Answers

Q:

I've been reading a popular book lately that claims to tell people how to get in touch with the spiritual side of their lives. At first, I thought it was really good but now I'm not so sure. How can I know if the author is telling the truth and not leading me down the wrong road?


A:

You are wise to be discerning; bookstores are filled with books claiming to help people remake their lives or find a deeper spiritual reality. But they can’t all be true — because each has a different solution to our problems!

Many of them, in fact, are cleverly designed to turn you away from what the Bible teaches (although they may even quote the Bible to try to support their views). If you read them carefully, you will find they say little (or nothing) about our sinfulness and our need for God’s forgiveness. Nor will they say anything about our need for Jesus Christ as our Saviour. In their view, we can solve our own problems, and we can find all the answers we need on our own.

But this isn’t true. We can’t save ourselves; our sins are too great, and they have separated us from God. Our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven and taken away — and that is why Jesus came into the world. The Bible says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Don’t trust the latest spiritual fad, no matter how popular it is. Instead, put your faith and trust in Christ, and commit your life to Him. Then draw your strength and wisdom from the only book that God has given us: the Bible.