Bible is Inspired Word of God
Bible or Holy Scripture is the Word of God. It is God’s message to humanity. Jesus called the Bible (Old Testament), which was available at His time, by three different names: Law, Word of God, and Scripture.
Jn.10:34-36 "Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’"
Therefore, we can see that for Jesus Christ Bible was not a mere human book. Bible for Him was the Word of God, authored by God, and not merely by men. Apostle Paul wrote in his Second Epistle to Timothy, that Holy Scripture (the Bible), is inspired by God. Of course, not all the words, written in the Bible are God’s words. However, all words written in the Bible are written there by inspiration of God, according to God’s will. Everything written it the Bible is written there for our salvation and to help us achieve perfection.
2Tim.3:15-17 "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work"
What Holy Scripture Can Do for Us?
1. Right doctrine
Scripture is profitable for teaching. It can teach us everything we need to know about God, God’s Son Jesus Christ, and salvation that came through Him. It teaches us how to receive the gift of eternal life, and how to live a blessed life in accordance with God’s will now.
2. Reproof
Scripture is profitable for reproof. It reproofs us in wrong beliefs and practices. When we read the Bible, it shows us what we do wrong, and what we believe incorrectly.
3. Correction
Scripture is profitable for correction. After reproofing us, Holy Scripture helps us to correct what is wrong in our beliefs and practices. By reading the Bible we can see, how to correct our mistakes and behavior.
4. Instruction in righteousness
Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness. It instructs us in righteousness. It shows us, which deeds are righteous, and pleasing to God, and which are not so.
By doing to us everything mentioned above, Holy Scripture could make us perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Jesus the Messiah called us to be perfect.
Mt.5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"
Holy Scripture can help us to become perfect and to fulfill commandment of Jesus Christ. Successful Christian life is not possible without reading and studying of Holy Scripture (the Bible). Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Colossae, that word of Christ must dwell in them richly (or abundantly).
Col.3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord"
Why the word of Christ must dwell in us richly? As we could see earlier, Holy Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. By doing this for us, Holy Scripture makes us wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. It also makes us perfect people, ready for every good work. However, there are many more things, which Holy Scripture can do for us. Let us look at few more blessings, which we can receive from reading and obeying God’s Word.
5. Spiritual regeneration and cleansing
One of the first things that the Word of God does for people is spiritual regeneration, and then, continual cleansing from sins, errors, wrong attitudes and sinful behavior. It is very important for us to be born again from God. Without this new spiritual birth or spiritual regeneration, no person can see the Kingdom of God or enter into it. This is what Jesus taught as recorded in the Gospel of John.
Jn.3:3 "Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God"
Jn.3:5 "Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!"
Let us read another passage from Apostle Peter about role of the Word of God in our spiritual regeneration (or new birth).
1Pe.1:22-23 "Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently: having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever"
God makes us His born again children by His Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, this Word of God cleanses us, and makes us capable of loving one another with a pure heart. Jesus the Messiah also taught His disciples, that the word, which He spoke to them, had made them clean.
Jn.15:3 "You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you"
However, the Word of God can spiritually regenerate and cleanse a person, only when he or she carefully listens to it (or reads it), and wholly accepts it into his or her heart.
6. Deliverance from the bondage of sin
The Bible tells us that after one of the sermons of Jesus many people believed in Him. Nevertheless, that was not enough for Jesus. He wanted them to become His disciples. Jesus also explained them, that in order to become His disciples they must continue in His Word. To continue in the Word of Jesus means to carefully listen (or read) what He said, and apply it in our lives. By doing so we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. This is the way we can become free of any sin. Jesus saw that people, who believed in Him, were not free from their sins. They still were slaves of sin. Many believing people today are in the same condition.
Jn.8:30-36 "As he spoke these things, many believed in him. Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free?’” Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed"
Ps.119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word"
In order to live pure, holy and free of sin lives before God, we should live according to the Word of God. In order to live according to the Word of God we must hide this Word in our hearts. We should diligently read, study and memorize the Word of God.
7. Sanctification
The Word of God can help us in the process of our sanctification. It can help us to become holy people before God. The Lord requires holiness and sanctification of us.
Heb.12:14 "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord"
The Word of God is one of the means of our sanctification. We know it from the prayer of Jesus Christ for His disciples, recorded in the Gospel of John.
Jn.17:17 "Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth"
When we attentively read the Word of God (the Bible), God cleanses us through this Word. He also sanctifies us. It means He separates and liberates us from all sins and takes us into His service. He makes us holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from all evil (Heb.7:26). This process is called sanctification.
