I will confine my comments within the boundaries of the continental United States
precious book can be purchased in several translations, with different helps, various sizes (even in font), and the list goes on. It can also be obtained absolutely free of charge, no strings attached.
precious book can be purchased in several translations, with different helps, various sizes (even in font), and the list goes on. It can also be obtained absolutely free of charge, no strings attached.
Even though the list of families is growing where a Bible is not to be found, its popularity does not diminish. The result however is that thousands of children are growing up today who are totally foreign to the Bible, and we are reaping the whirlwind from the crop we have sown. God help us.
My point though is directed to those who claim the name of Christ and thereby call themselves Christians. There are four concerns I see; (1) a Christian without a Bible, (2) a Christian with a Bible, but who does not read it, (3) a Christian who reads the Bible, but does not study it, and finally (4) a Christian who studies the Bible, but will not forsake his/her preconceived opinions.
(1) Christians Without Bibles
When I see a Christian without a Bible, I am either (a) saddened or (b) perplexed.
(a) I am saddened when a child of God does not have the means to hear what their Lord says. Is it really possible in this country for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to not have the wherewithal to obtain a Bible? Not much, but yes. There are a few who just cannot afford a Bible, and do not realize that there are sources who will give them a free Bible. Then again, maybe sometimes pride stands in the way, so they do not ask. The Gideons for example, are well known for distributing Bibles without charge. Many churches would be more than happy to give anyone who wants a Bible a free one. Maybe we need to be more aware of our brothers and sisters in the Lord who need help in this area, and simply provide them, personally, a free Bible.
(b) It puzzles me when I see those, who I know own one, not bother to have one with them when the church assembles in worship. In their defense I do need to point out that considering some of the humanistic dribble that comes from the pulpit these days, I cannot blame them. However, this is when I would be looking for another church family to worship with. Sometimes though you have some “meat and potatoes” coming from the pulpit, and it is discouraging to the speaker when he looks out over the congregation and sees so many sitting there on their hands with that far off look in their eyes. That would be like going to class at school and leaving your text books home. How do you think that would fly?
(2) A Christian With A Bible, But Who Will Not Read It
Oddly enough, these good folks sometimes have all the answers, based on their preconceived opinions of course. This is the crowd that so often will quote a line, and then tell you that it is in the Bible, when it is not. Such as:
1. The eyes are the window to the soul.
2. The family that prays together stays together.
3. Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
4. A fool and his money are soon parted.
5. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
6. God helps those who help themselves.
7. Money is the root of all evil.
8. To thine own self be true.
The first five are good quotes, but that is all they are, just quotes from other sources, not the Bible. The last threed are not true, and are not from the Bible. There are many others. Look them up. Here is another one, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Is it from the Bible? No, it actually goes back to an essay written in 1709 called “An Essay On Criticism” and was written by Alexander Pope. Albert Einstein expanded on this quote by saying, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.”
Need I say more about Christians with a Bible, but who will not read them?
(3) Christians Who Read The Bible, But Will Not Study The Bible.
There is a difference?! Absolutely!
Now some of these dear saints are “kissing cousins” with “Christians With A Bible, But Who Will Not Read Them”, if they are just casual readers of the Bible, the once in a great while crowd. These are the good folks who let their ignorance show like a lady’s slip hanging below her dress. How do they do this? It usually happens when they open their mouth. They perch on the edge of their seats just waiting to straighten you out when you err, or at least, when they think you do.
Others in this group do read their Bible as often as possible, possibly at least a little every day, but sadly they do not take the extra time to really study what they are reading. They are on the right track, and are to be admired. They obviously do love our Lord, and want to hear, via His Word the Bible, what He is saying to them. They short-change themselves however by not digging deeper into the rich soil of God’s Word. Oh the treasurers He has for us, as the Holy Spirit guides our paths to the deeper things He reveals.
