Divine Wisdom for Spiritual Renewal
What if you've been around the Bible your whole life but still haven't really heard it? In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul writes that sacred writings are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. This isn't just about information or religious knowledge—it's about transformation. As Reverend Dr. Rich Rudowski shares from his experience in Bible translation work, 'I have heard these words my whole life, but today for the first time, I heard them.' That's what happened when Matabo in Botswana heard John 3:16 in her heart language for the first time. She had attended church for 50 years, but that day, when God's word spoke directly to her heart, the Holy Spirit created faith and salvation became real. The same opportunity awaits us when we open God's word with fresh eyes and hungry hearts.
Watch the full sermonThe Importance of Scripture in Daily Life
In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul reminds us that from childhood we have been acquainted with sacred writings, which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. This passage underscores the foundational role of scripture in our spiritual lives. Yet, recent research from the American Bible Society reveals a troubling reality: 90% of Americans own a Bible, but only 11% read it daily. This means 79% of Americans have a Bible that sits untouched every single day—God's very breath, His revelation, His love letter, just collecting dust on shelves.
The crisis isn't a lack of access to scripture; it's a choice not to engage with it. As one researcher put it, we're experiencing a 'famine of the word of God' not because Bibles are unavailable, but because we choose not to open them. This matters deeply because our lives and how we live them are guided by scripture. Before scripture can teach us, rebuke us, correct us, or train us in righteousness, it must first do something else: make us wise unto salvation. If this doesn't happen, nothing else matters.
Consider the story of Matabo from Botswana. She attended church her entire life, heard Bible stories in other languages, and knew Jesus died on a cross. But she described it as 'watching a movie with subtitles in a language you kind of understand—you get the basic plot, but you never feel it in your chest.' Then one day, she heard John 3:16 in her heart language, Shakalakari: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not be lost but have eternal life.' She began to cry and said, 'I have heard these words my whole life, but today for the first time, I heard them.' That's when the Holy Spirit created faith, and that's when salvation became real. Scripture engaged people who read the Bible four or more times a week measure higher on every measure of human flourishing—more hope, more purpose, less anxiety, more generosity. God's word is living and active; it moves, shapes, and transforms when we encounter it regularly.
The crisis isn't a lack of access to scripture; it's a choice not to engage with it. As one researcher put it, we're experiencing a 'famine of the word of God' not because Bibles are unavailable, but because we choose not to open them. This matters deeply because our lives and how we live them are guided by scripture. Before scripture can teach us, rebuke us, correct us, or train us in righteousness, it must first do something else: make us wise unto salvation. If this doesn't happen, nothing else matters.
Consider the story of Matabo from Botswana. She attended church her entire life, heard Bible stories in other languages, and knew Jesus died on a cross. But she described it as 'watching a movie with subtitles in a language you kind of understand—you get the basic plot, but you never feel it in your chest.' Then one day, she heard John 3:16 in her heart language, Shakalakari: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not be lost but have eternal life.' She began to cry and said, 'I have heard these words my whole life, but today for the first time, I heard them.' That's when the Holy Spirit created faith, and that's when salvation became real. Scripture engaged people who read the Bible four or more times a week measure higher on every measure of human flourishing—more hope, more purpose, less anxiety, more generosity. God's word is living and active; it moves, shapes, and transforms when we encounter it regularly.
Plan a VisitSalvation Through Faith in Christ Jesus
The heart of the gospel is this: salvation is through faith in Christ Jesus, not through our own efforts or religious performance. Paul makes this clear in 2 Timothy 3:15 when he writes that sacred writings are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. This order is crucial. Before Paul talks about teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, he talks about salvation. That's not an accident—that's the foundation.
Sometimes we get this backwards. We treat the Bible like it's primarily about us and our behavior, our improvement, and our spiritual growth. While scripture does address those things, that's not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose is to bring you to saving faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible isn't first about what you should do; it's about what Jesus has already done. It's an announcement to you. It's not first about your obedience; it's about His obedience. It's not about your works; it's first about the work on the cross.
Matabo discovered this truth in Botswana. She had spent her whole life trying to be good enough, making sure she showed up at the right place, sang the right songs, gave the right gifts, trying to earn God's approval. But when she heard John 3 in Shakalakari, everything changed. She realized this is not about her at work; it's about God at work. It's not about what she does; it's about what Jesus did. He lived the life she should have lived, died the death she should have died, and rose from the grave to give her a life she could never dream of earning herself. All she had to do—all any of us has to do—is believe. Not believe harder, not become more committed, not clean up our lives first—just believe, receive, trust. That's the salvation; that's the gospel; that's grace.
