WHAT IS MEANT BY “BIBLE STUDY”?

WHAT IS MEANT BY “BIBLE STUDY”?

DOC LYNCH

There are many reasons why people read the Bible. Many read it as a matter of faith. Some read it as a religious endeavor. Some study it as if it was as important as eating food to live.

Usually the born-again believer treats the Word as a supernatural document given to the world as a document written by God Himself. He accomplished that by using many different men and women. Some prophets, some warriors, some Kings, and some disciples of Jesus Christ Himself.

As believers we should approach the study of the Bible in a deeply spiritual and systematic quest to get to know and understand God's will for our lives.

We should also believe and understand that Jesus Christ IS THE WORD.

Theologically Jesus is the "Pre-existent Logos (Word)". In other words, before He took on the human form of Jesus Christ, He always was. Like the Father and the Holy Spirit, He was never "born", but simply always existed as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also the God of Creation.

Here it is from the Scripture itself. It is good to STUDY such a passage in order to get a full and truthful understanding about who Jesus is.

John 1:1 (AMP) – IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself."

So concise a verse, yet so packed with information. It might be somewhat cryptic and even confusing to the person who may believe in God and Jesus, but is unfamiliar with His Word.

STUDYING the concept out further brings an increased enlightenment.

John 1:2-3 (AMP) – 2 "He was present originally with God. 3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being."

So, just in three short verses we have learned that Jesus Christ has no beginning, and before he came to earth as a baby, He had already existed as God and with God before even the eons of time. We also now know that He was actually the Creator of everything that now and ever has existed.

Some of that is straightforward and somewhat simple to grasp, but some of it is not and requires, even begs, that we study the Word further.

See? That's Bible Study. Bring that ideal into a group setting where people are interacting with each other over a Biblical Truth, and we have the makings of incredible spiritual discovery.

There is also the legal side of things. By legal I mean what God actually REQUIRES us to do. It's really not a choice to study the bible if you are a believer. It's a requirement.

Proverbs 4:20-21 (AMP) – 20 "My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings 21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart."

From the beginning of the written Word God has meant for us to make good use of it.

Joshua 1:8 (AMP) – "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 and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success."

2 Timothy 3: 16-17 (AMP) – 16 "Every Scripture is God- breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), 17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."

What we have just done here this morning is study the bible together. By doing so we have first of all obeyed God, as well as having learned about Jesus a bit and who he is, as well as learning why we should study the bible.

In all of that, we have BARELY even scratched the surface. No matter how old you are there is a LIFETIME of study and learning, but not in some forced academic endeavor, but as a pleasurable and meaningful event each day as God speaks to us.

The bible, The Word, is a living organism bound on paper (or now even electronically) with ink between two covers. It remains trapped in a book until we allow it to be released supernaturally into us so that we have a relationship with Jesus through it. In every essence of the fact of the Word being Jesus, it has the power to literally change our lives.

Paul gave sound advice to a young Timothy. He spoke to him much about the Word of God and how to treat it and get the most out of it. No more greater advice about The Word is found more than in this next verse.

1 Timothy 4:13 (AMP) – "Till I come, devote yourself to [public and private] reading, to exhortation (preaching and personal appeals), and to teaching and instilling doctrine."

Devotion to the Word. For ourselves and for others. It is life to the believer.

Be REVIVED and blessed today in all that Jesus has ALREADY set aside for you to enjoy!

~Pastor Doc Lynch~