Approaching Scripture as a Mirror
July 11, 2024 | by: Matt Stagemeyer | 0 Comments
Posted in: Guest Writers
Greetings All,
Matt Stagemeyer here, stepping in for Dale with the Touchpoint this week. While I’m certainly not at Dale’s level, hopefully you can find some value here.
My topic this week is: Approaching Scripture as a Mirror.
Anyone who listens to the word of God, but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:23-24).
This has multiple applications, but I’ll focus on only a few. First, how do we see our own behavior reflected, or even modeled, by characters in Scripture? Secondly, what does Scripture reflect to us about ourselves? And finally, why does it matter?
- How we see our own behavior reflected and modeled by characters from the Bible…
Speaking only for myself, as I read the Bible in my own study, or when I read to my kids at bedtime, it’s easy to recognize the foolishness of Adam & Eve, the nation of Israel, even the disciples. We see them turn from God, chase after idols and deny they know Jesus. It’s easy for us to judge them, consider them foolish, maybe roll our eyes at them. But my behavior is far closer to theirs than to that of our biblical heroes. I chase after idols, I don’t openly acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I put myself above God far too often. As you read Scripture, I encourage you to see yourself in the Bible’s “fallen” characters and consider what it says about you and what it says about God.
- What does Scripture reflect to us about ourselves?
Admittedly, this is an extremely broad topic, so again I’m going to restrict my focus to a few items.
One, it tells us we are fallen.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
(Romans 3:23).
Two, it tells us we are redeemed, and are new creations.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 1:7).
Three, it tells us we are in the process of becoming more like Christ.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13).
- Why does it matter?
Why does it matter that Scripture reflects truth to us about ourselves? It’s because Scripture is the means to sanctification, to becoming more like Christ.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).
So, as you approach the Bible, I encourage you to consider what it reflects to you; what the Holy Spirit is telling you. I look into the mirror many times per day to check how I appear to the outside world. I check my teeth, my hair, evaluate my clothes, or consider if I need a shave. Where I desperately need to improve is in evaluating what Scripture tells me about my inward self. What does it tell me about how I’m living my life? What does it tell me about my priorities? My idols? My heart? Just as I avoid the mirror when I know I won’t like what I see, I avoid deep contemplation of Scripture when I know I won’t like what I find.
But there’s hope. Sanctification comes through Christ. We are not left to sanctify ourselves on our own. As noted above in Philippians 2, it is God who works in us. So, my prayer for myself, and for all of you, is that we would listen to what Scripture tells us about ourselves, acknowledge it, remember it, pray about it, and take heart that the Almighty God is at work in us. As Paul tells us:
I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
