How to Read the Bible Through the Lens of Grace, Love, and Jesus
How Grace Redefines What We See—and Expect—When We Open the Word
“Every page of Scripture points to Him. If your interpretation doesn’t align with what you see in Jesus—compassionate, forgiving, pursuing—it needs to be rethought.”
The Lens You Use Determines What You See
What you expect to see in Scripture often determines what you actually do see. If you’re looking for rules, you’ll find them. If you’re looking for a harsh judge, you’ll see Him. But if you’re looking for love—if you read through the lens of Jesus—you’ll find a Father whose arms are open wide.
Many believers grew up thinking the Bible was about doing better, trying harder, and earning acceptance. But the Bible isn’t about man’s struggle to find God. It’s about God’s determined pursuit of us.
The gospel isn’t advice. It’s an announcement.
Read the Bible from Love, Not Law
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, Exodus 25:22.
When we read the Bible through a legal lens, every verse becomes a command, every command becomes a burden, and every burden becomes a barrier between us and God.
But love doesn’t burden. Love lifts.
The law is about doing, but grace is about what’s already been done. That shift changes everything.
The law shows us what we lack, but grace shows us who we are. The law is a mirror; grace is a message.
Ask:
Is this passage making me feel God is distant, awaiting my performance?
Or is it showing me that God came close, carried my failure, and now calls me beloved?
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
Let Jesus Be the Filter for Every Page
To the religious mind, this can be unsettling and threatening. Jesus is too gentle, kind, tender, forgiving, and free with grace. But that’s the offense or scandal of the Gospel, grace—it exposes our addiction to control and performance. Many still align more with the Pharisees, who were terrified of losing their system, than with Jesus, who came to reveal a Father who’s not keeping score. They desire to hold on to control, rule-keeping, and performance, rather than embracing the heart of Jesus. Religion fears a God who’s this good because it leaves no room for boasting—only receiving.
If what you’re reading doesn’t sound like Jesus, look again.
Jesus is not an escape from God’s justice—He is the clearest expression of God’s justice and mercy fused together. If you want to know what God is really like, look at how Jesus treated people, especially the broken, the guilty, and the outsiders.
Jesus didn’t come to change God’s mind about us. He came to change our mind about God.
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person… Hebrews 1:3
Ask:
Does this passage reflect the character of Jesus?
Is this consistent with how Jesus interacted with sinners and saints?
If not, your interpretation needs to be adjusted, not the nature of God.
Trace the Initiating Love of God
Scripture always begins with God’s move toward us. Always.
He called to Adam, covered his shame, and clothed his fear. He chose Abraham, delivered Israel, pursued David, and restored Peter.
The cross is not something we persuaded God to accept—it’s evidence that He moved first while we were still far off.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
The love of God is not a reaction—it’s the source of everything. Our repentance is not where the gospel starts. The gospel begins with His rescue.
Ask:
Where is God moving first in this passage?
How is His love initiating, not reacting?
Let Identity, Not Performance, Shape Your Understanding
The Bible is not a behavior modification manual—it’s a revelation of your identity in Christ.
You’re not a servant trying to earn a place at the table. You’re a child of God already seated with Christ in heavenly places. That’s not something you achieve. That’s something you receive.
You don’t read the Bible to get closer to God. You read it to remember how close He already brought you.
In Christ, you’re not working for love. You’re living from it.
And that’s what repentance really is—not groveling, not self-loathing, not begging for mercy. Repentance is a radical change of mind. It’s turning from the exhausting lie that it’s all up to you, and turning toward the truth: it’s always been about Him. It’s shifting your focus from yourself, your sins, your shame, your striving, and fixing your eyes on God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus.
And the wonder of it all? As you look to Him, you begin to realize… He’s already looking at you. Full of mercy. Overflowing with love. Full of delight.
Ask:
Am I reading this as someone trying to become accepted, or as someone already accepted in Christ?
Does this passage affirm my union with Him or make me question it?
The Gospel Isn’t a Burden to Carry—It’s Rest to Enter
The gospel is not moralism, not relativism, but a radical rest in the work of Another.
When you read Scripture, you’re not trying to “get it right” so God will bless you. You’re reading to remember that Christ already finished it, and you’re now walking in His rest.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Ask:
Am I trying to make this passage a to-do list?
Or am I hearing an invitation to deeper trust, not harder effort?
The Bible Is a Revelation of a Person—Not a System
The purpose of Bible study is not to fill your head but to change your heart. The goal is not information, but transformation through the Spirit of God.
So read relationally. Ask the Spirit to reveal the Person behind the page.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13
Ask:
Holy Spirit, what are You showing me about Jesus?
Where does this passage open my heart to love, not just inform my mind?
Use These 7 Lens-Check Questions When You Read
Let these guide your reading:
What does this reveal about who God is?
Does this passage show Him as angry and distant, or loving and near?
Where is Jesus in this passage? How does He fulfill it?
Who moved first—God or man?
Am I invited to trust or pressured to perform?
What does this say about who I am in Christ?
Am I reading this with fear or with rest?
The Word Was Made Flesh—Not a List
You’re not reading Scripture to impress God. You’re reading it to remember who He is and who you are in Him.
This Book isn’t about rules. It’s about relationship.
It’s not about fixing yourself. It’s about discovering the One who already made you new.
When you read the Bible through the lens of Jesus, everything changes:
You stop bracing for judgment and start breathing in love.
You stop striving and start resting.
You stop reading to perform and start reading to receive.
Practice: Try This with Luke 15
Read the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son through this new lens.
Don’t focus on the failure of the lost. Focus on the relentless pursuit of the One who went looking. Let the love of the Father overwhelm you.
Ask:
What does this reveal about God’s heart?
Where does this show Him running to me before I ever take a step?
You’ll find that the more clearly you see the love of God in the story, the more clearly you’ll begin to see your place in it.