Relevancy is important. It has to do with making sure we are spending our time, attention, and energy with something worthwhile. When discussing the relevancy of the Bible, we would consider if the Bible has bearing upon our lives today. Some people would say that it doesn’t. While acknowledging its historical and religious significance, the prominent opinion seems to be that the Bible is an outdated book. It may have served an important purpose for mankind, but times have changed. Some question how a book as old as the Bible can have any serious application to our lives today. Please consider the following points.
1. God Has Not Changed. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). A lot of time has passed since the Bible was written, but that doesn’t mean God has changed. A lot of time passed during the writing of the Bible (about 1,600 years), yet God is the same Person at the end of the Bible that He is at the beginning. Time has a way of changing man, but God exists outside of time; it doesn’t have any impact upon Him. God hasn’t grown any wiser, neither has He become tolerant of things that used to anger Him.
2. God’s Word Has Not Changed. “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). God’s standards of right and wrong have always existed, and will always exist, the way they are found in the Bible. There is no need to update, change, or revise the Scriptures. They continue to accurately set forth God’s will.
3. The Needs of Society Have Not Changed. Society changes all the time, but the needs of society are still the same. Some may be surprised to find that the Bible both addresses and offers solutions to problems that we are dealing with today. Crime and punishment (Eccl. 8:14), the role of civil government (Romans 13:1-6), welfare (2 Thess. 3:10), prejudice (Romans 2:11), teen pregnancy (1 Cor. 6:18; Hebrews 13:4), drug and alcohol abuse (Gal. 5:19-21), family problems (Col. 3:18-21), divorce (Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:32), homosexuality and same-sex marriages (Romans 1:26-27; Matthew 19:4-5) and terrorism (Matthew 7:12) are all addressed in the Bible.
4. The Needs of Mankind Have Not Changed. Bookshelves and magazine racks are filled with material written to help identify and solve our problems. TV shows, radio programs, internet blogs, and podcasts offer pop-psychology and the latest self-help fads. However, the Bible is the one book which positively identifies the real problem with mankind: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It is also the only book that offers the real solution to this problem: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The Bible is not an outdated relic of centuries past. It is not a book of ancient history or myths. It is not a charm to ward off evil. Neither is it a file cabinet for newspaper clippings, announcements, pictures, and flowers. It is the living Word of God. It not only shows us how to have the best life here on earth, it is the only book that can prepare us for eternity.