8. Faith
Faith is very important in our lives. The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to be saved, to please God and to receive promises of God (Mr. 16:16, Heb. 11:6, 11:33). But how we can get faith, if we have no faith? Where does faith come from? Answer to this is written in Epistle to Romans.
Rom.10:17 "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
Therefore, faith comes to us, when we attentively listen and accept what God tells us through His Word. Through God’s Word we can receive faith for our salvation, healing, and deliverance from different and difficult problems and circumstances.
Pr.4:20-22 "My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body"
In order to have faith, we must regularly and carefully read and study the Bible. When through this Word we will learn how to listen to God, we will acquire faith. Furthermore, through continuous abiding in the Word of God our faith will become stronger and stronger.
9. Protection from doctrinal errors
With the help of the Bible, we can and should test everything we read or hear concerning faith. We must test every sermon, every teaching, and every book. If somebody says or writes anything different, than the Bible teaches, we should not believe him or her. If any book contains anything that contradicts Biblical truth, we should reject it. Bible contains whole truth. That is why we should test anything according to what is revealed in the Bible. In ancient times God told His people, Israel through prophet Isaiah to test everything by the Bible:
Isa.8:19-20 "When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them"
The Law, mentioned in above quoted verses, is the Law of God, written in the five books of Moses (Pentateuch). Testimony is the testimony or revelation of God, given by His prophets in prophetic books of the Bible. When God told people through Isaiah to test everything by the Law and the Testimony, books of the New Testament were not written yet. However, today, when we have complete Bibles, these words, spoken through Isaiah apply to New Testament books as well. We must test by the Bible everything people say, write or teach.
There is a story in the New Testament Book of Acts, when apostle Paul came to a city named Berea and started to preach there about Jesus in the synagogue. This teaching was something new for the people that heard it. They have never heard anything like this. However, they had the Bible – Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. Therefore, when they heard Paul’s sermon, they started to test everything he said by what was written in their Bible. They wanted to know if he told them the truth. They checked their Holy Scriptures and saw that what Paul told them was according to the Scriptures. Those people in Berea believed in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:10-12).
We should follow the example set by Bereans, and test everything by the Word of God. Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia that they must test even what angels say. If an angel appears to somebody and tells something, it must be tested by the words previously spoken by God’s prophets and apostles. If angel tells us something opposite, we should reject him and his message (Gal. 1:8-9, 2Cor.11:13-15). However, in order to test everything by the Bible we need to regularly read and study our Bibles. We need to know what is written in the Bible. Let us remind once more one important verse, written in Epistle to Colossians:
Col.3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"
We need to make every effort to read our Bibles every day, and to read a lot! In addition, it is very important to understand what we read. If we do not understand something in the Bible, we need to pray and ask God’s help in understanding this particular passage of the Bible. Furthermore, we can seek help from somebody who understands the Bible better than we do. Later we will learn how to read and study the Bible effectively, applying some important rules of Bible study. By regularly reading and studying our Bibles, we will be able to know the truth and to test everything by the written Word of God. We will know who tells the truth and who does not. If previously you did not have a habit of regular reading and studying of the Bible, start today. It is very important!
10. Blessing and success in life
Bible contains a large amount of promises of success and blessings for those, who read, hear and obey the Word of God. However, in Biblical definition, success does not always mean financial prosperity, good health or life without any problems. What is real success, according to the Bible? It is person’s unrestrained ability to fulfill successfully God’s will in his or her life and God’s purposes for his or her life.
When Moses died, Joshua became leader of Israel instead of him. A great task was set before Joshua. That task was God’s purpose for His life. What was this task? Joshua had to bring Israel into Promised Land. It was not easy, because strong nations lived there. They even had giants there. The Promised Land had to be conquered, before Israel could take possession of it and divide it among twelve tribes. How Joshua can do this? Will he be successful in this great task, given to him by God? Will he be successful in fulfilling God’s purpose for his life?
After the death of Moses, the Lord Himself started to speak to Joshua and revealed to him the secret of success. God told him what he must do in order to be successful and have wisdom from God. What did God tell him? What is the secret of success? Let us read together what the Lord revealed to Joshua:
Jos.1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success"
It is worthy to note, that success and blessings come to us not just for reading the Bible. They come to us when we read and study the Bible and then observe everything what is written in it, what God requires of us. This is what the Lord told Joshua. It was God’s secret of success for Joshua’s life. However, somebody might ask if this applies to us as well. Can we also be successful and blessed, when we do what the Lord told Joshua to do? Certainly, yes, it does apply to us also. We can know it from Psalm 1. What is written in this Psalm is very similar to what God told Joshua. Psalm 1 applies to every person who wishes to be successful and blessed in life.
