How to Read the Bible

Have you ever received a letter so personal that you found yourself returning to it time and again? Now imagine that letter came from the Creator of the universe—the God who knows every detail of your life yet loves you unconditionally. This is what the Bible is: a divine letter that reveals his holiness, justice, and mercy while proclaiming his grand plan to redeem a fallen world.

Far from being a mere rulebook or a list of moral instructions, the Bible is a heartfelt communication that draws us into the reality of his redemptive work. Rather than demanding that we work towards perfection, it unveils what God has done to rescue us from our sin. In these pages, we encounter a love that transforms and a rescue mission where God is the true hero, and we, in our helplessness, receive the gift of his amazing grace.

Christian author Sally Lloyd-Jones captures this beautifully in The Jesus Storybook Bible:

Some people think the Bible is a book of rules telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. The Bible certainly has rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. It’s about God and what he has done. Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean. No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves.

In 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible intricately weaves messages of revelation, redemption, and restoration, unfolding God’s grand rescue mission. Through its pages, we see his divine nature, our fallen condition, and Christ’s loving intervention that redeems and restores us to him.

Revelation: Knowing God and Ourselves

The Bible is God’s revelation of himself—his holiness, justice, and love—set against the backdrop of our sin and brokenness. In its pages, we do not find flattering portraits of humanity but the stark reality of our fallen condition. As we read, we come face to face with both who God is and who we are, and the contrast is humbling.

Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit…” God’s word is not passive; it pierces, exposes, and convicts, revealing truths about us that we would rather ignore. It strips away our illusions of goodness, laying bare the depth of our need.

Without this revelation, we remain blind—ignorant of both God’s holiness and our desperate condition. But through Scripture, God shatters our self-sufficiency and drives us to the unavoidable conclusion: we are sinners, utterly incapable of bridging the chasm that separates us from him. This realization is not the end of the story—it is the beginning. The Bible does not merely expose our need; it also reveals the only one who can save us.

Redemption: The Work of Christ Jesus

At the heart of the Bible is God’s grand rescue mission—redemption through Jesus Christ. When sin entered the world, it did not simply alter our circumstances; it severed our relationship with God, leaving us alienated from him and incapable of restoring ourselves. The Fall into sin was not a step forward but a catastrophic loss, cutting us off from the very One who is the source of life and righteousness.

And in this fallen state, we were not just lost—we were God’s enemies. Romans 5:10 says, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” We were not wandering children looking for a home—we were rebels, rejecting the very God who created us. We did not seek him; he sought us.

Yet, from the beginning, God set in motion a plan not to help us improve but to save us entirely. This plan reached its fulfillment in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ did not wait for us to become worthy or prove ourselves. While we were still lost, still rebellious, still helpless—he acted.

Redemption is not about us finding our way back to God. It is about God coming for us. Through Jesus’ perfect obedience, his atoning death, and his victorious resurrection, sin is defeated, and our separation from God is undone. He does not merely make salvation possible; he accomplishes it. The cross is not an offer—it is a triumph.

Restoration: A Renewed Relationship with God

The culmination of God’s revelation and redemption is restoration—not a return to self-improvement, but a reconciled relationship with God that we could never achieve on our own. Through Christ, we are not merely forgiven; we are adopted as children of God, fully accepted into his family.

John 1:12 declares, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This new status is not something we earn through obedience or effort; it is a gift received by faith in Christ alone.

But restoration is not an end in itself. It is a return to the way things were meant to be—humanity in perfect harmony with its Creator, enjoying his presence, walking in his ways, and resting in his provision. What was lost in the Fall is not our potential for moral achievement but our relationship with the One who made us. This is not an invitation to work harder; it is an invitation to be made whole in Christ.

Yet, this restoration is not merely about our individual reconciliation with God—it is the fulfillment of God’s grand rescue mission. The Bible is not a story of human progress but of divine grace, leading us back to where we were meant to be: living in the joy and security of God’s presence, fully relying on him.

But how does God bring about this revelation, redemption, and restoration in our lives? How does he speak to sinners in a way that leads us from despair to hope? The answer lies in his two words: law and gospel.

