God’s Not Dead: Neither Are The Scriptures. And it’s not a rulebook.

"Scripture is a portal, not a prison. It opens us up to God’s movement, not a static system of control.” — Rob Bell

Photo by Yosi Prihantoro on Unsplash

For a lot of us, the Bible has felt more like a rulebook or a history archive than anything alive.

I grew up hearing that it was the “Word of God,” but it sounded more like a slogan than something real. I don’t know how many times I heard:

B.asic

I.nstructions

B.efore

L.eaving

E.arth

It’s not that the Scriptures don’t give us practical guidance and wisdom. They do.

But here’s what I’ve come to see.

The Bible isn’t dead ink.

It breathes.

It nudges.

It comforts and confronts and whispers and roars.

Not because the pages themselves are like a magic potion. But because they have the ability to inspire the reader to living a wise life.

Think about it like this. A song can be inspired when it’s written, right? But doesn’t it also become inspired again when someone hears it at just the right moment?

There are lines in Scripture I’ve read a hundred times. But then one day, in the middle of a mess, or a moment of quiet, or a hard conversation with God, I’ll read that same line again — and it lands different. It breathes.

A Snapshot, Not the Whole Portrait

Now, it’s important to realize: the Bible isn’t the entirety of God. Paul’s letter to pastor Timothy says all Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable. He doesn’t say ONLY scripture is profitable.

He’s emphasizing the importance of Scripture for our daily lives. But, he’s not limiting God’s “voice” to only be found in the Bible.

If God’s fullness could be crammed into 66 books, we’d be in trouble. He’s not that small.

I’ve come to believe that Scripture is a snippet — a living snippet — of God’s personality.

It’s not a full biography; it’s more like a collection of letters, journal entries, love poems, raw prayers, and prophetic dreams that are stirrings of His breath through human authors.

It’s the kind of book you can read one day and hear grace.Read it another and feel conviction.Come back again and notice an invitation you missed the first ten times.

Not because it changed.But because you did.And because God knows how to meet you right where you are — again and again and again.

That’s why I also believe it’s important to understand cultural context and what the ancients “heard” as it was spoken or read.

HOWEVER…

If one isn’t careful, the argument of ancient context can become a prison. It’s important to do one’s best to understand the ancient context. But God’s Spirit can also use modern applications to speak to the reader.

Hebrews 4:12 Hits Different When You’ve Lived It

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword…”

I used to think that verse just meant “you better watch out or it’ll cut you.” Like Scripture was some kind of razor blade wrapped in leather. But now? I see it differently.

That verse is saying: These words move. They work on you. They discern motives, bringing hidden things to light, and don’t sit quietly on the shelf. Both for correction and encouragement.

It has a way of showing up when you’re down and saying just what you needed. Or calling you out when you’re headed down the wrong path.

It’s not tame.

It’s not stale.

It’s not retired.

The Bible still moves because God still speaks through it.

A Personality Comes Through

Think about it like this — when someone you love leaves a handwritten note for you, it’s not just about the ink. It’s them. It carries their tone, their humor, their quirks. You can almost hear their voice when you read it.

That’s how we can experience Scripture.

Not all the time. Not every day. But more often than not, when we stop reading it like a textbook and start reading it like a conversation… we catch glimpses of God’s personality shining through.

God’s humor can be found in the donkey that talks to Balaam.His heartbreak in the weeping prophets.His wild joy in the Psalms that dance between agony and praise in the same breath.

• He’s not a monotone God with a clipboard.

• He’s not a theology professor.

• He’s a living Presence who said, “I’ll walk with you through this book so you can learn My ways.”

Jesus Is the Word — and the Word Has Skin On

John said it best: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

The Bible’s ultimate message isn’t “follow these instructions.”It’s “look at Jesus.”

He’s the living Word — the walking, talking, healing, laughing, table-flipping embodiment of God’s heart.

So when we read the Bible, we’re not just chasing verses. We’re chasing Him. And we’re reminded that God wanted so badly to be known that He stepped into our mess, wore our skin, and told stories that still cut through cultural fog two thousand years later.

Why It Still Works

You can have a day where your heart feels dry, your prayers feel stuck, and you open the Bible not even expecting much. And boom — one line, one image, one phrase jumps out and lights a fire in your soul.

Why?

Because it’s not about how spiritual you are in the moment.It’s about how faithful God is to keep showing up.

As Rob Bell once said, “The Bible is not a static work, but a dynamic conversation.”And the conversation keeps going.

It Doesn’t Always Say What We Expect

Sometimes the Bible offends us. Challenges us. Convicts as well as encourages us.

And that’s a good thing.

Because if this book only ever confirmed what we already believe, it wouldn’t be holy — it’d be a mirror of our own opinions. Instead, it stretches us. Breaks our boxes. Rewrites our definitions of power, love, justice, and grace.

Not easy. But real.Not always clear. But always present.

It’s an Invitation, Not a Report Card

Too many of us were taught to use the Bible like a grading scale. You know what I mean: Read more, do better, follow tighter, or God’s gonna be disappointed.

But now I read it like a letter from Someone who wants to be close. Not Someone who’s out to bust me.

God didn’t give us Scripture to trap us. He gave it so we’d have something to cling to, wrestle with, return to, and breathe in on our worst days.It’s not a measuring stick. It’s a doorway. And behind it is Someone worth knowing.

Final Thought: Open the Letter Again

Maybe you’ve drifted. Maybe it’s felt boring. Or too confusing. Or like it was weaponized against you.

But here’s what I’d say: Try again.

Not to earn anything.

Not to impress anybody.

Just to connect.

Open the Psalms and let someone else’s ancient cry match your modern ache.Read a gospel and let Jesus interrupt your assumptions. Sit with a letter from Paul and hear a man who once murdered Christians now cry over them.

Let the Bible remind you that God didn’t stop talking. Even now, it’s not finished.Because every time it speaks to you in a new way — it’s alive again.

A small snippet of God’s personality on paper…So we’d never forget He wants to be known.

© Gary L Ellis