I myself have never read through the bible Genesis to Revelations. I see no point. Some of it, to be honest bores me. I approach the scripture topically. The important books are well, all of the New Testament then for an example of how God interacted with His children the old. There is many great scriptures in the old Testament.
As Christ stated, Mat, 6:24. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
The cross is you/us, the natural man, his thoughts, desires and impulses.
The Gospel is simple, we complicate it. God says, “Love your neighbor.” We reply, yeah but, what if?
Christ stated, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt, 22:37.
We are saved by faith in God’s work through his Son, True, yet James reminds us;
James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
When Abraham heard Sarah laugh at the thought of making love at the age of 90 and he being 100 he believed and performed. Had he not there would be no nation of Israel and no Christ from his lineage.
I would ‘Study to show myself approved of God,’ and take books by others that can be insightful with a ton of salt. We are responsible for our salvation, not the preacher or the priest. “Seek your own salvation.”
Rom, 14:12. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Before the ‘Big Bang,’ there was God. He is reality.
Keep up the good fight. Expect opposition when you swim upstream.
