As followers of Christ identifying as “biblical” the question must be asked what does it mean to be “biblical.” How is “bibliocity” (if there is such a word) defined and determined? Is there such a metric for measuring sermons, blogs, and podcasts on their biblical truths? Is there a fine line between Christians who claim to be followers of Jesus and do not hold the Bible as a true source of their faith?
All of these are valid questions and the answers to these questions require careful investigation.
First, a definition of what it means to be biblical: take seriously what the bible claims about itself and teaches. Also, the measure of the degree in which the truths of the Bible are applied to one’s belief in God.
Timothy Keller said, “It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you.” It could be added that it is the reality of the object of your faith that actually saves you. Applicably, the degree of which we hold to biblical truths and are biblical in our faith, the closer we are to the teachings of Jesus and Yahweh, the God of the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
For example, if I place my faith and trust into a toaster oven that regularly fails to make even the most basic of crispy goodness, does that change the reality that the toaster is deficient and in dire need of being thrown away? It does not. The toaster oven will continue in the reality that it is a bad toaster oven. However, my view of the toaster oven can change. The same is true of our belief in God, instead of a faulty toaster oven, the reality of God is his perfect, righteous, and supreme character.
The Bible is the roadmap for knowing and believing in God and it teaches as a result of sin in human nature, there is no natural goodness within ourselves to be found. How then, can we find God within ourselves without the careful study of the Bible? We cannot. The figments of our imagination and worldview will ultimately produce a god that is centered around ourselves.