Why Read and Study the Bible?

Why Read and Study the Bible?

Hebrews 4:12 NIV 
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I will never forget when my wife Deena first started going to Bible Study Fellowship. She was so excited and enthusiastic about renewing her relationship with Jesus. She would come home from her Bible study telling me about all the wonderful things she was learning. I on the other hand was lukewarm to all that she revealed to me.

She encouraged me to read the Bible but I told her “I will read it when I am ready”. Boy, did I have attitude and a high degree of stubbornness. I did not want anyone to tell me what to do, especially when it came to my relationship with God. I just wanted to make my own decisions about this relationship in my own time and in my own way. You might be able to relate to the wrestling matches I was having with God during that season of wanting to do life my way. I knew about God but did not want to surrender any control or any area of my life to Him. I was happy keeping God at a distance. I even remember asking Deena, “Can’t I just believe in God without Jesus.” She told me that Christianity was based on the belief that Jesus was God, part of the triune nature of the Creator God Himself.

The Gospel of John explains this truth about Jesus:

John 1:1-5 AMP

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God, Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

John 1:14 NIV

The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:29-34 NIV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

For me, this Triune Nature of God was a difficult concept to understand. How could Jesus be God if He is the Son of God? How could one God be 3 persons?

The Triune Nature of God:

God is One God that exists in 3 persons:

·         God the Father

·         God the Son (Jesus)

·         God the Holy Spirit

All 3 persons are fully God, eternal, and work together with one mind in all things. 

Throughout the Bible you will see The Father, Son and Holy Spirit working in one mind, Spirit, and purpose, actively playing a role in carrying out the plan of Salvation.

God The Father:  

Active in creation of the universe, all things, devised the Plan of Salvation.

(God spoke the Word that brought into existence all things, the beginning, and our relationship with time.) 

God The Son (Jesus):   

Active in achieving the plan of Salvation through His death on the cross and

Resurrection. Jesus actively reigns over the Church. Also Known as the logos or

the Word. All things were created through Him. Food for thought -

God spoke things into existence and Jesus is the Word.

God The Holy Spirit:    

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurs in believers once someone receives Christ 

as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is active in calling people to faith and making 

them increasingly more like Jesus. When we receive Jesus into our life The Holy Spirit plays a major role in this sanctification process. When a person is sanctified he or she is being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in Christ we are also immediately set apart to God and begin the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. Baptism of The Holy Spirit happens once in a person’s life.  This is permanent. The filling of the Holy Spirit can happen many times and depends on a our relationship with Jesus. Sin can hamper us from being filled with the Holy Spirit.

So being intrigued by the whole nature of God and my relationship with the creator of all things I decided to read the Bible for myself. It took 6 months, reading it from the Old Testament to the New. By the time I get to the Gospels I was convinced Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. At that point my life began to change from the inside out. I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and at that point the Holy Spirit indwelled in me and became my source of wisdom and discernment as well as my compass for living the vertical life.

So reading the Bible can be a life changing experience. But what’s more intriguing was the way God was speaking to me through His Word. God opened the eyes of my heart and revealed the amazing truth that He had a purpose for creation and that He wanted to be in relationship with those He created. And when His creation got tainted by the Fall of man He sent Jesus to rescue those caught up in the damage that was done by the original sin.  This truth that the Bible revealed to me made so much sense as it explained why the world was so filled with broken people.

What I am truly grateful for and give God the credit, is that early on in my life I had this great desire to know the truth about the mystery of life. Was I just a mere combination of molecules held together and existing due to a freak accident through a random sequence of events? Or was I truly created in God’s image with a real purpose for life? At the time I embraced every philosophical argument that said I was a mere accident with no real purpose other than to exist for a short time and then disintegrate. So I finally hit a brick wall because none of these religions or philosophies could extinguish my inner sense that there was more to life than just mere existence. I ran out of places to go spiritually. So being disheartened with no real purpose to grasp hold of, my religion became the deadening of my anguish and pain through substance abuse. I was lost, broken and angry didn’t care how I lived all the while blaming the World for all my problems.  

