t, if we don’t speak to Him, run to Him, and try to follow principles rather than a living loving Saviour then we’ve missed the whole point. So my encouragement is to go to Jesus if you haven’t in a while, have fresh eyes into God’s role in applying His own word (the bible) in your life, and seek the Holy Spirit in your struggles to work through spiritual means what natural means can’t. As we do this more and more we won’t turn away from principles or God’s word or meeting with other followers of Jesus, we’ll see God fulfill those in our lives and will begin to live in the miraculous abundance of freedom and healing that God has planned for us long before we were born.