God’s Two Words: Law and Gospel

God speaks to us in two distinct but inseparable ways—law and gospel. The law reveals his perfect standard, exposing our sin and leaving us with no illusions of self-righteousness (Romans 3:20). The gospel proclaims what God has done for us in Christ, offering the very righteousness we could never achieve (Philippians 3:9).

The law is God’s word of demand—it tells us what we must do (Matthew 22:37-39). It commands obedience, but it cannot produce it (Romans 7:18). Instead, it crushes our pride (Romans 3:19), strips away our self-sufficiency (Galatians 3:10), and shows us that we are far worse off than we imagined (Isaiah 64:6). The gospel, on the other hand, is God’s word of deliverance—it tells us what Christ has done (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It does not demand but gives (Ephesians 2:8-9); it does not condemn but saves (John 3:17).

The law is necessary—it holds up a mirror to our sin (James 1:23-24) and destroys the notion that we can make ourselves right with God (Galatians 2:16). But it cannot remove sin or restore us (Romans 8:3). Only the gospel can do that. The gospel is not a second chance or a path toward worthiness (Titus 3:5). It is a finished work—Christ’s perfect life credited to us (2 Corinthians 5:21), his death in our place (Isaiah 53:5), and his resurrection securing our victory (1 Peter 1:3).

Many have spent years trying to balance law and gospel as if they work together to make us acceptable to God. But the truth is, the law never saves—it only condemns (Romans 7:10). It exposes sin but has no power to remove it (Romans 8:3). The law kills; the gospel makes alive (2 Corinthians 3:6). The law demands righteousness but cannot produce it (Galatians 3:10), while the gospel freely gives Christ’s righteousness to sinners (Philippians 3:9). The gospel alone is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). The law shows our need; the gospel meets it fully in Christ, who declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Reading the Bible as a Narrative of Divine Action

Many approach the Bible as if it were a self-help manual or a list of moral instructions, but the Bible is not primarily about us and what we are to do—it is about what God has done for us through Christ. Every page testifies to his work of revelation, redemption, and restoration. Instead of searching the Bible for ways to improve ourselves, we should read it to see God more clearly—his holiness, justice, mercy, and love—so that our confidence rests in him alone.

What Translation of the Bible Should I Use?

While many use the King James Version (KJV), it is often preferable to study the Bible in a more familiar language. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, which means every translation requires careful interpretation. Some translations aim for word-for-word accuracy, such as the English Standard Version, ESV, while others focus on thought-for-thought readability, such as the New International Version, NIV.

The NIV is a helpful and faithful translation for study because it balances clarity and accuracy, making it an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with the Bible. Regardless of the translation, the most important thing is to read the Bible with the right lens—seeking God’s truth, not our own ideas.

Where Should I Start Reading?

If you are new to the Bible or looking to deepen your understanding, consider starting with:

• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) to learn directly about the life and teachings of Jesus.
• Genesis to understand the origins of the world and humanity’s early interactions with God.
• Acts to witness the establishment and spread of the early church.
• Romans for a comprehensive exposition of Christian doctrine and salvation.

Four Simple Questions to Guide Your Reading

The Bible is not meant to be read as a textbook but as God’s living Word (Hebrews 4:12). Engaging with Scripture is about seeing God and his work, not just looking for personal application. These four questions can help:

1. What does this passage reveal about God?
2. What does this passage reveal about humanity and our situation?
3. What does this passage reveal about our relationship with God
4. How does this passage lead me to trust, worship, or pray to God?

As you read, let God’s word shape your understanding of him—not just what he requires but what he has already accomplished in Christ. The Bible is not a burden placed on us, but a gift given to us, that we may know the one true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent (John 17:3).

Just as a heartfelt letter invites us to return to its words time and again, the Bible calls us to read, reflect, and receive its message anew each day. This divine letter is a living word from a loving God who seeks to reveal himself, redeem us through Christ, and restore us to himself. As you open its pages, remember that this is not just any book; it is the voice of the One who knows you fully and loves you completely, inviting you into the greatest story ever told—his story of grace.