What if we could confidently approach Scripture, knowing that when we sit down to read it, we will come away with exactly what God wants us to get in that moment?
What if we didn’t need anyone else to help us understand our Bible? Not a pastor nor a Bible study book, not even commentary nor that smart old lady at church.
What if, every time we sat down with the Word, we knew that God was inviting us in, opening himself up to us, showing us the depth of his love and care and concern for us?
What if it wasn’t about checking Bible study off our list for the day?
What if we were sure your Bible study (or lack thereof) had no impact on our standing before God, declaring us either a good or bad Christians?
What if?
When approaching Bible study, so many of us are anything but confident. Or maybe we actually are confident… confident we are doing it wrong, confident we aren’t understanding the Bible, confident there’s some secret we don’t know. We might still read, but walk away unsure. We don’t trust ourselves, our wisdom, our understanding when it comes to the Word of God.
But what if what we are really saying is that we don’t trust God?
As a believer in Christ Jesus, God has given you everything you need to read, study, and understand His Word.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things… 1 Corinthians 2:14
Before we believed, we lacked understanding of Scripture and were not even capable of it. But now we have spiritual discernment, thanks to the Holy Spirit working in us.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13
One of the roles the Holy Spirit plays in our lives is that of teacher (John 14:26). As we study the Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture, allowing us to understand what we read and to interpret what God means. Through the Spirit, we receive spiritual discernment, not because of our own smarts, but because of God’s great desire to connect intimately with us.
By giving us his Word and his Spirit, God is inviting us in. He is beckoning us from the pages of Scripture. Come, see me. Understand me. Know me. And in knowing me, love me. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s desire for us, that he would give us this book full of himself and the power, access, and authority to know through its pages a holy God.
And if that wasn’t enough, God actually gives us himself in the form of the Holy Spirit, God himself living and residing in us. Who are we that we should receive such immeasurable grace?
What God has not given us is the right to open His Word and make it about ourselves – what we like to do, what we think is right, what we want God to be. When we have God’s Spirit in us, conviction will come when we lose sight of what Scripture is really about. Being part of the larger church community is one way God keeps us in check. If what I think I’m reading doesn’t stack up with what I am hearing in the body of Christ, I know it’s time to seek counsel. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is real. It’s swift. And it’s unrelenting until we seek truth, confess and repent of our sinful desire to make the truth of God fit our mold.
But we don’t walk into Scripture in fear that we will mess this up. We walk into Scripture with the confidence that God has designed his Word to be understood and has given us the very key to understanding in the Holy Spirit. He has set this up for us to win.
And this Scripture comes with power – the power to change us, to transform us into the likeness of Christ, to root out sin and shed light in the dark places of our hearts, minds and souls. It is alive and gives life. It cuts away what is dead and grows what is right.
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. Hebrews 4:12
Will you trust God? Will you believe that his design is right and good and trustworthy? Will you believe with confidence that you can understand Scripture because he has given you everything you need to do so? Will you step out in that faith?
Lord, you long to show us the depths and riches of your Word. You desire to meet us there in the pages, unleashing the power of your Word in us. May we be brave enough to come with our confidence in you, knowing you have given us all we need to study your Word. May we boldly seek you and know by faith we will find you. Amen.
