What Does The Bible Teach: an insightful list of lessons

In this article, you learn what the Bible teaches in form of an insightful list of lessons. This gives you an overview to understand the red threat that God weaves through the books of the Bible.

This red threat is very simple and might help you clarify your perception of the Bible.

Let’s get started.

God created all that exists

The Bible reveals God as the creator of all things.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.“

Genesis 1:1 NKJV

We don’t know if it made a “Big Bang” or not. For all we know: God spoke, so it was.

“Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.“

Genesis 1:3 NKJV

Everything comes from God – good or evil, known or unknown (Colossians 1:16).

God and mankind have Satan as their adversary

The inspired text of the Bible introduces us to the adversary of God and mankind, right from the get-go.

He has many names, but in the beginning, the Bible describes him as “the snake” (Genesis 3:1).

His nature is to be a “satan” (1 Chronicles 21:1, Job 1:6-12), which means “adversary, one who withstands” (Source: blueletterbible.org)

The text calls him “the dragon”, “the devil”, “Lucifer”, “the God of this age”, “the accuser of our brethren”, and as our “adversary the devil” who walks around like a roaring lion. (Isaiah 14:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelations 12:9-10, 1 Peter 5:8)

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Revelations 12:9 NKJV

All through the Bible, he lies, deceives, tempts, hinders, blinds, kills, steals, and destroys (John 10:10). That is his plan and his mission.

He is a murderer and the father of lies (John 8:44). He embodies pride and rebellion towards God (Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14).

Those who follow after his character end up with him in hell, and later in the lake of fire (Matthew 7:13, Revelation 20:10,12-15, 21:8).

Evil came through mankind’s disobedience to God

“How can a good God allow all this evil in the world?”

Many people ask this question. The answer is simple, yet profound: It’s our fault!

Adam and Eve, the first humans God created, gave in to Satan’s temptations and lies and disobeyed God’s clear and simple command: Eat whatever you want. But don’t eat of that one tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:16-17)

That was all.

Yet they disregarded God’s order and so invited sin and its curse into human life.

Until now we reap the ever-increasing ripple effect of mankind’s fall into Satan’s trap.

Separation from God was the consequence for sin

Adam and Eve sinned and brought evil into humanity’s life. They no longer enjoyed innocence but realized their nakedness (Genesis 3:6-7).

Because of the sin in their life, God separated Himself from them. He kicked them out of paradise and put them into this world – Satan’s garden (Genesis 3:22-24).

From then on humanity was cursed as another result of their sin.

“Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.“

John 9:31 NKJV

The Bible teaches God cannot hear a sinner loaded with iniquity (Psalms 66:18). It separates us from God.

If we remain absent from God it means we’re present with Satan. It also means we remain under the curse.

If you want to know how to break the curse read on in this article. There I share how to pray for deliverance from these curses and where you find them in your Bible.

Mankind struggles with love and rejection of God

All through the Bible, we can observe mankind’s struggle between loving and rejecting God.

It’s like two forces that pull on us.

Because God created us in His image, we naturally feel drawn to Him like insects to light.

But the evil seed in us, sometimes inherited through our family line, lures us into our free will and independence. The Bible outlines throughout all generations the seemingly endless cycle to either love or reject God.

Rejection results in judgment. Judgment (should) lead to repentance. Repentance rekindles the love for God.

The cycle is most evident under the law of Moses.

When God’s people walk in a close relationship with Him, they thrive. But whenever they wander off, they fail miserably.

You can study this all through the first five to seven books of the Bible.

God rescues us through salvation in Jesus Christ

The law of Moses in the Old Testament had two main purposes: It provided healthy guidelines to live by, at the same time it triggered pride and incompetence to fulfill the law in your own strength.

In any case, people were destined to fail (James 2:10). So, God came up with the perfect rescue plan.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish

but have everlasting life.“

John 3:16 NKJV

Let me explain this plan with an example I once heard.

Let’s say, you stand in front of an aquarium. You own it and furnished it with a beautiful landscape and a variety of fish. All of a sudden, these different fish attack each other and behave out of order. You know the only way to bring peace back into the aquarium is when you hop in, become a fish yourself, and show them the right way.

You also know, they won’t like it and therefore will eventually kill you. Still, you love them infinitely so you sacrifice yourself to restore the peace.

That in a nutshell, God did for you and me through Jesus Christ!

God squeezed himself into a shell we call our body and became a man in Jesus. He showed humanity the way to God, the Father, and died the death we deserved for our sin, so we could return to a relationship with God (John 14:6, Isaiah 53).

