Read & Study Your Bibles

by Mark J. Ward


The Written Word

The Bible clearly teaches that God speaks to man today through the written Word (See Hebrews 1:1ff). God has spoken to man in various ways using different means and methods over the course of time, but we are to learn from God today by reading, studying and properly understanding His Word: the Bible. Rightly divided, we understand that the Bible contains laws that apply to us in the New Testament, or the New Covenant. We know this to be the perfect law of liberty. We are not under the Law of Moses, which preceded the Law of Christ (which is another term for the perfect law of liberty).

Rightly Divide the Law That Applies to Us Today

When you read in Romans or Galatians that we are not under law, but are under grace, a proper understanding of God's Word would lead one to believe that we are not without ANY law, for we are indeed under the law of Christ. But a contrast is given to show us that we are not under the old law given by God to Moses. That law is no longer in effect. We will not be judged by that law. We do have a law of Christ that we will be held accountable for. While there may be requirements in the New Law that are similar, or even the same, as some of the requirements found in the Old Law, we ONLY are to keep the requirements of God as found in the New Law. If we seek to be justified by the old law, we are fallen from grace (See Galatians 5:4ff).

Do You Read to Understand?

Will you listen to God? If you will, you will have to read His Word. Reading the Bible is a wonderful spiritual activity. But without the "sense" of the verses that you read, you will not profit like you should. The Ethiopian Eunuch was asked, "Understandest what thou readest?" in Acts 8. This implies that it is possible to understand (or NOT to understand, as the case may be) what one reads in God's Word. We have the ability to understand, if we will seek God's Truth (Eph. 3:4).

Don't Reject Hearing God!

When we fail to read and study God's Word, we are, in effect, rejecting hearing what our God has to say to us! Resolve to read more, daily if at all possible. Also, resolve to get the true sense, or meaning of the parts of God's Word that apply to us today. God bless you in your efforts to do right!

Thanks for reading. - Mark J. Ward


Email the Editor at markjward@yahoo.com


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