Why Many Christians Think They’re Biblical…But Aren’t: Alignment with the Bible

Getting back to obeying the Bible is the key to receiving God’s blessings.

A few years back, I bought a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis that needed new tires and wheel alignment. Despite having all the work done, the steering wheel that sat a little crooked, pulling the car toward the shoulder of the road. I took the car back to he garage who did the work, and they discovered that a technician had not done the alignment properly. The problem was corrected, and the car drove straight. Just like a car needs to be aligned in order to go straight, the Christian must also align himself with God’s Word in order to go straight.

In the ancient narrative of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22, we find a nation suffering from a far more profound drift. Josiah began his reign at the age of eight years old, and had a heart for the Lord. Eighteen years laster, Josiah commission the restoration of the Temple, which had fallen into disrepair. While restoring the Temple, Hilkiah the high priest made a discovery that should have been impossible: he found the "Book of the Law." This scroll, likely Deuteronomy, had been missing for over sixty years, neglected through the dark reigns of Manasseh and Amon. It begs the question of what Hilkiah was following as high priest and Israel's spiritual leader!

The discovery reveals a sobering reality: Religious activity can continue long after its foundation has been forgotten, and its not a good thing. We often assume that spiritual decline is a loud, rebellious act, but it is more frequently a quiet, incremental loss of direction. Alignment with the Bible, therefore, is not just about finding a missing Bible; it is about knowing what that Bible says and obeying it in order to stay away from the enemies of God that tempt us to go astray. Consider the following tuths.

The Bible's Presence Does Not Guarantee Influence

The irony of the Judah's kings was that the Word of God was physically present but functionally missing. The original scrolls written by Moses were kept inside the Aek of the Covenant, preserving them forever. The priests and scribes were to make perfect copies and house them inside the temple. God gave every new king the mandate to work this the priests and write his own hand copy of the Law (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Judah's spiritual life had become so destitute that the copies of the Law went missing. Through the years, the Temple had become so filled with pagan idols and rubbish that the priests could not find the Bible.

Spiritual misalignment rarely begins with the open rejection of truth; it begins when truth is simply ignored. For six decades, the very place intended to honor the Law became the site of its disappearance. When the Word of God is absent from the center of a life or a culture, it can no longer provide the moral authority necessary to navigate even the basics of life.

The Difference Between Religious Ritual and Authority

During the decades the scroll was missing, the temple’s liturgical momentum didn't falter. Priests still performed their duties, and sacrifices were still offered with practiced precision. This suggests that outward ritual can survive without the governing authority of Scripture. Without the Word, however, worship inevitably devolves into empty tradition.

History echoes this pattern in the era known as the "Dark Ages." For centuries, the Bible was kept in Latin, a language the common people could not comprehend, effectively locking the truth away from the masses. It was only when the Reformation returned the Bible to the common language that spiritual light triggered a societal shift, eventually fueling the Industrial Revolution and the birth of the modern world.

A church can have the right music, programs, ministries, and activities, but if the Bible is not central, spiritual decline will follow. A Christian might possess five Bibles, have fifty Bible apps on their phone, and consistently bring a Bible to church, yet still live without being guided by God's Word. And when that happens, spiritual decline begins when Scripture is neglected.

Conviction as a Life-Saving "Warning Light."

When a scribe read the newly discovered scroll to Josiah, the king’s reaction was immediate and physical. He did not offer excuses or run from it; he tore his clothes. This display of grief signaled that Josiah recognized the depth of the nation’s spiritual rebellion, and his own violation of God's law. He was truly convicted of his shortcomings. Faced with the warnings of judgment, Josiah sought advice from the prophetess Huldah, whom God used to convey His instructions.

Conviction is much like a warning light on a pilot’s instrument panel. A wise pilot does not ignore the light simply because the flight feels smooth; they recognize it as a signal to seek guidance before a mechanical failure becomes a disaster. Josiah used his conviction to drive him toward God rather than suppressing the

uncomfortable truth of his situation.

Conclusion: In 1949 a young shepherd in Israel was exploring caves near the Dead Sea when he accidentally discovered a collection of ancient scrolls sealed inside clay jars. Those scrolls turned out to contain some of the oldest copies of the Old Testament ever found.For nearly 2000 years they were hidden in those caves. What fascinated scholars the most was that when they were compared with modern copies of the Hebrew Bible, the message had remained remarkably the same. The Bible had been preserved all that time, waiting to be read again. But a scroll sitting in a jar does not change anyone’s life. Its power is only experienced when it is opened and read.

The power of God's Word is not found in its possession, but in its authority. Josiah’s life and kingdom were transformed not because a book existed in the temple, but because a king allowed that Book to redefine him. We must ask ourselves: Is my life truly aligned with the truths of Scripture, or is our "Book of the Law" still waiting to be discovered beneath the dust of our own neglect? Look out for Part 2 next week.