Romans 10:17 says, 'Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.' The Holy Spirit uses these God-breathed words about Jesus to create faith in our hearts. But here's the problem: faith ongoing requires engagement. If you never open the word, if you never expose yourself to it, how is the Spirit supposed to work? How is that supposed to compete with everything else demanding attention in your life? You can't grow in faith if you're not in the word. You can't be strengthened in faith if you're not reading scripture. You can't have assurance for salvation if you're not hearing God's word.
Sometimes we get this backwards. We treat the Bible like it's primarily about us and our behavior, our improvement, and our spiritual growth. While scripture does address those things, that's not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose is to bring you to saving faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible isn't first about what you should do; it's about what Jesus has already done. It's an announcement to you. It's not first about your obedience; it's about His obedience. It's not about your works; it's first about the work on the cross.
Matabo discovered this truth in Botswana. She had spent her whole life trying to be good enough, making sure she showed up at the right place, sang the right songs, gave the right gifts, trying to earn God's approval. But when she heard John 3 in Shakalakari, everything changed. She realized this is not about her at work; it's about God at work. It's not about what she does; it's about what Jesus did. He lived the life she should have lived, died the death she should have died, and rose from the grave to give her a life she could never dream of earning herself. All she had to do—all any of us has to do—is believe. Not believe harder, not become more committed, not clean up our lives first—just believe, receive, trust. That's the salvation; that's the gospel; that's grace.
Romans 10:17 says, 'Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.' The Holy Spirit uses these God-breathed words about Jesus to create faith in our hearts. But here's the problem: faith ongoing requires engagement. If you never open the word, if you never expose yourself to it, how is the Spirit supposed to work? How is that supposed to compete with everything else demanding attention in your life? You can't grow in faith if you're not in the word. You can't be strengthened in faith if you're not reading scripture. You can't have assurance for salvation if you're not hearing God's word.
The Impact of Bible Translation on Communities
For 19 years, Emmanuel Lutheran Church has partnered in Bible translation work, believing that God's word needs to speak every language. This commitment has resulted in the Koma New Testament in Ghana (dedicated in 2014, full Bible in November) and the Shakalakari New Testament in Botswana (dedicated in March 2024). Together, these translations represent first-time Bible access to more than 750,000 people. This is the fruit of saying yes to God's mission, recognizing that there are people groups we may never meet in this life, but who deserve to hear God speak their language.
The impact of hearing scripture in one's heart language cannot be overstated. The Shakalakari people had Bible stories in other languages; they had information. But when they heard scripture in their own language, when God spoke directly to their hearts, they gained wisdom and understood. As one community member said at the dedication, 'We have been waiting for the Bible for a long time. So as it has come, we are very pleased.' Another shared, 'When Solomon finished building the temple, he gave it back to God. He dedicated it. So as Bible translators, they have done the job. They have translated. And now it was time to say, God, we are giving it back to you. Now, you see what to do with this word. Let it change the lives of the people.'
This work continues today. There are still millions of people who don't have scripture in their heart language and can't read the gospel in a way that speaks clearly to them. By the year 2033, in partnership with organizations worldwide, every language on the planet will have some access to God's word. This will be the only time in history when every language has access to scripture. We are the generation that will see this happen. But the mission doesn't end overseas. Your witness matters because there are people God has put in your path every single day who don't know Jesus. Statistically speaking, they probably own Bibles, but they've never really heard the gospel. God might use you to help them—not through some program or strategy, but simply by sharing what Jesus has done for you and letting them see what it looks like when God's word is alive in someone's life.
The impact of hearing scripture in one's heart language cannot be overstated. The Shakalakari people had Bible stories in other languages; they had information. But when they heard scripture in their own language, when God spoke directly to their hearts, they gained wisdom and understood. As one community member said at the dedication, 'We have been waiting for the Bible for a long time. So as it has come, we are very pleased.' Another shared, 'When Solomon finished building the temple, he gave it back to God. He dedicated it. So as Bible translators, they have done the job. They have translated. And now it was time to say, God, we are giving it back to you. Now, you see what to do with this word. Let it change the lives of the people.'