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t need a priest to pray for us. We now can repent and ask God for forgiveness ourselves.

In Christ, we find a new purpose and identity

God gives us a new purpose and identity if we accept this free gift of forgiveness of our sin and iniquity God provided through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 3:26).

In Jesus, we are now sons and daughters of the most High God (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 3:26). We are accepted and have a part in a heavenly, supernatural, royal family (1 Peter 2:9, Revelations 1:6, 5:10, 20:6).

Where we once were dead in our sin, Jesus now made us alive on our “inner man” (the Bible calls this Spirit).

With this new life, God gives us hope and a new purpose to impact others around us with the same message (Ephesians 2:10).

It is a life like no other.

But we must accept this free gift. It is a choice we have to make. It is about spending eternity with God in paradise or spending it with Satan in hell.

The only thing that can stop us is our pride.

We are supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,

you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.“

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV

Once we put our trust in Christ the Holy Spirit seals us (Ephesians 1:13, Romans 10:9-10).

Through this Holy Spirit (the third person of the trinity) God’s love is poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we get supernaturally empowered and able to speak in new tongues (Mark 16:15-20, Acts 1:8, Acts 2)

Jesus said, “(…) if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. He is our helper, our adviser, advocate, and guide (John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26 Philippians 1:19).

He is the still small voice of God and the third person of the trinity. He is the power that enables us to live in God’s supernatural reality.

Love God with all your heart, soul, and strength

From the beginning of the Bible to the very end, one theme is clear: A life with God includes a relationship with God.

Jesus said, two rules summarize the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40):

“(…) ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 

(…) ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-21 NKJV

Think about it. Take away all the churchy fluff – the customs, the culture, and traditions. What remains are just God and you.

That, my friend, is what God desires. That’s what He created you for. He made you for an intimate relationship with Him.

Imagine this, even the law declares: God desires you for Himself. He doesn’t want to share you with anyone and vice-versa (Exodus 20:1-5, Deuteronomy 6:4-6).

“You shall have no other gods before Me.

For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God“

Exodus 20:1-5 NKJV

Build this relationship and talk to God like you would talk to a close friend or a family member.

He knows you better than you know yourself anyways.

Your Father in heaven longs for you to share your heart with Him. Isn’t that what a relationship is about? Isn’t that how even we humans connect with one another?

Again, God created us to share our thoughts, feelings, struggles, and victories with Him. This is what brings us together.

Talk to God. That’s what prayer is. It’s super simple.

Follow Jesus’ teachings, lifestyle, and pattern

The relationship with God and our salvation through Jesus Christ are only the beginning of a new lifestyle.

Jesus exemplified how to live a life with God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus didn’t just come to save the lost, but to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance, to set the captives free, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).

Now He expects us to do the same.

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

John 20:21 NKJV

Jesus sends us out to preach the full gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15-20), not just in words, but in the demonstration of power (1 Corinthians 2:4).

I wrote an article about the full gospel to help you understand the truly good news of God in more detail. This article will definitely help you, even if you are a long-term Christians.

Pray for the sick, the broken, and the oppressed

The Bible teaches us how to pray for the sick. In faith and in the name of Jesus we pray and lay hands on the sick, maybe even command sickness to leave the person’s body.

“(…) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (…)”

Mark 16:15-20 NKJV

Have you noticed? The Bible teaches us to pray for the spiritually oppressed or “demonized” too.

If you think about it: Jesus even included it in the Lord’s prayer.

“(…) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. (…)”

Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

I dedicated a whole category on my website to this very topic in the Bible. Maybe this article would be a good start to learn more: Healing VS Deliverance: Differences & Similarities

The Bible shows us how to pray for others in intercession. It is a prayer we pray for someone who is not present at the moment. You stand in for that person before God and ask God to move in their life and on their behalf (Ezekiel 22:30).

This article on What It Means To Stand In The Gap explains this matter in more detail.

Care for the needy and helpless

God is an all-around God. He wants that everyone is doing well – not just spiritually.

So, we can read in James 1:27 that we ought to care for people in need, especially those who cannot repay us.

This requires you to be a selfless person.

“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.“

James 1:26-27 NKJV

Jesus will come back to restore heaven on earth

Lastly, the Bible teaches: Jesus will restore heaven on earth.

That was the plan from the very beginning.

God wants to cure this broken and evil world and establish His Kingdom once and for all.

As it once was in the garden of Eden it will one day be here on earth.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. (…) Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:1-4 NKJV

We are closer to Christ’s return than some people might hope and we ever have been before.

Are you ready? If Jesus would come back today, would you make it?

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