Many people desire to know more about the Bible. When they try to read it they find it difficult to understand, and at times, a little dry in some portions, as they put it. But the Bible is really not difficult to understand, it just takes some time, and a couple of other factors. But more important, is that the joy that the truths of God's precious Word can give to a person who understands it - are almost beyond belief!
The Bible, and its truths, David said, are "more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). He loved the Word of God, and so do those who know how to understand it. But first, let me say that learning the Bible cannot be done overnight. Its truths are deep, and it must be slowly and carefully dug out with some work - like school - which is progressive in nature.
Here are five things that will help to open the door of the Bible to your understanding.
1. Through The Teacher
The Teacher is ready to make all things clear to you - one at a time. He is always near to a believer and ready to show you "great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3).
The conditions under which He teaches you are simple - you must be one of His children. This simply means that Christ has become your Savior through your simply telling Him that you hate your sins, and are sorry to God for having committed them. Then by confessing to God that you believe that Christ is the Son of God you can be buried with him in baptism. Then, His Spirit comes to live within and He is ready to teach and to guide you. Acts 2:38; Romans 6-3-6.
When you, as a believer who is willing to be taught, and follow, ask Him to teach you just before you open it and read. David prayed: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18).
2. Continued Obedience
It may seem strange to you that this is mentioned next - rather than some academic principle. As strange as it may seem, obedience is the next thing that helps open the door to your understanding. It is not a means to an end after baptism. Jesus put it like this, in John 7:17: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine..." Now the word "doctrine" is not something to be afraid of, it simply means the "teachings" of the Bible. Jesus was saying that those who are willing to obey Him, and seek first the Kingdom of God, are those whose heart the Spirit can instruct to understand the Bible.
3. Keeping Faith
An individual, who is not willing to believe, will not be able to understand the deeper truths of the Word of God. They will just be so much foolishness to that person. But a believer, on the other hand, through faith can have their eyes opened to see things that an unbelieving person will never see.
4. Through Other Scriptures
The Bible is a Book that will largely interpret itself, if we will not let our preconceived prejudices distort what we read. For instance, when many people read the story of the birth of Christ in Matthew, they automatically follow the mistaken views of others in their understanding of the story here. This is only given to show how a preconceived idea can overshadow the real truth of the Bible. One such example is that everyone assumes there were three wise men because there were three gifts. Maybe one could assume this however the Bible does not actually say their were three of them.
The principle here is to let other Scripture verses show you what a particular passage means. “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:10). If you will look up other verses dealing with the same subject, it will help you, along with the other principles to understand God’s Word.
5. Through our Preachers
Those teachers of the Word of God in that nearby Bible-teaching church are the best ways to help you to understand the Bible. While they are not perfect, they are given the task of making plain to the people the Word of God, and its meaning.
These five things can greatly help you to understand the Bible better, along with a regular and daily reading of it. If you have not read the whole Bible through, start with the Gospel of John, and then go to Matthew and read through the New Testament – follow that by reading through the whole Bible. Following these steps carefully will allow you to begin to get a rich and enjoyable understanding of God’s precious Word.
In an effort to be able to answer both at the same time, this outline should help to answer the question, Is the Bible something we can use to live by? To this question, the only reasonable answer is a definite Yes.
1. Yes, Because Its Author Is Divine
The Scriptures declare themselves to be of God. In II Timothy 3:16 the Bible tells us "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." This word "inspiration" does not refer to the type of inspiration a poet, or a writer gets today. No, this was a special thing. It referred to the fact that "God-breathed" out the Scriptures from Himself. That is actually the Greek meaning of the word. In other words, the idea is that God so directed that "men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (II Peter 1:21), with the result that the words of the written Bible were inerrant (incapable of any error).
In applying this truth a little further, it can be seen that God was able to produce an infallible Book because He is Himself infallible. He also knows all things (omniscient), and He knows what we will need to live for Him.
2. Yes, Because He Has Given Believers His Spirit
This here is a point that needs to be very seriously considered. It is the dividing line between who can follow the teachings of the Bible, and who cannot. Having religion is not enough, and having the Ten Commandments is not enough to please God. He requires that we be made new by His Spirit - new, in the sense that our old way of life, and thoughts, are forsaken, and He moves in after baptism - and forgives the past transgressions, and His presence transforms the believer. Apart from this transformation that He makes in us, there can be no salvation. Christ died to bring us forgiveness, and redemption, and a new life - a life through the Spirit of God, and of His Son is us. His Spirit enables the believer to do what he could not do before.
3. Yes, Because It Covers All The Bases
Should the believer today live by the Bible? Yes, and he can, because God knew everything that he would ever face - through all the ages of the earth. The Bible was given, first to point mankind to the Savior, Christ, and then so "that the man of God may be perfect (mature), throughly furnished unto all good works" - this comes right after the above verse on inspiration. It is a Book that perfects the believer, and makes him so that God might be able to bless the life.
4. Yes, Because It Brings Blessing From Him
What a joy the believer has who seeks to be guided by the Bible! They are specially blessed by God Himself. In Psalm 1, the Bible tells us that, if a believer will walk different from those around him, and according to the Bible, that God will bless him - and he will be happy (not necessarily trouble free). In fact, the promise goes, if that believer will stay in the Bible, and daily think on its teachings with the intent to live by them, then God will bless them. His blessing will be compared to making them "like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Psalm 1:1-3).
5. Yes, Because It Prepares Us To Meet Him
My final point is this, that the Bible should be followed because He gave it to prepare us. In the Bible we read of His love, and of His Sacrifice that Christ paid for us to be able to live with Him one day. Apart from some necessary do's and don'ts, the Bible is basically a letter of love - to the believer. When a believer follows the Bible, then the Spirit can guide him better, and give that person a greater joy and peace. Trouble comes so often for the believer - because we are not following Him. Obedience strengthens our relationship with Him. When a person loves God with all their heart, it is never an issue because then we will understand that all He wants us to do is because of love, and it will enable us to draw closer to Him in love. Following Him prepares us to live apart from sin, and in a sinless environment – Heaven itself.
David declared the condition of the believer who follows the Word carefully: “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart" (Psalm 119:2).
Christine Bettridge has sinced written about articles on various topics from Religion, Finances and Computers and The Internet. Christine Bettridge has loved writing since childhood. She has written Plays, poetry and many articles on several topics. She is the editor of the article directory