William Wilberforce writing in 1797:

“The greatest gift of God [the Bible] is often either rejected outright or treated as if it is of little worth. But if we really began to study the Bible, we would be impressed with the proper value of this gift. It seems ludicrous that we have to exhort people to study the Bible. The Bible itself speaks words of challenge to us such as, “Be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3: 15). Those who have done so tell us of the immense value of such effort. And yet, though many have the Bible on the shelf in their homes, for most the content of the Book remains a mystery. The result is that in the Christian world in the West, we settle for a cultural version of Christianity that is far from the real thing.

“I’m not talking about unbelievers here. I am speaking of those who say they believe the Bible is the Word of God and who claim to have committed their lives to Jesus Christ. They have given in to a nominal faith. They agree with statements such as, “It doesn’t matter what you believe; it is how you live that counts” and “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere in your belief.” How absurd!”