Ps.1:1-3 "Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper"
Every man can be blessed, if he does what Psalm 1 teaches us to do. Do you want to be blessed? So, what should we do to receive God’s blessing and to be prosperous or successful in whatever we do?
1) We should not walk in the council of the wicked.
Very often in Biblical language, “to walk,” means, “to live”. Therefore, in order to be blessed and prosperous, we should not live according to the advices of the ungodly people.
2) We should not stand in the way of sinners.
As we have noted above, in Biblical language “to walk” may often mean, “to live”. The word “way” in Biblical language may mean “way of life”. Psalm 1 teaches us, that we should not to live in the same way as sinners live. We should not imitate them or follow them. We, as Christians have much better examples for imitating and following – our Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles, and righteous people, who serve God and do His will. By imitating and following them, we will receive blessing in this life and will be able to inherit eternal life in the future.
3) We should not sit in the seat of the scoffers.
We should not be in the company of the people, who scorn the Bible and its truths, who sin themselves, and approve other sinners. We should not befriend such people or closely fellowship with them. If we are in their company, we can defile ourselves and become like them.
Pr.13:20 "One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm"
1Cor.15:33 "Don’t be deceived! Evil companionships corrupt good morals"
In order to be blessed, we should not have close friendships with unbelievers. We also should not have close friendships with those who call themselves believers, but live sinful and hypocritical lifestyles.
4) Our delight should be in the Law of the Lord.
Psalm 1 teaches us that in order to be blessed we have to love the Law of the Lord and to find our delight in it. We have to love the Bible, read it, and meditate in it day and night. Why is it so important? In order to do everything written in the Word of God, to do will of God. Our primary source of revelation of God’s will is the Bible. When we will do everything Psalm 1 teaches us to do, we will be blessed and successful people.
How Should We Treat the Bible?
It is very important for us always to remember, that Bible is the Word of God. It is holy Book. We should treat the Bible with great respect. God wants us to treat His holy Word with trembling, or godly fear and deep reverence:
Isa.66:1-2 "Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me? and what place shall be my rest? For all these things has my hand made, and so all these things came to be,” says the LORD: “but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word"
Bible is not just another mere human book. It is God’s Book and we must treat it as such. We should never put the Bible on the floor or on our chair or pew. We should never step on the Bible or bring it with us to the restroom. We should not tear it or draw in it. We should not throw into trash either pages from the Bible or an old Bible, which we no longer need.
It is also very important to remember, that our respect for the Bible should be genuine, and not just outward. Our greatest respect for the Word of God is our obedience to it. We respect the Bible when we set aside certain time to read it and to study it. We respect the Bible when we do what we have learned from it. One of the ways to measure our love for God, is to measure our love for His Word. Let us see what Jesus Christ told His disciples:
Jn.14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments"
God told of Himself that He is showing mercy to thousands of those who love Him and keep His commandments:
Ex.20:6 "And showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments"
As you may have noticed, God measures our love for Him by our obedience to His commandments. We cannot say that we love God, if we neglect His Word, and do not have time to read and apply it in our lives. We love God as much as we love His Word. We obey God as much as we obey His word.
1Jn.5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous"
How to Read and Study the Bible?
Some people start to read the Bible but very soon they stop, because they do not understand what they have read. Bible is a very boring book to them. There are several reasons for that. We must remember and understand that Bible is not a mere human book. God is the original Author of this Book. Bible is the Word of God. That is why we need to treat it differently than any other book. We need special preparation before reading it, and we must follow some basic rules of reading it.
1. Pray before reading
First, before reading the Bible we need to pray in order to understand it. We need humbly to ask God to speak to us through His Word and to explain to us its real meaning. Psalm 119 contains many beautiful short prayers that we can pray before reading the Bible. Read this Psalm often and pray its prayers.
Ps.119:18-19 "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law. I am a stranger on the earth. Don’t hide your commandments from me"
Ps.119:26-29 "I declared my ways, and you answered me. Teach me your statutes. Let me understand the teaching of your precepts! Then I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul is weary with sorrow: strengthen me according to your word. Keep me from the way of deceit. Grant me your law graciously!"
2. Prepare yourself for the reading of God’s Word
Second, if we want our reading of the Bible to be effective, we have to prepare ourselves before reading. Let us see how apostles James and Peter wrote about it:
Jas.1:21 "Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"
1Pe.2:1-2 "Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby"
Before God’s Word can bring to us what we expect of it, like salvation of our souls, or something else, we need to do certain things. We need to lay aside all filthiness and all wickedness (or malice). We need to repent in them, and to get rid of them.