Through a series of events I am just now beginning to get a handle on, God had other plans for my life. He softened my heart, supernaturally gave me the gift of faith and revealed Himself to me. I can only say that I live with a high degree of gratitude for God’s love, patience, compassion, mercy and grace. I can’t explain why God would want to rescue me personally, but I can explain a little bit of the mind of God according to Scripture.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Ephesians 2:8-10 New International Version (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

2 Peter 3:9 New International Version (NIV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Our God desires to recuse all of us from spiritual death. We all have been given a choice whether or not to receive what He offers. I‘ll never regret making my choice for God and forgoing a temporary meaningless existence.

The Bible has the key for living life in abundance. The Bible contains the richness of all wisdom and truth and is the way God speaks to us, using the power of His Word to call His people home. Here are some things about the Bible that inspire me to want to listen to what God has to say.

The Bible:

·        66 books written by 40 authors under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

·        Gods inerrant Word and revelation about Himself.

·        The Bible is the absolute truth about God and about man.

·        The Bible tells us how we can have a personal relationship with God.

·        The Bible gives us answers to who I am, why am I here, and is this life all there is?

·        Christianity is not a philosophy of life; it is not how well we follow the rules and regulations. Christianity centers on our relationship with Jesus Christ.

·        The Gospel’s, especially the Gospel of John, give us all the information we need to decide if we want to have a personal relationship with Jesus and truly get to know him. We get to hear in Jesus’ very own words, His thoughts, His feelings, His desires, and His truths. We have an example in Jesus of obedience and sacrificial love that is second to none.

·        God’s Word will change the way we think.

• God’s Word explains that a personal relationship with Jesus will change us from the inside out.
• There is no better place to go to get to know God and learn His principles for living the abundant life.
• The Bible can help us to successfully navigate the storms of life.
• The Bible is filled with the amazing promises of God.
• The Bible gives us the best advice for Marriage, Parenting and Relationships.
• The Bible is filled with God’s love for his people.

So with these things in mind if you are ready for some life changing wisdom and instruction read and study the Bible. But also when you read the Bible challenge yourself to apply what you are reading. For instance, when The Bible talks about the 2 greatest commandments take it seriously.

Luke 10:27 NIV 
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself. “

If God wants us to be obedient, let’s begin to obey Him.

John 14:15 NIV 
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

1 John 5:3 NIV 
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

If God says be Holy because He is Holy then we need to look at that as well.

1 Peter 1:16 NIV 
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

We have a choice, we can choose God or choose the world there is no halfway devotion in God’s eyes.

Matthew 6:24 NIV 
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

If our goal is to be Christ-like than we must consider how the Bible is telling how to live. Let’s start by treating each other well! That way, when others see us in action they will know we are Jesus’ disciples and we practice what we preach. With all the wonderful things the Bible inspires us to do or to be like, let’s not take for granted what the Bible is telling us to apply.  Let’s take God’s principles to heart and live it. 

Romans 12:10 NIV 
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Luke 6:31 NIV 
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Philippians 2:2-5 NIV

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

What would our Churches look like, our homes, our relationships, if we all followed God’s principles to a tee?

The Bible is filled with everything we need to know to live an abundant life and to help others live it as well. Isn’t this enough reason to spend a little time each day in God’s Word? Isn’t worth telling others about the hope we have in Jesus?

The Bible is the bridge to the mystery of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul Tells us what this mystery is all about.

Ephesians 3:2-6 NIV

Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

With the knowledge of the truth of God’s saving grace, followers of Jesus can fulfill the Great Commission: to go and make disciples. With the fullness of God’s Word guiding us, we can be inspired to make an impact for God’s kingdom by planting the seeds of hope and reaping the harvest of those who have been prepared to receive our Lord Jesus. Now that’s a great reason to read God’s Word and apply all that we have learned. There is no better way we can show love to God than through our obedience.

Jesus said this:

John 14:23 NIV

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

So let’s prove we love God. Let’s read God’s Word by obeying His principles. Let’s strive become more like Jesus. Let’s fulfill the calling and purpose for which we have been made.

1 John 2:5 NIV 
But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did

Just Sayin………………..Dave