The Bible is the most historically accurate, most studied, translated, debated, copied, and analysed book in the whole of human history.
Why?
So much has been written about Jesus Christ that, from a historical perspective, He is an undeniable historical figure. If you believe in any historical figure at all you would also have to believe in Jesus.
Whether or not someone believes He was the Son of God, history points to a man who lived, spoke, taught, travelled, gathered followers, and profoundly influenced the world around Him.
Jesus rose from being the son of a carpenter in a small, overlooked town to becoming one of the most discussed figures of His age, known across the whole Roman world. He achieved this not through wealth, military power, or political status, but through just the power of His message.
After almost two thousand years that message still thrives.
Why has it lasted so long?
Because it speaks directly to the human condition.
Although the ancient world seems very different from ours, human nature has changed little. Remove modern technology and comforts, and we are still driven by the same emotions, desires, fears, and struggles today. His message is just as valid now as its always been.
Human beings are capable of incredible kindness, creativity, love, and generosity. Yet we are also capable of selfishness, cruelty, greed, and destruction. This tension exists within all of us.
The message of Jesus is so powerful because it confronts this darker reality of our nature. Its purpose is not to condemn humanity, but to free us from the destructive parts of ourselves, pride, hatred, fear, ego, and the desire to dominate others.
Jesus didn’t come in the form of military greatness as some thought. Instead He came with a central message of humility, He came with a cure.
A humility that didn’t come from weakness, a humility that came from strength.
Jesus is portrayed as a man of authority and yet still washed His disciples’ feet. He suffered injustice yet resisted revenge. Christian leadership is often described not as ruling over others, but instead by serving them.
As Jesus taught:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
This humility is not self-hatred or collapse. Rather mastery over oneself.
How can the bible be relevant and useful to me personally and today ?
Most people would agree that a good life includes physical health, meaningful contribution to others, and strong mental wellbeing.
We already understand the importance of physical health: eating well, sleeping properly, and exercising regularly. When followed, these principles improve life greatly.
Likewise, being useful within a community is at its best when driven not by pride or status, but by service, responsibility, and humility.
Both physical wellbeing and social usefulness spring from the well of mental and spiritual health though.
The modern world we live in does nothing here. It impoverishes the soul, strips out meaning and true purpose and returns only distraction and addiction in all of its modern forms.
Just like following the principles we know that can enhance physical health though the Bible gives us principles we know that can enhance spiritual health bringing back balance.
Think of it as a 2000 year old instruction manual given to mankind, time proved by billions of people.
Mental wellbeing is often the hardest area to define or improve. Many paths are offered to people seeking peace, meaning, or inner stability. Yet one message has endured across nations, cultures, and centuries. A message that has been embraced and accepted throughout history.
It’s a redemptive message and one of forgiveness It’s an offering like no other. You don’t have to earn the salvation it promises. That has already been won for you with the greatest amount of work and the greatest amount of love.
You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to hide your imperfections, they are all taken as a given.
You come as you are, warts and all. You’re the most welcome you could possibly be and the most valued. When you stumble you’re picked up. You’re held.
All of this is just on the other side of an unlocked door. All you need do is knock, open it and walk through. Through to the path of Jesus.
Sadly when in human hands the message can get distorted and in the past resulting outcomes have raised resistence to it as if the distortion was the message.
This has come from negative experiences, poor representation, or the failures of religious institutions to protect the very people it was constructed to help and support.
These criticisms cannot simply be ignored. The Church has done immense good throughout history, but it has also caused great harm.
Sadly an all too heavy reminder of the human condition that drove it.
An important lesson here is to try to separate the distortions from the message. The message itself cannot be invalidated by human fragilities.
When the message of Jesus is separated from human distortions and taken from source very many people find something deeply transformative.
A message rooted in humility, forgiveness, service, love, and personal responsibility.
Not as a list of prerequisites or rules to be followed but as a loving guidance that a parent might give a child as they watch them grow with an acceptance that we are all work in progress.
So yes, absolutely the bible can be just as relevant and just as useful to you personally but not just in your own life but everyone’s life and from right now, starting today.
The healthier a person becomes and joins others on the same path towards health the happier, stronger and rooted resulting communities become.
Can you give me examples of how the messages in the bible can help me personally and others right now ?
One of the most talked about and influencial parts of the bible is called The Sermon on the Mount. It has been described as God’s greatest gift given by God’s greatest gift to mankind His begotten son Jesus Christ.
It represents His longest continuous sermon. A summary headline of His teachings. The way to live a life free from the human condition that cripples us and burdens us by lifting that heavy weight we all carry so we might rise in height, stature and scale to what we are capable of.
At first it seems full of paradoxes and contradictions. Some of it looks challenging. Until you start looking more closely at the text to uncover the meaning. The more you look the more you’ll start to see and understand the sheer majesty behind it.
The very first verse for example, Matthew 5:3 says :
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
The poor in spirit is humility, not with weakness but with strength. It is mastery over pride and ego. It’s letting these two base elements go.
Pride and ego left unchecked can become the biggest danger facing mankind.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”
Mourning comes in three types. For a loved one, for oneself or spiritual.
Mourning for oneself, self pity, is not what this is about. That leads nowhere but sorrow It’s about the spiritual mourning that comes from when a person turns inward to “see” their own brokeness.
It’s the opposite to pride which is egos insistence that it’s not you it’s always someone else.
To be comforted means to be accepted by God in this state. To be emptied of pride and ego means letting the beauty within you thrive and grow. In this state a quiet strength begins to form fueled from another power source.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye ?”
There are many true gifts like these. I invite you to find them and read them.
For example the way to rid yourself of worry, doubt and anxiety. God has it covered.
Matthew 6:34 NIV
[34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
At first this might sound a little strange and somewhat hard to believe day to day and on a personal level.
This is how it works.
Calming the storm within you. With pride and ego reduced the sense of separation and aloneness you once felt also reduces. This leaves your mind freer. A free mind finds it easier to talk to God in prayer. A free mind finds it easier to hear His response and to deal with each new day.
The Bible Covers oaths, settling matters quickly, how to pray, fasting and dissolves the need for revenge and retribution.
Each tool given and very carefully preserved and faithfully copied by countless numbers of people and hands over history.
Century after century, person after person, Gods tools have been on an epic journey to this very moment, to land into your hands this very now.
Many more verses that contend with the social issues inside communities like murder, adultery, divorce, giving and mercy.
These Beatitudes or blessings are almost 2000 years old but can still serve each one of us today just as much as they did then.
Two more pivitol Beatitudes setting the scene :
Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
These two designed to protect us from the greed and avarice that currently plagues us.
Reduce ego to a tool aligned only to getting the things we need allowing Spirit to thrive.
All we need do is ask, seek, knock on the door and walk through.
Matthew 5:3 is where the Sermon on the Mount starts. Look up these wonderful verses for yourself.
Conclusion
The process of growing into a happier, more contented, more settled human being in a rooted community, full of individual purpose seems more difficult now than it’s ever been. It’s been made harder recently by the accelerating pace of the modern world.
This can make people feel alone lost and irretrievably broken.
If something goes wrong in your house who better to fix it than the person who made it. The person who knows it inside out. The person who loved every moment of it’s creation.
You are God’s creation, you are His beloved child. Let Him heal you and return you to who he made you to be.