One of the greatest benefits of being a child of God is the opportunity to study God’s Word. The Word of God gives us life (Ps. 119), hope (Rom. 15:4), and makes us “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15). Those who shape their lives after God’s Word are immediately stronger and more equipped to deal with the pressures of this world. The Bible encourages us to be more like God and less like the world. The Word of God demands that we let go of “self-dependency” and allow God to be our anchor (Heb. 6:19). Each person has a personal responsibility to study God’s Word. We cannot know His will for our lives if we don’t know His Word. Bible study is not just something we do, but rather part of who we are. We should become “walking Bibles,” and the way to do that is by studying the Word of God.
In the world today, there is much religious confusion. Many have adopted the phrase, “It’s okay to go to the church of your choice.” Paul, however, said to the church in Ephesus, “There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” (Eph. 4:4, 5). When we properly study the Bible, we can come to the conclusion that there is only one church. Being united in study helps us carry the message of our Lord. Why do we need more churches when the Lord has enough room for everybody to belong to one? Paul would say that “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33).
One of the most important things to consider when studying the Bible is context. A verse can never mean what it was never intended to say. Hermeneutics (the science of interpretation) forces us to ask necessary questions. With these tools, we can come to the same conclusion as the author. The apostle Paul would say to the brethren in Ephesus, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4). The Bible is a book we can all understand. Many in the religious world feel differently, but why would God give us a book we couldn’t understand? The Bible is the only book that gives us a reason to live, and the only book that gives us true hope of life after death.
When we are united in study, we will understand the Bible the way God intended us to. Jesus taught the apostles everything they needed to evangelize the world, and the doctrine the apostles taught is what we live by (Acts. 2:42). This doctrine saves us, sustains us, but most importantly, shapes us. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can save souls and bring them to the point of justification. The doctrine is our standard for living out the teachings of our Lord. Luke would say of the Bereans, “These 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). Being united in study provides us the opportunity to be more like our Lord. Let us become diligent in our studies and united in our approach.
