Day 4 – How to Study the Bible

Tom Marxen Authority of God's Word 18 October 2023 Hits: 39

There are many great devotionals and Bible study resources out there. Many are free and can be found online or purchased in Christian bookstores.

Some Good online Bible sites

Online - The Blue Letter Bible at https://www.blueletterbible.org/ which includes many versions, devotionals, word studies, video resources and more.
On your computer -E-Sword - http://www.e-sword.net/ which is a downloadable bible program which includes many versions, reference libraries, and the ability to add in study notes on your own.
On your phone - YouVersion - https://www.youversion.com/ A free Bible on your phone, tablet, and computer. YouVersion is a simple, ad-free Bible that brings God's Word into your daily life.

My favorite devotional is “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. You can find it in many bookstores and you can find the devotional published online at: http://utmost.org/

Whatever resources you choose to use in your personal bible study, the attitude of your heart is by far the most important part. The following excerpt from the book, “HOLINESS, TRUTH AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD” by Francis Frangipane communicates this essential truth.

Keeping Your Way Pure

The Scriptures tell us that the Lord is our keeper. To be kept by Him, however, does not mean we will not face temptations, for even Jesus was tempted. Rather, it is in the midst of trials and temptations that God keeps us. And the way He keeps us is through His Word. Therefore, if we would be holy, we must know intimately the Person whom the Bible calls the Word.

TREASURING THE WORD

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping it according to Thy word. With all my heart I have sought Thee; do not let me wander from Thy commandments. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.—Psalm 119:9–11

The question is not, “How can a young man become pure?” as though purity of heart was impossible for a young man. Rather, the question is, “How can he keep his way pure?” Purity of heart can be reached and maintained if we abide in fellowship with God’s Word. No matter what our age may be, we keep our way pure by “keeping it according to [God’s] word . . . [which] I have treasured in my heart” (Ps 119:9, 11). There is a place beyond knowing a few Bible verses, a place where the living Word of God be-comes our most treasured possession. To treasure the Word is to love it, even as it pierces “as far as the division of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12). To treasure the Word is to remain fully vulnerable, even as it judges “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). It exposes our motives. It is the lamp of the Spirit which illuminates the darkness of our hearts with light. It sets us free from the strongholds of hidden sin. It wounds, but it also heals, penetrating deeply into the very core of our being. The Word of the Lord, united with the Holy Spirit, is the vehicle of our transformation into the image of Christ. Holiness comes to him whose treasure is the Word.

THE WORD IS GOD

Many read the Scriptures simply to reinforce their current beliefs. Although they read the entire Bible, their mind only sees certain doctrines. Instead of believing what they read, they merely read what they already believe. Rarely do they ﬁnd new truths in the Word. Baptists see from their perspective, Pentecostals and charismatics each have theirs, while Catholics and other denominations often have a completely different emphasis. The same way the Jews were “baptized into Moses” (1 Corinthians 10:2), so Christians are often baptized into their denomination. When they are fully indoctrinated, their minds have been immersed into a pool of teaching that leaves them more conformed to the image of their sect than to the likeness of Christ. But if we would grow in Christ’s likeness, we must be baptized into Christ’s Spirit, not the spirit or slant of any particular denomination. When one is baptized in Christ, his spirit is actually clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27). It is Christ’s image in holiness and power which a true disciple seeks. We cannot allow ourselves to be inoculated with a dozen or so special Bible verses that merely get us “saved” but leave us immune from the fullness of God! You are a disciple of Jesus Christ: the reality of God’s kingdom is found in the combined meaning of all Jesus taught. Therefore, you must treasure every word! The Word is God. The Scriptures are not God, but the Spirit that breathes through the words is God. And this Holy Spirit should be honored as God. Therefore, as you seek the Lord, place your Bible at the foot of your bed, and kneel as you read: are you not seeking to meet with the Almighty? Pray that you will not merely read intellectually. Rather, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart through the Word.

To be a true disciple, you must tremble when God speaks (Isa 66:2). Prepare your heart with reverence and worship. As you kneel in humility before the Lord, the Word will be engrafted into your soul, actually becoming a part of your nature (James 1:21).

Again, do not read only to reinforce your established doctrines, although prayerful consideration of another’s understanding may be of value. Be prepared to take notes, to write down what the Spirit says, being ever mindful that it is the quickening Spirit, not the letter, that brings life (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Read with an attitude of willingness, humility and repentance, and even if you cannot fully obey the Word, keep it, holding it in your heart. Right here is where most people fall short. For if the command seems impossible or unreasonable to their minds, they disregard it. But Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me” (John 14:21). Many times, before you are able to obey the Word, you must make yourself keep it. God must work in you “both to will and to work” (Phil 2:13). First God makes you willing, then He makes you able. In this process, let the Word pierce you, let it crucify you. Suffer with it, but do not let it go. View every Bible command, every “Thou shall be” as a promise God will fulﬁll in your life as you steadfastly keep His Word. And as you keep the Word, treasuring His commandment in your heart, the Word itself will effectually work within you, bringing grace and transformation as you believe. Each of us needs to stockpile in our minds as much of the Bible as we can. During the ﬁrst ten years of my walk with God, I began my daily study by reading ﬁve chapters in the Pentateuch (the ﬁrst ﬁve books of the Bible). I would then read aloud ﬁve psalms, seeking to express in my reading the emotion and faith of the psalmist. I would carefully study one chapter of Proverbs and three chapters in the Prophets. Then I would read three chapters in one of the New Testament Letters or Epistles and ﬁnally one chapter in the Gospels. In all, I studied about eighteen chapters a day. Reading in this way kept me balanced in the various truths of the Bible.

Perhaps you cannot do as much, but just four chapters a day will complete the whole Bible in less than a year. Whatever approach you decide upon, combine Old and New Testaments in your pursuit.

I would keep my pattern diligently until the Holy Spirit began to speak or “breathe” through the Scriptures. When the Spirit spoke, I honored Him by following His leading, being careful to write down all that He taught. The next day I would begin my pattern again by kneeling before the Word, picking up my study where I left off. Carry a pad and pen with you at all times. At night, put your notebook at your bedside, for God will speak to His beloved, even in his sleep. We are called to abide in Him, not just visit with Him. Ultimately, we must be fully given to the words of Jesus. The Gospels must rise to preeminence above all other books in the Bible. Too often Christians preach Paul or another one of the apostles more than Jesus. Yet Paul taught, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Colossians 3:16). It was the word of Christ that transformed all the apostles. The apostle John taught, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 1:9).

We are called to abide in the teaching of Christ! Yet, typically, Christians have spent little time in Christ’s words, choosing rather to read about Him than dwell within Him. We have “how-to” books for every facet of existence. We have come to believe that reading books is the essence of Christianity! We are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). Dear ones, truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:21).

Therefore, we must learn to abide in the teachings of Christ, even while we pursue our study of the rest of the Scriptures. Only Jesus died for our sins; our pursuit of Him must become the singular goal of our spiritual endeavors.

You must develop such a listening ear that the Spirit could speak to you anywhere about anything. Honor Him and He will honor you. Keep the Word in your heart and He will establish you in holiness before God. He will keep your way pure.

Discussion Questions:

Day 4 – How to Study the Bible