A question about reading the Bible

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

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Not reading the bible is not a sin. Nor could it ever be considered a sin. The vast majority of Christianity throughout history never had bibles to read. And even if they had a bible to read most of them were unable to read. In the earliest Churches and even until today they had what was called a "reader". A reader is someone who stands in front of the Church and literally reads the bible to those present. It stems from the Torah readings of the synagogues of Judaism. See Rev 1:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The writer intended for the Revelation to be read aloud in church.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

That you are no longer incredibly worried about not reading the Bible is not necessarily a seared conscience, it may be an answer to prayer and a move to some normalcy.

If the NT does not present it as sin, it is not sin.
You cannot be perfect, don't beat yourself up when you're not.
Simply acknowledge to God your failing, ask for his power to do better, and move on.
God is in the business of growing you, not condemning you for your failures.
Do you love your child/pet less when it has an accident? Are you ready to ban it? No. . .and neither does God.

Blaise N said:

So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin

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Think of it like eating spiritual food or taking a vitamin; reading it is also meant to encourage you to seek and commune with it's author, to know His thoughts for you for the day. It's not a sin not to do it, but you lose the benefit for the day of having done it, which you might otherwise have.

The Lord gave us the Bible mainly so we can learn about Him and His will. The Word of God is our spiritual food, and spiritual food is like a physical food, you need to live spiritually. I don't know about you or others, but in my experience, the less I read the Bible and more excuses I make not to read it, the more and more my mind becomes fleshly and I think and desire sin more, but when I read the Bible and dwell on the Word of God, the more Godly life I am able to live. It's a shame when people don't read and study the Word of God, how else will you learn His will? Besides, what is more important in your life than reading the Bible? God created us to have a intimate relationship with Him which we threw away, Jesus died so we can have it again, and by reading the Word of God, by dwelling on it and by living it, we have can have a better relationship with God, and there is nothing more important than that.

It is a privilege to read the Bible, so read it while you can, you never know when will be your last time, maybe one day you will be persecuted for Jesus' name, and you will never read the Word of God.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

How much do you try to read each day? The reason I'm asking is because you may be trying to bite off more than you can chew on a daily basis. Hence, a reason for you to procrastinate or become a bit lax here and there.

I made a commitment to read the Bible (again) in one year beginning January 1st. In order to do this, I have to read 5 chapters (not pages) each day.

And reading 5 chapters, really doesn't take that long. Even if you only read 1 chapter each day, it could be beneficial. For me, even though it doesn't seem like I'm reading much, I get MORE out of it by reading less! How?

Because I take my time and read the footnotes and cross-references along with the scriptures. If there's no footnote/cross-reference for a particular verse/passage, I can "Google" it...or, use other sources such as Wikipedia, BibleHub, etc.

Right now, I'm up to Ezra. What usually bores me is when I read the list of genealogies and kings! I don't skip over them, but I do 'skim' them.

I don't think that not reading the Bible daily is a 'sin'. But reading it daily can definitely bring you closer to God and understanding of what God's trying to tell us.

Oh, one more thing...

Something else that may be able to help you to be a bit more consistent is to join a Bible study group.

Whether you read it for an hour each day, 10 minutes, one sitting (yeah...good luck with THAT, lol!) or only on Sundays, I think the whole point is that you read it with the intention of coming to a greater understanding. Even if you ONLY came here to Christian Forums and looked up some of the scriptures that others present counts toward 'reading'!

It may be helpful to keep in mind that for centuries many Christians were illiterate and most did not own a personal copy of the Bible until after the invention of the printing press. I recommend you just do the best you can, and not fret about it. Salvation is not dependent upon Bible reading. It is not the Bible we worship.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

The truth is that we absolutely need The Word.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

Hi Blaise, long ago before everyone had the text, they heard scripture in the synagogues, from others reading it aloud.
And that's still common today in many (not all!) churches, where on a Sunday, you'd hear a full passage read aloud.

I don't think you should consider it a rule, and let me illustrate why you would never need a rule: I have probably only read the bible on my own about maybe only 1/3rd of days in the last 20 years, but that was plenty to read through all the books, and also to read again some books like the gospels and Romans and Isaiah, Ecclesiastes, Job and many others many times each.

That's not to say there is anything wrong with reading it every day. I have in many months read every day. Also, in the last few years I do tend to read just before falling asleep on my kindle, so it's quite easy that way to read a few verses or a chapter (I'm currently in Ezekiel again, even though I've read it at least 4 times).

So, the goal isn't to read like a duty.

Instead, I want to listen to the words as I read.

See?

So, there isn't a set amount I read when I read. It can be 1 minute, or an hour -- that does not matter. I may read 2 verses, or several chapters, and this length does not matter.

My only goal is to listen. And so I'm not forcing myself to read, nor having a set amount of reading to do.

But I do very strongly recommend though that you start by reading one of the gospels, like Matthew.

It's fine to skim through the genealogy at the start, and begin at verse 18:
Matthew 1 NIV

It's not at all important how long it takes you to read Matthew, whether 3 days or 3 months or 3 years (it really isn't about time).

If you read even only the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7) but really listened and remember the words later, you'd be doing a very good start on listening to Christ, even if that was all you read in a year.

Maybe....it may have taken me 3 or 5 years to read the Sermon on the Mount.