Filthiness is enjoyment of what is immoral, like fornication and licentiousness. We must avoid it by any means and in every form. We should not do it, watch it, read about it, think about it or hear about it. If any filthiness fills our hearts, we will not be able to fully understand and accept the Word of God.
Wickedness (malice) is an attitude of rejection and anger toward the Bible or another person. Usually malice toward another person reveals itself in guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking (1Pet.2:1). We must get rid of all this before reading the Bible. We can only receive the Word of God with the attitude of meekness.
Meekness is an attitude of gentleness, obedience, readiness to believe the Word of God, to accept it and to obey it.
3. Find a quiet place for reading
Third, we need to find a quiet place for reading the Bible, where we will not be distracted by anything or anyone. Jesus told us one important principle about the prayer, which we may also apply to the Bible study.
Mt.6:6 "But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly"
We should make every effort to create a distraction-free environment for our Bible study. Turn off your cell phone; ask your family not to disturb you for a while. Make every effort to hear the voice of the Lord to you from the pages of your Bible.
4. Follow some basic Bible study rules
Fourth, when we read the Bible we should follow some basic Bible study rules. Everything we said before does not nullify the importance of using our minds in reading or studying the Bible. We should not lean unto our own understanding (Pr.3:5), but we must use our mind. God gave us mind to understand, to think (to meditate) and to study. Psalm 1 is very clear about it.
Ps.1:1-2 "Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night"
Not following several basic rules of the Bible study can lead us to some wrong conclusions and even serious errors. Now, let us look at some basic rules of the Bible reading and Bible study.
Some Basic Bible Reading Rules
Read every text in its context.
In order to understand any verse you are reading in the Bible, try to read what is above and below it. Read whole paragraph, which contains this Bible verse. Try to find the beginning and the end of the whole thought of which this verse is a part. Sometimes to understand one verse we need to read not just the paragraph but also the whole chapter or even several chapters of the Bible. If we are not reading Bible verses in their context, we can easily err, and come to completely wrong conclusions. It is never advisable to read just one verse or part of the verse and start to explain it without paying attention to context.
Find parallel texts and verses.
It is also never advisable to read just one verse or part of the verse and start to explain it without checking other similar passages in the Bible. How do we find parallel texts and verses? We do it by using Bible with references or Bible Concordance. Using Bible references find parallel texts or verses and compare them to the text or Bible verse you are studying. Sometimes parallel texts have additional information and details, which can help us to better understand the text or verse we are reading or studying.
Use dictionaries.
Sometimes we can find in the Bible rear or difficult to understand words and terms. Find their proper definition in dictionaries. You can use Bible Dictionary or even ordinary dictionary of the language in which you are reading the Bible. Sometimes people, reading the Bible, come to completely wrong conclusions only because they do not know the proper definition of the words. In addition, instead of using a dictionary, you can just read the same passage in another Bible translation, or another language. They may use different words, and thus help you to understand your Bible text better.
Think (meditate) about what you have read.
Psalm 1 tells us that blessed is the man who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night. How can we meditate in the Law of the Lord? To meditate means to think about. You can meditate in the Law of the Lord by reading certain verse a few times, emphasizing different word every time you repeat the verse. Start from the first word of the verse and continue to the last. After reading the verse and emphasizing one word in it, stop for a moment and think about that word and its meaning.
For example, here is how you can meditate on verse in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life”.
Read this verse repeatedly, emphasizing each time different word in it, beginning from the first words to the last word of the verse. First, emphasize words “For God”, then words “so loved”, and so on. After you have read the verse emphasizing certain word in it, stop for a moment and think about that word and its meaning. What does this word mean? What it reveals to you? How is it connected to you and your life?
Ask practical questions.
One of the most important keys to Bible study is to attentively read the text and ask right questions about it. When you have read certain verse, paragraph or chapter, return to your text and ask a few questions: “Is there a truth I need to know? Does it contain a commandment I need to observe? Does it mention a certain sin I need to repent of? Does it give an example I need (or need not) to follow? Is there God’s promise to me? Does it contain a prayer I need to pray? Is there something for what I can thank or praise God?”
Immediately start doing what you have learned.
After you have meditated over a certain text of the Bible and have asked the right questions, immediately start doing and practicing what you have just learned.
For example, you might have read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you”.
Strive to start immediately to do what you have just learned: rejoice in every circumstance, make your prayer life regular, and thank God in everything, even in unwanted situations and circumstances.
If you will read your Bible following above-mentioned principles and rules, your life will be transformed miraculously!
