So you’re at a point in your life where you can trust the Bible. That’s great! Why should you bother reading and studying it?
There are two keys to having the absolute best life possible: 1) Loving God, and 2) Doing what He says.
Look at the priority these two principles are given by Jesus.
Jesus points to the greatest command in the entire Bible: ‘Love God as hard as you can.’
One time Jesus was approached by a man who had a question for Him:
Matthew 22:36-38
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
Jesus said the greatest, most important command in the whole Bible is to love God with everything you have.
Stop right there and read that again – the greatest command God gives us in the universe is to love Him with our entire being.
What’s my purpose in life? Love God.
How can I have the best possible life? Love God.
What should I do when life is great? Love God.
What should I do when life is falling apart? Love God.
… you get the picture.
So we know how important this command is, but what does it look like to carry it out?
To love God is to obey God.
Jesus lays out a very simple test to determine who loves God and who doesn’t.
John 14:23-24
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
And:
1 John 2:3-5b
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.
That same teaching is repeated several times in other places (John 14:15, 15:10; 1 John 3:24, 5:3; 2 John 6).
Why should I read the Bible for all it’s worth?
If I’m going to obey God, I must know what He says, and I must know it clearly.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When I open the Bible I’m opening up the mind of God. I’m finding out how He views the world, thinks, and acts. I’m learning how I can personally honor Him or dishonor Him with my thinking, decisions, and actions. I’m being taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained in order to learn how to love God.
If I’m not a student of the Bible, I will not have the knowledge or direction needed to carry out my purpose of loving God; and if I’m not living out my purpose, I will not have the life God desires to bless me with.
Learning to study the Bible and study it well is key to accessing the best life you can have.
The next post will lay out practical principles to help you learn to read the Bible for all it’s worth through meaningful, well done Bible study.