See? Time isn't important. Listening is.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

If you were an apostate and your conscience was seared you wouldn’t be experiencing this worry. When your conscience is seared you won’t care if you do what pleases God or not. That doesn’t sound like your situation my friend.

Blaise N said:

I know,I have thought that I’m somehow hurting or disappointing Jesus because he does so much for me and yet I don’t know what to offer back.And I picture him a a table waiting to spend time with me and I never show up,and I can only imagine the sadness and hurt on his face over that.and it cuts me deep,the thing that would hurt me so badly is to see him sad over my lack of time spent with him.That would cut me in half.

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Ok, consider:

You could read 1 or 2 verses in a week, and just listen, and keep the words, memorize them, and have them with you always:

5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Blaise N said:

Hi everyone,


I’m asking a question today because it’s causing me concern and noticeable worry.So I’m not entirely sure that not reading the Bible is a sin,but I do think not doing so is hurtful and disappointing to the Lord.
I admit fully and honestly,and gracefully will accept any rebuke,I have procrastinated and been lax and lazy in keeping up with daily Bible reading.And today,though I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts,have been shaken by a worry that if not reading the Bible is a sin then am I an apostate?,long ago before the covid outbreak,back in 2018,I would be incredibly worried if I didn’t read the Bible everyday,and now I’m concerned that I have a seared conscience or am an apostate that is beyond return because of not reading the Bible.

I’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

I don’t think I’m an apostate,I have faith in Jesus and love him,I love my neighbor and love him with all my heart,soul,mind and strength,I produce(from what I can retrospectively point out)some of the fruits of the spirit,I no longer lust(though make mistakes),and I don’t have any acts of the flesh present.

The only act of the flesh I notice is hate,there are things I hate with all honesty,like sin,Satan,demons,radical groups,sexual immorality,lying,etc.

Can anyone offer advice on this matter?

Click to expand...

Beloved one, discern carefully what and how you hear in this forum. You may ask for advice but it is not necessarily that you have received advice but there are those merely shared their own personal opinions.

Consider this that we have heard what Jesus our Lord said to us:

“Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
“For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Also, this is what we have heard:
“Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved one, about reading Bible, we should take heed what we hear and how we hear.

So we who honor God, let us consider what apostle Paul said to us:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. -Romans 15:4

So reading Bible is not only for our instructions but also that we may have endurance, that we may be strengthened through the Spirit of His words and also that we may be encouraged, that we may be of good courage, that we may have hope, and not despair in any situation.

beloved one, not only read the Bible but abide in the Spirit of His words, that you may perceive His grace, that He comforts you with His love.

To God the Father be thanksgiving through Christ. Amen.

Blaise N said:

Unfortunately I don’t try to read everyday,that’s the truth,I have a daily Bible verse app that I view everyday at 8am.Not that this is an excuse,because I have no excuses,I do have adhd,and usually do things that I want to do before more important things.

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Wait a minute...

You say that you don't 'read' every day, yet you view a Bible verse app EVERYDAY at 8 a.m.?

How is that NOT reading the Bible every day?

If you're viewing a verse from the Bible, aren't you then 'reading' the Bible? Do you somehow believe that unless you're sitting down and actually reading it yourself that you're committing some grave sin?

If you go to church every day, and hear Scripture every day, do you think that you're somehow disappointing God because you're not actually reading Scripture?

ETA: I want to add something else here.

It's not so much that God and Jesus wants us to "read" the Bible daily. They want us to practice what's in the Words. To practice what we're reading.

In addition to reading the Bible, I also have a daily ongoing 'dialogue' with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. And some of those..."conversations"...are laughable, mostly because of my own foibles!

Blaise N said:

’m not a person to lie,and I tell the truth about my own choices,so after work today I’m going to get back into rhythm of reading the Bible.

Like I said,it’s a small worry,but significant enough to cause discomfort.

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As others have said it is not a sin to not read the bible.

What I would suggest is don't make reading the ible a chore!
Varry what and how you read,but do seek to make it part of your routine.

Thingslike use an 'Every Day with Jesus' as a first or last thing in the day.
At a convinent point in the day try reading part or all of the five chapters of reading through the bible in a year, ( ususaly 3/4 OT, 1 psalms and 1/2 NT chapters ).
Get a commentary and read through that together with the book of the ible it is commenting on.

How ever yu read, one other suggestion is to have a notebook and to record what you've read, what struck you in that passage and why. What you prayed about.
This is one way of having to think about what you are reading.

Blaise N said:

I’m asking a question today

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"But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children." (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

This is what our Apostle Paul and Silvanus and Timothy wrote to the Thessalonians.

Did you just read this? If you did, then you have read from the Bible, today.

And note how these men are sharing what God has them say about their own selves. And when Christians here write to you, here in Christian Forums, you could be reading what God has us write to you from our own experience with God . . . like how the Thessalonians were reading what God had Paul and Silvanus and Timothy share personally about themselves > how they cherished the Thessalonians like a nursing mother.

And do you find it interesting how such great men could love like a mother? I would say they saw how mothers cherish their children and this inspired them about how our Father desires our leaders to relate with children of God. And so this is our example, too, of how God desires for us to relate as His family.

This is what you can get by feeding in God's word.

But, by the way . . . it seems to me that not only does God's word help us to know God and love the way He desires, but I see how those men possibly gained from the example of Christian mothers, so they could realize how our Father wants leaders to relate with God's children. So, yes, we need to share with one another, to help one another get more with God and loving the way Jesus desires.