Bible verse for memorization:
“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Bible or Holy Scripture is the Word of God. It is God’s message to humanity. Jesus called the Bible (Old Testament), which was available at His time, by three different names: Law, Word of God, and Scripture.
Jn.10:34-36 "Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’"
Therefore, we can see that for Jesus Christ Bible was not a mere human book. Bible for Him was the Word of God, authored by God, and not merely by men. Apostle Paul wrote in his Second Epistle to Timothy, that Holy Scripture (the Bible), is inspired by God. Of course, not all the words, written in the Bible are God’s words. However, all words written in the Bible are written there by inspiration of God, according to God’s will. Everything written it the Bible is written there for our salvation and to help us achieve perfection.
2Tim.3:15-17 "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work"
What Holy Scripture Can Do for Us?
1. Right doctrine
Scripture is profitable for teaching. It can teach us everything we need to know about God, God’s Son Jesus Christ, and salvation that came through Him. It teaches us how to receive the gift of eternal life, and how to live a blessed life in accordance with God’s will now.
2. Reproof
Scripture is profitable for reproof. It reproofs us in wrong beliefs and practices. When we read the Bible, it shows us what we do wrong, and what we believe incorrectly.
3. Correction
Scripture is profitable for correction. After reproofing us, Holy Scripture helps us to correct what is wrong in our beliefs and practices. By reading the Bible we can see, how to correct our mistakes and behavior.
4. Instruction in righteousness
Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness. It instructs us in righteousness. It shows us, which deeds are righteous, and pleasing to God, and which are not so.
By doing to us everything mentioned above, Holy Scripture could make us perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Jesus the Messiah called us to be perfect.
Mt.5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect"
Holy Scripture can help us to become perfect and to fulfill commandment of Jesus Christ. Successful Christian life is not possible without reading and studying of Holy Scripture (the Bible). Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Colossae, that word of Christ must dwell in them richly (or abundantly).
Col.3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord"
Why the word of Christ must dwell in us richly? As we could see earlier, Holy Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. By doing this for us, Holy Scripture makes us wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. It also makes us perfect people, ready for every good work. However, there are many more things, which Holy Scripture can do for us. Let us look at few more blessings, which we can receive from reading and obeying God’s Word.
5. Spiritual regeneration and cleansing
One of the first things that the Word of God does for people is spiritual regeneration, and then, continual cleansing from sins, errors, wrong attitudes and sinful behavior. It is very important for us to be born again from God. Without this new spiritual birth or spiritual regeneration, no person can see the Kingdom of God or enter into it. This is what Jesus taught as recorded in the Gospel of John.
Jn.3:3 "Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God"
Jn.3:5 "Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!"
Let us read another passage from Apostle Peter about role of the Word of God in our spiritual regeneration (or new birth).
1Pe.1:22-23 "Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently: having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever"
God makes us His born again children by His Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, this Word of God cleanses us, and makes us capable of loving one another with a pure heart. Jesus the Messiah also taught His disciples, that the word, which He spoke to them, had made them clean.
Jn.15:3 "You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you"
However, the Word of God can spiritually regenerate and cleanse a person, only when he or she carefully listens to it (or reads it), and wholly accepts it into his or her heart.
6. Deliverance from the bondage of sin
The Bible tells us that after one of the sermons of Jesus many people believed in Him. Nevertheless, that was not enough for Jesus. He wanted them to become His disciples. Jesus also explained them, that in order to become His disciples they must continue in His Word. To continue in the Word of Jesus means to carefully listen (or read) what He said, and apply it in our lives. By doing so we will know the truth and the truth will make us free. This is the way we can become free of any sin. Jesus saw that people, who believed in Him, were not free from their sins. They still were slaves of sin. Many believing people today are in the same condition.
Jn.8:30-36 "As he spoke these things, many believed in him. Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free?’” Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed"
Ps.119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word"
In order to live pure, holy and free of sin lives before God, we should live according to the Word of God. In order to live according to the Word of God we must hide this Word in our hearts. We should diligently read, study and memorize the Word of God.
7. Sanctification
The Word of God can help us in the process of our sanctification. It can help us to become holy people before God. The Lord requires holiness and sanctification of us.
Heb.12:14 "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord"
The Word of God is one of the means of our sanctification. We know it from the prayer of Jesus Christ for His disciples, recorded in the Gospel of John.
Jn.17:17 "Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth"
When we attentively read the Word of God (the Bible), God cleanses us through this Word. He also sanctifies us. It means He separates and liberates us from all sins and takes us into His service. He makes us holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from all evil (Heb.7:26). This process is called sanctification.
