Archived Notes
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The Owner’s Manual
©Chad Sychtysz
As a rule, no one knows more about what has been created than the person
who created it. Thus, no one is more qualified to write an owner’s manual for a
given device than its creator. If this is true for, say, a man-made electronic or
mechanical device, it is especially true for a supernaturally-created living being:
no one is more qualified to explain the ideal, optimum performance of human life
than the Creator of human life, God Himself. God has provided and preserved this
information in His Bible, and He expects us to read and digest its information. Everything
we know about God, our soul and the future of mankind is (only) in the Bible. His
Word equips us for service to God (2 Tim 3:16-17); His Word also bears upon the future
disposition of our soul (John 12:48). No other “manual,” message or writing can
do this.
Unfortunately, people often view the Bible as merely a book of “dos and
don’ts.” But God did not provide an “owner’s manual” to criticize everything we
do, nor to condemn or destroy us. He provided this to show us the right way to live—to
save us. The Bible not only defines sin and its consequences, it teaches us how
to avoid sin through righteous living. The gospel reveals the “righteousness of
God” (Rom 1:16-17), proving that God has always been just and fair with His creation
and faithful to His promises (despite the ugly ways man has responded to Him). God
does provide laws for man—these are in the “owner’s manual”—but such laws are an
expression of His love for us. Love and law, in this context, are inseparable; love
itself is called “the royal law” (Jas 2:8) since by loving according to the law(s)
of God we conform to His holy nature. Whenever we talk about God’s love for man,
we necessarily involve God’s laws for man. The “law of Christ” (Gal 6:2) indicates
heavenly fairness: if we did not have a law by which to follow, God would be unjust
to condemn or save us. On the other hand, every person who has access to this law
is expected to read and follow it; failure to do so warrants that person’s punishment.
God is not some abstract, philosophical concept; He is a real and definable Being.
He has explained Himself through His Son in order that we might have fellowship
with Him (John 1:18). This is His desire for us.
How can a person learn how to “walk” in Christ without reading the “manual”?
One cannot become a Christian by accident; one cannot be grounded in Christ apart
from the knowledge of Christ (Col 2:6-7). Say a person wants to be a medical doctor:
it is not enough to have access to books on anatomy and physiology, but he must
study and internalize the information therein. Eventually, the university will require
him to demonstrate his knowledge of the material in order for him to graduate. Likewise,
in order to live as a Christian: it is not enough to own a Bible, or to decorate
one’s bookshelves or coffee tables with Bibles. It is necessary that that person
read, study, and grow in spiritual knowledge from the Bible. Ultimately, all of
us ought to be “ready to make a defense” of our beliefs (1 Pet 3:15), to “exhort
in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). At some future
time, we will all be held accountable to God for the information contained in the
Bible.
God’s Word is designed to enlighten us with the “true light” which is Christ (John
1:9). Christians are expected to devote themselves to apostolic teaching (as in
Acts 2:42), which is preserved for us in the New Testament. This is our only glimpse
into eternity, the only factual insight into the unseen spirit-world of God. Yet
some people claim that Bible study is dry or boring—especially when compared to modern
entertainment with its emphasis on incessant stimulation and sensual pleasure. It
is no wonder then that modern religion is often packaged as a “feel-good” experience
with little or no biblical study. Regardless, we are supposed to regularly engage
in the public reading, exhortation (by), and teaching of Scripture (1 Tim 4:11,13).
The doctrines of God lead us to God; this is the proper attitude every disciple
ought to have toward Scripture.
Behind every great Christian is a great reverence for and devotion to
the “owner’s manual”—the Bible. The fact is, Jesus intends for every Christian to
be “great” in God’s sight through practicing the lifestyle dictated in His revealed
Word (Psalm 119:105). This information provides us with everything we need to know
to draw near to God (2 Pet 1:3-4). No doubt we are extremely grateful for this,
but gratitude is not enough by itself: we need to open this great Book regularly
and internalize its great truths. When all is said and done, the Bible will be the
standard by which our faithfulness to God will be determined.
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