This work continues today. There are still millions of people who don't have scripture in their heart language and can't read the gospel in a way that speaks clearly to them. By the year 2033, in partnership with organizations worldwide, every language on the planet will have some access to God's word. This will be the only time in history when every language has access to scripture. We are the generation that will see this happen. But the mission doesn't end overseas. Your witness matters because there are people God has put in your path every single day who don't know Jesus. Statistically speaking, they probably own Bibles, but they've never really heard the gospel. God might use you to help them—not through some program or strategy, but simply by sharing what Jesus has done for you and letting them see what it looks like when God's word is alive in someone's life.
Addressing the Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy
We face a crisis of biblical illiteracy right here in America, in Kettering, Ohio, and surrounding areas. The statistics are sobering: 63% of Americans identify as Christians, but only 21% actively engage with scripture at least once a week outside of church. Think about that—six out of ten Americans say, 'I'm a Christian,' but only two out of ten are actually opening the book that tells them what that means and guides them in how that's going to look in everyday life. The average American Christian home has four or five Bibles, yet we're experiencing a famine of the word of God.
This isn't a matter of guilt or shame; it's a matter of life and death. Our lives and how we live them are guided by scripture, and there is the element of salvation. Before scripture can do the things it's very useful to do—teach you, rebuke you, correct you, train you—it has to do something else first. It has to make you wise unto salvation. If this doesn't happen, nothing else matters. You can understand and know about the gospel your whole life and still not know the gospel. You can own multiple Bibles and still not be saved. You can attend church every Sunday and still miss eternal life because information doesn't save you. Religion doesn't save you. Church attendance doesn't save you. Only Jesus saves you, and scripture is how the Holy Spirit brings you to Him.
Martin Luther said, 'The church is not a penthouse but a mouth house.' What he meant is it's not about preserving the Bible or just having it; it's about hearing it. It's about God speaking. So the question is: are we listening? We have God's word in English, multiple translations, apps on our phones with recordings. We have no excuse. But having isn't enough. When we stop engaging with scripture, we forget. We start trusting in ourselves again, performing, trying to manage outcomes on our own strength. It's exhausting to try to do it that way, and you never can do enough.
The invitation is clear: stop letting your Bible collect dust. Stop treating scripture like optional reading. Stop pretending you can grow in faith without engaging the word that creates faith. For the coming weeks, commit to daily reading—not out of guilt, but recognizing that we're hungry for something. If you're hungry for something, this is probably what it is. Something's missing, and scripture can fill it. When you're regularly in God's word, the Holy Spirit is working, faith is being created and strengthened, hope is being renewed, and the gospel is becoming real. When you're not, you're trying to live on yesterday's bread, and you just can't do that.
This isn't a matter of guilt or shame; it's a matter of life and death. Our lives and how we live them are guided by scripture, and there is the element of salvation. Before scripture can do the things it's very useful to do—teach you, rebuke you, correct you, train you—it has to do something else first. It has to make you wise unto salvation. If this doesn't happen, nothing else matters. You can understand and know about the gospel your whole life and still not know the gospel. You can own multiple Bibles and still not be saved. You can attend church every Sunday and still miss eternal life because information doesn't save you. Religion doesn't save you. Church attendance doesn't save you. Only Jesus saves you, and scripture is how the Holy Spirit brings you to Him.
Martin Luther said, 'The church is not a penthouse but a mouth house.' What he meant is it's not about preserving the Bible or just having it; it's about hearing it. It's about God speaking. So the question is: are we listening? We have God's word in English, multiple translations, apps on our phones with recordings. We have no excuse. But having isn't enough. When we stop engaging with scripture, we forget. We start trusting in ourselves again, performing, trying to manage outcomes on our own strength. It's exhausting to try to do it that way, and you never can do enough.
The invitation is clear: stop letting your Bible collect dust. Stop treating scripture like optional reading. Stop pretending you can grow in faith without engaging the word that creates faith. For the coming weeks, commit to daily reading—not out of guilt, but recognizing that we're hungry for something. If you're hungry for something, this is probably what it is. Something's missing, and scripture can fill it. When you're regularly in God's word, the Holy Spirit is working, faith is being created and strengthened, hope is being renewed, and the gospel is becoming real. When you're not, you're trying to live on yesterday's bread, and you just can't do that.
Scripture Highlights
2 Timothy 3:15: and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.