8. Faith
Faith is very important in our lives. The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to be saved, to please God and to receive promises of God (Mr. 16:16, Heb. 11:6, 11:33). But how we can get faith, if we have no faith? Where does faith come from? Answer to this is written in Epistle to Romans.
Rom.10:17 "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
Therefore, faith comes to us, when we attentively listen and accept what God tells us through His Word. Through God’s Word we can receive faith for our salvation, healing, and deliverance from different and difficult problems and circumstances.
Pr.4:20-22 "My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body"
In order to have faith, we must regularly and carefully read and study the Bible. When through this Word we will learn how to listen to God, we will acquire faith. Furthermore, through continuous abiding in the Word of God our faith will become stronger and stronger.
9. Protection from doctrinal errors
With the help of the Bible, we can and should test everything we read or hear concerning faith. We must test every sermon, every teaching, and every book. If somebody says or writes anything different, than the Bible teaches, we should not believe him or her. If any book contains anything that contradicts Biblical truth, we should reject it. Bible contains whole truth. That is why we should test anything according to what is revealed in the Bible. In ancient times God told His people, Israel through prophet Isaiah to test everything by the Bible:
Isa.8:19-20 "When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them"
The Law, mentioned in above quoted verses, is the Law of God, written in the five books of Moses (Pentateuch). Testimony is the testimony or revelation of God, given by His prophets in prophetic books of the Bible. When God told people through Isaiah to test everything by the Law and the Testimony, books of the New Testament were not written yet. However, today, when we have complete Bibles, these words, spoken through Isaiah apply to New Testament books as well. We must test by the Bible everything people say, write or teach.
There is a story in the New Testament Book of Acts, when apostle Paul came to a city named Berea and started to preach there about Jesus in the synagogue. This teaching was something new for the people that heard it. They have never heard anything like this. However, they had the Bible – Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. Therefore, when they heard Paul’s sermon, they started to test everything he said by what was written in their Bible. They wanted to know if he told them the truth. They checked their Holy Scriptures and saw that what Paul told them was according to the Scriptures. Those people in Berea believed in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:10-12).
We should follow the example set by Bereans, and test everything by the Word of God. Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia that they must test even what angels say. If an angel appears to somebody and tells something, it must be tested by the words previously spoken by God’s prophets and apostles. If angel tells us something opposite, we should reject him and his message (Gal. 1:8-9, 2Cor.11:13-15). However, in order to test everything by the Bible we need to regularly read and study our Bibles. We need to know what is written in the Bible. Let us remind once more one important verse, written in Epistle to Colossians:
Col.3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"
We need to make every effort to read our Bibles every day, and to read a lot! In addition, it is very important to understand what we read. If we do not understand something in the Bible, we need to pray and ask God’s help in understanding this particular passage of the Bible. Furthermore, we can seek help from somebody who understands the Bible better than we do. Later we will learn how to read and study the Bible effectively, applying some important rules of Bible study. By regularly reading and studying our Bibles, we will be able to know the truth and to test everything by the written Word of God. We will know who tells the truth and who does not. If previously you did not have a habit of regular reading and studying of the Bible, start today. It is very important!
10. Blessing and success in life
Bible contains a large amount of promises of success and blessings for those, who read, hear and obey the Word of God. However, in Biblical definition, success does not always mean financial prosperity, good health or life without any problems. What is real success, according to the Bible? It is person’s unrestrained ability to fulfill successfully God’s will in his or her life and God’s purposes for his or her life.
When Moses died, Joshua became leader of Israel instead of him. A great task was set before Joshua. That task was God’s purpose for His life. What was this task? Joshua had to bring Israel into Promised Land. It was not easy, because strong nations lived there. They even had giants there. The Promised Land had to be conquered, before Israel could take possession of it and divide it among twelve tribes. How Joshua can do this? Will he be successful in this great task, given to him by God? Will he be successful in fulfilling God’s purpose for his life?
After the death of Moses, the Lord Himself started to speak to Joshua and revealed to him the secret of success. God told him what he must do in order to be successful and have wisdom from God. What did God tell him? What is the secret of success? Let us read together what the Lord revealed to Joshua:
Jos.1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success"
It is worthy to note, that success and blessings come to us not just for reading the Bible. They come to us when we read and study the Bible and then observe everything what is written in it, what God requires of us. This is what the Lord told Joshua. It was God’s secret of success for Joshua’s life. However, somebody might ask if this applies to us as well. Can we also be successful and blessed, when we do what the Lord told Joshua to do? Certainly, yes, it does apply to us also. We can know it from Psalm 1. What is written in this Psalm is very similar to what God told Joshua. Psalm 1 applies to every person who wishes to be successful and blessed in life.
