Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good. — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The absolute worst understanding of the above Scripture is thinking that it says the Bible is literally infallible. Rather, it’s a call to take the Bible seriously, wrestle with it, and ask questions of it. It means reading everything in the light of the gospel, and being able to learn from things you disagree with in it because you’re trying to read it with the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).
All that said, here are some of the main things the Bible tells me after 55 years of taking it very seriously:
1. God really created everything out of passion, love, beauty, and anticipation.
2. We can do a good job of celebrating and nurturing God’s creation, and we can also mess things up.
3. People can be tacky at times, especially religious ones.
4. People can also be really good at times; religion helps but isn’t necessarily a requirement.
5. God bet everything on Jesus, to show us what the world can look like if grace prompts us to change “our hearts and lives.”
6. As people who say they are Christians, we should live as if the Sermon on the Mount is the blueprint for God’s kingdom on earth today.
7. There will be accountability for all of us in the end.
I believe all of the above because the Bible tells me so. What does the Bible tell you?
Pay attention to Jesus.
For me the Bible defines the character of God as perfectly omnipotent. And still, He/She/They are compassionate, and just. And that Jesus is the perfect example of God’s character at work in humans.