The big, big difference between reading the Bible and truly studying the Bible (guided by the Holy Spirit) is “work”. It takes a lot of hard work to study the Bible. No one can obtain salvation through working for it, but work must be applied as a Christian, when studying God’s Word. God is not going to funnel it in our ears. He expects us to dig for His nuggets. We dig. He guides. I suppose God looks at it this way, “If they are not interested enough in Me to apply themselves, then I am not going to reward them for laziness.”
It is understood that some people are just not able to do more than read the Scriptures. Their reasons are many, and they are legitimate. I applaud them. The Lord will reward them mightily.
Others though could go beyond reading, if they would, but they won’t. What we actually do and don’t do is a strong indication of our real priorities. We make time for what we want to do. Right? Why can’t we make time to study God’s Word? Obviously, we don’t want to.
(4) Christians Who Study The Bible, But Will Not Forsake Their Preconceived Opinions
I discovered almost 50 years ago that the Holy Spirit works much better with a mind that is open to His leadership, than one that is closed to instruction. In other words, to learn, keep an open mind, and let the Holy Spirit lead you. I have tried to follow this procedure, and still do so. I have changed my mind on some things because I allowed God to direct me to the Truth. I have not changed my mind on other things for the same reason. I remain neutral on a couple of issues for now.
More often than not, people’s preconceived opinions are from some of these sources:
o Their own denomination (or the like)
o Family opinions
o Things heard from others over the years
o False teaching from the pulpit (a big one)
o Their own reasoning (what they think is fair or the way it should be, etc.)
We all should be more like the Bereans who, “… were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11) Could it be that these upstarts from Berea
Look folks, God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”. (Isaiah 55:8) So what gives us the right to say to God, “I think it should be this way or that way”? Just who do we think we are?
I will never forget noticing as a child of about twelve or fourteen that respected religious leaders may have totally different views on the same subject. About that same time, a friend told me that I “belonged” to a certain demonization because of my parents. He was right. He concluded that I was heavily influenced by my parents and my local church and denomination. Now there is nothing wrong with that, but it was then that I determined not to be influenced by the thinking of others to the point of being “herd bound”. (Herd Bound Definition: when all in the herd follow each other in the stampede over the cliff to their doom) Therefore, I determined to be my own man, so to speak, not shaped by the opinions of others or the error of my own thought, but by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Why should I get my Biblical training second-hand from opinions, when I could get it straight from the Source? Is that to say I would always be right? Absolutely not! (No fault of God’s though.) But at least, I would be better off than letting others determine what I believe.
For those in this category, if you would just allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your study, even away from what you may have once held dearly, you just might relax and enjoy life. Otherwise, you will continue to be like a pond with no flowing water … stagnated and stinky.
Those with stubborn opinions are not the same as those with beliefs that are Holy Spirit led conclusions. Just make sure that they are Holy Spirit led conclusions though, and not stubborn opinions.
Concluding
The intent with Bible study, for all Christians, should be to grow as close as possible to the one and only God who saved us. Secondly, to learn His will for us. The intent is never to just obtain knowledge, but to obtain knowledge that makes us more like Jesus in the lives we live every day.
Some just want to argue about what they know or think they know. Knowledge is not something you flaunt. One who is Christ like does not throw knowledge in the face of others and then try to induce an argument. We share what Jesus wants us to pass on to others, and then leave it there. The rest is between the person or persons we shared it with and the Lord.
May we always recall that the Bible isn’t just a book. It is a book that contains the holy words of God Almighty, written down for our benefit. It is the Word of Truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) Don’t demean it by arguing over it. When we learn it and apply it as He intends, we will honor it and share the Good News within, without trying to cram it down someone’s throat, because we think we are smarter than everyone else. When we honor it, we will grow. When we argue over it, our immaturity shows.
So, (1) read a translation you can understand, (2) pray each time for the Holy Spirit’s guidance (not my opinion Lord, but Thine), (3) let it speak to you personally, (4) obey what it says, and (5) learn of Him and share Him.