Ps.1:1-3 "Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper"
Every man can be blessed, if he does what Psalm 1 teaches us to do. Do you want to be blessed? So, what should we do to receive God’s blessing and to be prosperous or successful in whatever we do?
1) We should not walk in the council of the wicked.
Very often in Biblical language, “to walk,” means, “to live”. Therefore, in order to be blessed and prosperous, we should not live according to the advices of the ungodly people.
2) We should not stand in the way of sinners.
As we have noted above, in Biblical language “to walk” may often mean, “to live”. The word “way” in Biblical language may mean “way of life”. Psalm 1 teaches us, that we should not to live in the same way as sinners live. We should not imitate them or follow them. We, as Christians have much better examples for imitating and following – our Lord Jesus Christ, His apostles, and righteous people, who serve God and do His will. By imitating and following them, we will receive blessing in this life and will be able to inherit eternal life in the future.
3) We should not sit in the seat of the scoffers.
We should not be in the company of the people, who scorn the Bible and its truths, who sin themselves, and approve other sinners. We should not befriend such people or closely fellowship with them. If we are in their company, we can defile ourselves and become like them.
Pr.13:20 "One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm"
1Cor.15:33 "Don’t be deceived! Evil companionships corrupt good morals"
In order to be blessed, we should not have close friendships with unbelievers. We also should not have close friendships with those who call themselves believers, but live sinful and hypocritical lifestyles.
4) Our delight should be in the Law of the Lord.
Psalm 1 teaches us that in order to be blessed we have to love the Law of the Lord and to find our delight in it. We have to love the Bible, read it, and meditate in it day and night. Why is it so important? In order to do everything written in the Word of God, to do will of God. Our primary source of revelation of God’s will is the Bible. When we will do everything Psalm 1 teaches us to do, we will be blessed and successful people.
How Should We Treat the Bible?
It is very important for us always to remember, that Bible is the Word of God. It is holy Book. We should treat the Bible with great respect. God wants us to treat His holy Word with trembling, or godly fear and deep reverence:
Isa.66:1-2 "Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me? and what place shall be my rest? For all these things has my hand made, and so all these things came to be,” says the LORD: “but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word"
Bible is not just another mere human book. It is God’s Book and we must treat it as such. We should never put the Bible on the floor or on our chair or pew. We should never step on the Bible or bring it with us to the restroom. We should not tear it or draw in it. We should not throw into trash either pages from the Bible or an old Bible, which we no longer need.
It is also very important to remember, that our respect for the Bible should be genuine, and not just outward. Our greatest respect for the Word of God is our obedience to it. We respect the Bible when we set aside certain time to read it and to study it. We respect the Bible when we do what we have learned from it. One of the ways to measure our love for God, is to measure our love for His Word. Let us see what Jesus Christ told His disciples:
Jn.14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments"
God told of Himself that He is showing mercy to thousands of those who love Him and keep His commandments:
Ex.20:6 "And showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments"
As you may have noticed, God measures our love for Him by our obedience to His commandments. We cannot say that we love God, if we neglect His Word, and do not have time to read and apply it in our lives. We love God as much as we love His Word. We obey God as much as we obey His word.
1Jn.5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous"
How to Read and Study the Bible?
Some people start to read the Bible but very soon they stop, because they do not understand what they have read. Bible is a very boring book to them. There are several reasons for that. We must remember and understand that Bible is not a mere human book. God is the original Author of this Book. Bible is the Word of God. That is why we need to treat it differently than any other book. We need special preparation before reading it, and we must follow some basic rules of reading it.
1. Pray before reading
First, before reading the Bible we need to pray in order to understand it. We need humbly to ask God to speak to us through His Word and to explain to us its real meaning. Psalm 119 contains many beautiful short prayers that we can pray before reading the Bible. Read this Psalm often and pray its prayers.
Ps.119:18-19 "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your law. I am a stranger on the earth. Don’t hide your commandments from me"
Ps.119:26-29 "I declared my ways, and you answered me. Teach me your statutes. Let me understand the teaching of your precepts! Then I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul is weary with sorrow: strengthen me according to your word. Keep me from the way of deceit. Grant me your law graciously!"
2. Prepare yourself for the reading of God’s Word
Second, if we want our reading of the Bible to be effective, we have to prepare ourselves before reading. Let us see how apostles James and Peter wrote about it:
Jas.1:21 "Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"
1Pe.2:1-2 "Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby"
Before God’s Word can bring to us what we expect of it, like salvation of our souls, or something else, we need to do certain things. We need to lay aside all filthiness and all wickedness (or malice). We need to repent in them, and to get rid of them.
