Need # 4 Study Gods
Word
Should Christians study Gods Word?
The answer is a resounding YES!! So why do so many Christians not study God's Word,
or only open the Word on Sunday in church, that
is if they bring their bible to
church. What are some good reasons to not study God's Word?????? Here are some possible answers : If I study
it will show my weak relationship with God, If I study it will show me my sin,
If I study it will show me my failures as a Christian and as a person ,If I
study I'll have to stop some of the things I enjoy doing, If I study then I'll
have to forgive someone that I don't want to forgive, If I study then it will
take away my TV time, If I study people will think I’m a bible thumper, If I
study it will take away my Facebook time, If I study it will require time I
don't have, If I study ??? The excuses can go on and on as to why Christians
don't study God's Word.
May I say these are all lame excuses and any
other you can come up with to not study God's word. Some people will get a new device of some
sort that can do many things, and they will read the manual fully to be able to
get the most out of the device. Then there are those who just fiddle their way
through the device and don't get the full experience of the device .Then
someone will say :I love how this does such and such" and you respond
" I didn't know it could do that" Well our relationship with God is similar
to that device if we don't read the instructions and practice it ,then we don't
get the full experience of a relationship with God because we don't know what
we should be doing or what God desires for us in that relationship. Not talking
about salvation by works its the relationship that comes out because of
Salvation . There is a acronym for Bible.The book that is Gods Word.
B= Basic
I= Instructions
B= Before
L= Leaving
E- Earth
These are instructions we need to
read and practice to learn what it is God desires for us in our relationship
with him and our life as a Christian. So
Let’s dive into the meat of this topic.
What is Gods Word?
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed
out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may
be complete, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of
spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a
lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Isaiah
40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will
stand forever.
What do these verses tell us about
the Word of God ? The word is God
breathed ,the Greek for God breathed is theopneustos it means: "given by
inspiration of God " . God himself inspired the writers on what to write
.You could almost see God on a Judges bench and a stenographer that is a court
reporter ,recording every word being said. Its useful in teaching us and those
around us ,to reproof ,Just a little Greek here : reproof in the greek elegmos
means= correction, reproof. Some manuscripts use elegchos means=a proof, that
by which a thing is proved or tested . I think the later is the correct meaning
. The next word is useful in Correction just a little more Greek word for
correction is :epanorthōsis it means= restoration to an upright or right
state,. Although reproof can mean correction I believe the meaning has more to
do with its usefulness in proving or to test. The word correction is to restore
to an upright state. OK moving on .
Scripture is useful in training in
righteousness and equipped for the works God has for us to do. Just briefly
what is righteousness ? Its the condition acceptable to God, integrity, virtue,
purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting. All are
things that can be achieved through the study of the God breathed Word. Back to
some Greek I skipped a key word :Profitable GK ōphelimos means profitable (3x),
profit (1x) its form of the Greek word ophelos means advantage. What does this
word really tell us . Its to our benefit to study Gods word or to our profit to
our advantage .
Gods word is active in our lives
helping us to make correct choices it will show us the places in our live we
need work , it will penetrate your heart and soul to show who you are in Christ
and who you can become in Christ. Scripture can help you see the intentions of
our heart. One of the meanings for active in the Greek is effectual and
powerful.. Think about that. Gods word will effect your life in making
you stronger and more powerful to combat those who wish to destroy you. That is
in a spiritual way. .
As I mentioned above Gods word gives us power
to battle thing in our spiritual life and it also will light our journey
through this life ,to help us deal with those things that are and can be
difficult to deal with . The word as a lamp will help us from straying from the
path that God has for us to travel.
The word of God will last for all time.
Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue is but for a
moment. The truth of the word come from the lips of God .Every time someone
try's to prove the bible wrong ends up proving it true.
So what is Gods Word the answer is
simple and basic, it is our instructions on how to live .
Why study Gods word ? Above I mentioned
several things it helps us do by studying Gods word ,yet there are more reasons
to study it .We are told to study Gods word .
1Peter 3:15 but in your hearts honor Christ
the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with
gentleness and respect,
Christians should be prepared at all times to defend their faith and
explain the source of their hope
2 Timothy2:15 Study to show thyself
approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. (21st century King James) "
approved Meaning to consider genuine by testing "
Psalms 119:11 I have stored up your word
in my heart,that I might not sin against you.
We are told to store up the word or
you could say study the word so you can store it up and have a means to fight
the sinful flesh desire to sin against God. You cant store something up with
out going after it. So how do you store up Gods word with out going after
it? You can't You need to study it!!!
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing
you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
Refers to mental conformity to the truth of
God. This renewal results in a transformation in the life of the believer. The
renewal comes through studying of Gods word . This doesn't happen by sitting on
your rump but by participation by studying the Word of God.. Studying Gods word
is just one of the things we do to renew or mind,also part of this prosses
would be prayer and meditating on the word.
Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching,but let your heart
keep my commandments,
How many things have been forgotten over the
years ? I think there is plenty that has been forgotten. Why ? Because we don't
continue in the use or study of it. Gods word is like that . Years ago I went
through a class and part of the course was memorizing 20 specific scripture
verses . I did that but after the course was over I stopped quoting those
scriptures as I drove to work.. Well I also don't remember them with the
exception of one . My point is if we don't continue in study Gods word we can
over time become in effective as Christians and become weak." 7 days with
out Gods Word makes one weak"
I'm going to end this with one more scripture
in three different versions.
James 1:22
English Standard Version
But be doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Be a participant in the word don't
just listen but take action . By only listening and not doing then are you just
fooling yourself that the word really matters.
New American Standard Bible
But prove yourselves doers of the
word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
This version of the scripture is
even more more of a command for in it its asking for the evidence that you live
the word and are not deluded that it does not matter.
Weymouth New Testament
But prove yourselves obedient to the
Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves.
Like the NASB version ,the Waymouth
New Testament is asking for the proof of obedience to the word ,the Gospel
message that you not only hear it you live it and are not fooled into thinking
it does not matter
By not studying God's word ,then are
we being doers of the word , are we proving ourselves, doers, are we being
obedient to the message of the word,?By not studying are we deceiving
ourselves.?
The study of Gods Word is an essential in our
Christian life . Ezra knew this and is an example for us today.
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to
study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in
Israel.
Ezra practiced James 1:22 before it
was even in the New Testament scripture.
This is from a paper I wrote on 11/13/11
Paul's and James teaching compare to Ezra's
practices . By Russ Kujawski
Romans1:16
For I am not ashamed of
the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
James
1: 22 But be doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer
of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural
face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets
what he was like. 25 But the one who looks
into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who
forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing
We can see in just these few verses that we
as Christians should not be ashamed or embarrassed of Gods Word ,we are to live it and share it .
So you may ask what does this have to do
with Ezra?
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to
study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach its statutes and rules in
Israel.
Ezra set his heart to
the study of Gods Law,He was not ashamed, He practiced Gods Law :he was a doer,
and he taught Gods law. he shared Gods law.
Ezra did what the NT
writers tell us to do. Ezra set the example ,the NT writers said this is what
we should be doing , its past time for us as Christians to take a stand and not
be ashamed of the Gospel ,to live it like it really matters ,and share it like
it really makes a difference.
Be a Ezra
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