Does it really matter?
Whether trying to understand the ideal platform for communicating Biblical truth or the best practices for moving through a Biblical text, wading through questions like, "Should we use our phones or the book?" "Should we read the Bible in one year?"and "Should we stick to reading one book of the Bible at a time?" can be confusing. I think God has given us a tremendous amount of freedom to determine the platform/strategy that we will use to get into His Word. To be completely frank, I don't think God cares HOW we read Scripture - just that we are understanding it and accurately applying it!
Most of us have never been taught how to correctly read Scripture, sit with it, draw out its meaning, and have that meaning applied to our hearts to experience more of God’s power in our lives.
DISCLAIMER
Reading and interpreting the Bible is not easy. It takes time, persistence, and effort. In the introduction to Future Grace, John Piper said, "Raking is easy, but all you get is leaves; digging is hard, but you might find diamonds." In the same way, I am hoping that by learning a few simple things, you too would be consistently finding Biblical diamonds!
Step 1) Understand the context
- Who wrote this and why?
- Who was he writing to?
- What was the situation and time period they were living in?
- What has happened before this, and what is going to happen afterward?
- What kind of literature is this text (i.e. is it poetry, history, or legal)?
Once you have asked these questions you may think of even more. That’s great! Write all of them down so that you can study this passage more thoroughly. I find that it is so much more enjoyable and satisfying to study something when I still have questions. By asking thoughtful questions of the passage, we are intentionally giving ourselves fuel for further study. Then, write a short summary of what you found (WHAT the author said, WHY he said it, and to WHOM he was saying it).
Step 2) Why did God include this in the Bible?
The Bible never claims to be exhaustive. Only some of the things that happened back then actually ended up in the Bible. If a verse ended up making the cut and getting into the Bible, God must have had a reason. We can ask more questions, such as: Is there something that God is wanting me to do? Is there something that God is calling me to be? Or the passage may simply be trying to communicate what God does for His people or speak to God's nature and character. In those verses, what we are called to DO is respond to His goodness and what we are called to BE is growing to be more like our Father in our character and person. The hope is that we would begin to understand WHY God wanted us to read this verse so that we can see the things God is calling us to do or the person that God is calling us to be.
Step 3) Reflect on how you have struggled to obey the Bible.
None of us have ever perfectly lived up to the Biblical standard. Let's be clear: God made human beings to be perfectly obedient. So if you and I are not perfectly obedient, then we have fallen short. We have missed the mark. We have not measured up. Ending our time in God’s Word with a simple “do this” or "be this” is JUST NOT ENOUGH. It really does not give me any hope at all! I have consistently shown that I cannot do what the Bible says or be the man the Bible is calling me to be! I am a rebel down to the very core of my being; I cannot walk with God rightly. To end my time in God’s Word with a command is guaranteeing my own failure. It is like tying a millstone around my neck and asking me to swim during a hurricane!
It is IMPOSSIBLE!
I need to consistently be reminded that reading the Bible is not about what I can do to change my life. It's not about who I can become to earn my acceptance and approval with God. Reading the Bible is first an exercise in humility - to begin seeing that I can do NOTHING! As we are beginning to feel that tension, we know that there is a man who has perfectly lived out what this text is calling for. There is a man who DID what God asked Him to do perfectly and there is a man who WAS perfect in His character and being. So, the next step, is tying Christ to what we have been reading.
Step 4) Recognize how Jesus obeyed God perfectly?
There are many times we give in when we should be strong. But we can also say that Jesus was always strong! He submitted to God in obedience at every moment, even to the end.
This is not meant to teach us that more effort would bring about obedience. That’s ridiculous. Jesus did not come so that we could obey; Jesus came to be obedient on our behalf. You see, we are meant to look at Jesus and be filled with love for the one who was always strong, always humble, always joyful, and perfectly obeyed God. Our hearts are meant to swell with praise when we see that God left heaven to live the life we could not live and to die the death we all deserved so that we could be brought back into a relationship with Him.
Why do we connect our Bible reading to Christ?
Because we need to be consistently reminded that Jesus Christ has already DONE what we could not do and BEEN who we could not be. He has taken our wickedness and punishment upon Him and given us His righteousness and blessings. You see, the Bible was not written as a rule book for us to follow. Reading the Bible is about falling more in love with Jesus than learning all of the things that I could be doing.
But isn’t there something left for me to do?
Yes! But the reasons we obey are now fundamentally different. God doesn't accept us because we obey. God accepts us through what Jesus Christ has done. We don't have to earn anything! Because of that, our hearts are filled with so much joy that we cannot help but obey Him. We don't try to obey God to get something from Him. In real, Biblical Christianity we know that we have already been given so much from God that we can rejoice and celebrate! We do not need anything else from God; what we want to do is make much of Him! While we are celebrating Him, obeying Him becomes easy. That is how we change! That is how the Bible can be applied to our hearts!
Step 5) Trust the Spirit to do the work in us.
Clearly, we cannot change on our own. We need help. That is why Jesus came - to give power, hope, help, and strength to the ones who were perpetually weakened by sin!
He gave us the very same Spirit and power that raised Him from the dead so we could stand and start walking with God again. He gave us the Spirit to help us follow Him as He is leading us back to God! And while we will never follow Him perfectly we can know that perfect is NOT the point! Our walk with God is an exercise of unimaginable joy based on what Jesus has done. We have been rescued, so now it's our greatest joy to follow Him wherever He leads!
Summary
As you read your Bibles, think about these steps. Think about what the original writer was speaking to his original audience. Think about what God may be calling us to do or be. Don’t forget to always ground your time in God’s Word with the simple truth that you and I cannot do or be what God required. That is why He had to send Jesus for us! Let the Spirit lead you and fill your heart with love and affection for Jesus. As you adore Him, you will slowly begin looking like Him.
How do we grow in patience, obedience, courage, humility or any other thing the Bible asks us to do or be? We grow to love Jesus more for doing and being these things perfectly. As we do, we will begin acting more and more like Him.