Filthiness is enjoyment of what is immoral, like fornication and licentiousness. We must avoid it by any means and in every form. We should not do it, watch it, read about it, think about it or hear about it. If any filthiness fills our hearts, we will not be able to fully understand and accept the Word of God.
Wickedness (malice) is an attitude of rejection and anger toward the Bible or another person. Usually malice toward another person reveals itself in guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking (1Pet.2:1). We must get rid of all this before reading the Bible. We can only receive the Word of God with the attitude of meekness.
Meekness is an attitude of gentleness, obedience, readiness to believe the Word of God, to accept it and to obey it.
3. Find a quiet place for reading
Third, we need to find a quiet place for reading the Bible, where we will not be distracted by anything or anyone. Jesus told us one important principle about the prayer, which we may also apply to the Bible study.
Mt.6:6 "But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly"
We should make every effort to create a distraction-free environment for our Bible study. Turn off your cell phone; ask your family not to disturb you for a while. Make every effort to hear the voice of the Lord to you from the pages of your Bible.
4. Follow some basic Bible study rules
Fourth, when we read the Bible we should follow some basic Bible study rules. Everything we said before does not nullify the importance of using our minds in reading or studying the Bible. We should not lean unto our own understanding (Pr.3:5), but we must use our mind. God gave us mind to understand, to think (to meditate) and to study. Psalm 1 is very clear about it.
Ps.1:1-2 "Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night"
Not following several basic rules of the Bible study can lead us to some wrong conclusions and even serious errors. Now, let us look at some basic rules of the Bible reading and Bible study.
Some Basic Bible Reading Rules
Read every text in its context.
In order to understand any verse you are reading in the Bible, try to read what is above and below it. Read whole paragraph, which contains this Bible verse. Try to find the beginning and the end of the whole thought of which this verse is a part. Sometimes to understand one verse we need to read not just the paragraph but also the whole chapter or even several chapters of the Bible. If we are not reading Bible verses in their context, we can easily err, and come to completely wrong conclusions. It is never advisable to read just one verse or part of the verse and start to explain it without paying attention to context.
Find parallel texts and verses.
It is also never advisable to read just one verse or part of the verse and start to explain it without checking other similar passages in the Bible. How do we find parallel texts and verses? We do it by using Bible with references or Bible Concordance. Using Bible references find parallel texts or verses and compare them to the text or Bible verse you are studying. Sometimes parallel texts have additional information and details, which can help us to better understand the text or verse we are reading or studying.
Use dictionaries.
Sometimes we can find in the Bible rear or difficult to understand words and terms. Find their proper definition in dictionaries. You can use Bible Dictionary or even ordinary dictionary of the language in which you are reading the Bible. Sometimes people, reading the Bible, come to completely wrong conclusions only because they do not know the proper definition of the words. In addition, instead of using a dictionary, you can just read the same passage in another Bible translation, or another language. They may use different words, and thus help you to understand your Bible text better.
Think (meditate) about what you have read.
Psalm 1 tells us that blessed is the man who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night. How can we meditate in the Law of the Lord? To meditate means to think about. You can meditate in the Law of the Lord by reading certain verse a few times, emphasizing different word every time you repeat the verse. Start from the first word of the verse and continue to the last. After reading the verse and emphasizing one word in it, stop for a moment and think about that word and its meaning.
For example, here is how you can meditate on verse in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life”.
Read this verse repeatedly, emphasizing each time different word in it, beginning from the first words to the last word of the verse. First, emphasize words “For God”, then words “so loved”, and so on. After you have read the verse emphasizing certain word in it, stop for a moment and think about that word and its meaning. What does this word mean? What it reveals to you? How is it connected to you and your life?
Ask practical questions.
One of the most important keys to Bible study is to attentively read the text and ask right questions about it. When you have read certain verse, paragraph or chapter, return to your text and ask a few questions: “Is there a truth I need to know? Does it contain a commandment I need to observe? Does it mention a certain sin I need to repent of? Does it give an example I need (or need not) to follow? Is there God’s promise to me? Does it contain a prayer I need to pray? Is there something for what I can thank or praise God?”
Immediately start doing what you have learned.
After you have meditated over a certain text of the Bible and have asked the right questions, immediately start doing and practicing what you have just learned.
For example, you might have read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you”.
Strive to start immediately to do what you have just learned: rejoice in every circumstance, make your prayer life regular, and thank God in everything, even in unwanted situations and circumstances.
If you will read your Bible following above-mentioned principles and rules, your life will be transformed miraculously!
Bible verse for memorization:
“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)