How
to effectively read God's Holy Word - the Bible.
Taken
from "Cover to Cover" by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor J Partridge
Trust
it:
The Bible was
inspired or "God breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16). He used the
personalities of human writers but so guided their minds that their words
were His words too. Treat them as Jesus did: as authoritative and entirely
trustworthy. Jesus built His own life and ministry upon God's commands and
promises, obeying them even to the cross (Luke 24:27, 45-47).
See the
lasting principle:
For most of us
daily life is very different from the days of Israel's tent cities in the
wilderness: far, too, from life in the Roman Empire. Where these
differences exist, look to see the lasting principles below the
instruction or event - what do they teach in general about God or serving
Him? Jesus' example and exhortation about foot washing, for instance,
ought to lead us to other kinds of service and care for one another
relevant to our day (John 13:14).
Know the
Author:
The Bible's human authors were "carried along" by the Holy
Spirit to give us God's Word (2 Peter 1:21). So we need the Holy Spirit to
be its interpreter. Knowing God personally as the Lord of our lives and
Christ as our Saviour is the essential key to a proper understanding of
the Bible.
See the
background:
Statements taken
out of context can be misleading, to say the least - ask any public figure
who is quoted by the press! Aim to understand the meaning and purpose of a
passage as a whole. This will put into perspective the point of any verse
or phrase within it.
See the
whole picture:
The Bible has one author and is a harmonious whole. This means we should
interpret individual passages in the light of what we know generally from
Scripture and from other sections on the same subject. Some of James
statements, for example, could imply that our works help to save us (James
2:20, 24). The entire force of Scripture contradicts this, however, and
shows that this interpretation cannot be right (e.g. Eph. 2:8; Rom.
3:23-24). Realising this, a careful rereading of James reveals that he is
not answering the question about how we are saved; his message is that
genuine faith in Christ must result in good works.
Value
expert help:
This year you could aim to read through the Bible - but you won't have
time to study it all in detail. Even so, there may be particular passages
you want to dig deeper into, to apply in your own Christian living or to
get to grips with difficult issues. Help in understanding harder passages
can be found by using a good commentary by scholars who know the Bible and
love its author. A
further reading section is given below for your help.
Live it
out:
Always remember that your aim in reading the Scriptures is to draw closer
to the Lord and live a life that brings praise to Him. Reading the whole
sweep of Scripture is stimulating, but God's Word is to be obeyed! As you
search God's Word, ask for His Spirit's empowering to put it into
practice. Take it in and live it out!
How
Can I Become A Christian & What Should I do?
Firstly,
please read and think about the following Bible verses:
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to
the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
"...everyone
who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His
Name." (Acts 10:43)
Jesus said,
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, will
live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25,26)
"...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved." (Romans 10:9)
"Every one who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:13 &
Joel 2:32)
Secondly,
ask yourself - what do I believe?
Do you believe the above words from the Bible?
Becoming a Christian is all about believing, trusting, and clinging to
Jesus Christ. It is about letting go of all the bad things in your life
and admitting that God's power is able to change and help you. Being a
Christian is NOT about being outwardly religious! It is about letting
God's Spirit live inside your heart. Come to Jesus Christ now as you read
this page on your screen and find out what real living is all about!
If so, you
can pray the following prayer:
"Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry that I have been going my own way
instead of your way. Thank you for dying to take away my sin. Please come
into my life and make me the person you want me to be. Amen."
If you have prayed this prayer sincerely, then the Bible says you are
saved from your sins and you are a new person.
You've now
got a new life:
If you do not belong to a local church, you should look for one quickly!
There's no time to lose! Find a Bible-believing church and get involved
with God's work. He will guide you to the right one.
Please e-mail me
to let me know if you've prayed this prayer for the first
time so that I can encourage you and link you with some local Christians.
Thanks
for visiting!
May
the Lord God bless you as you seek to follow him.
Gordon Hamilton, Pastor,
Copthorne Chapel
