Rushing Toward Laodicea (Part 5)
How to study the Word
Ultimately we grow in understanding as we absorb the word over time through repetition. Each time you go through the word, you will remember more of what you read the last time and you will begin to tie it together. In time, you will see how one passage directly draws from another and through knowing the context you will see how one passage shapes how you interpret other passages. When you are able to draw from the context of the whole of scripture, you will be less likely to misunderstand the meaning of a passage. Missing the bigger picture is how bad doctrine arises. As you grow in understanding, you will also begin to question pet beliefs that once sounded true in your ignorance. As you grow in understanding you will find that many things that people sincerely believe cannot be true in light of the rest of scripture. It is necessary to believe the word of God as revealed by the Spirit of God over the doctrines of men – even if those men are well meaning.
The single most important thing in the Christian’s life is Bible study and yet it is the most neglected. As you read the word, you will see how that the scriptures themselves instruct you to study the word. This theme is echoed over and over again throughout the old and new testaments. Without the word, you cannot mature in Christ. This is explained well in 1 Peter 2:1-3
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
How do you grow? You grow by first desiring and then taking in the milk of the word. If you are not consistently getting in the word, you will not grow. You cannot mature in Christ through religious books, devotionals, or even listening to sermons. I as a teacher and preacher can proclaim the truth of the word and even share my understanding with you; however, I cannot give you enlightenment. I can take you step by step exactly how God has revealed a spiritual principle to me, but unless the Lord opens your spiritual eyes, you will not see what I see. As you approach the discipline of study, keep in mind this important principle, “you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). God does not reveal the deeper things to those who listen to preaching, but those who seek God with all their heart. God uses preaching and teaching and it is a very necessary thing according to scripture. Even so, preaching and teaching provide assistance so that you have a biblical perspective when you seek God. God will not reveal Himself to those who do not seek Him. The primary way we seek God is through the Word that He has given us so that we can know Him.
There are basic principles that each Christian should understand about personal Bible study. If you do these things, you will begin to mature and see God work in your life.
Spirit Led
The first principle of Bible study is that you must be led and taught by the Spirit of God. Even the passage we just read in 1 Peter alludes to this fact when he says, “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious”. If you have not tasted the heavenly gift, you cannot receive the things of the Spirit. The heavenly gift is salvation through Jesus Christ. Once we have received Christ, the Holy Spirit is given to us and remains within us (Romans 5:5, Acts 2:38, 1 John 3:9). Without the Holy Spirit, mankind cannot understand the things of God. Look at 1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The ways of God are foolish to those who are living in and for the flesh. Someone whose entire understanding comes from the flesh and what gives temporal pleasure cannot comprehend why the Christian lives for the eternal. In the world’s eyes, it is absurd to hope for the ‘pie in the sky’. From the spiritual perspective, living for temporal pleasures at the expense of an eternal inheritance is absurd. These two world views will not and cannot agree together. Light can’t mix with darkness. For this reason, the man or woman who remains in the flesh cannot receive or understand the things of God. The Bible is a spiritual revelation and only the Holy Spirit of God can reveal the truth to us. Once you have the Holy Spirit abiding in you, the truth is open to you without the need of a guru or spiritual leader. Look at 1 John 2:27
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
The Holy Spirit gives the anointing to every believer. Do not allow anyone to stand between you and God. Many Christians do not believe that God can reveal truth directly to them; therefore, they become dependent on books, study materials, teachers and even study Bibles. When you get deep into the word, do not use anything but the Bible. Many do not hear the instruction of God because they are distracted by other things. Instead of looking at the Spirit to teach them, they look at study helps to teach them. Every person who has the Holy Spirit has the same anointing that all the great teachers and preachers of the past had. The word has not changed and the Spirit has not changed. You must push everything aside and begin to seek God for yourself.
God never intended for the Christian to be dependent on a spiritual leader to understand truth. The teacher of the word has two roles in the Christian’s life: teach those who are immature how to follow Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Hebrews 6:12), and to bring those who are growing into constant remembrance of the truth so that we do not forget or let spiritual principles slip from our focus (1 John 2:21, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Timothy 1:6, Titus 3:1, 2 Peter 1:12-14, Jude 1:5). If you take the time to look up these passages you will see that to the immature, a teacher is to show themselves as an example for others to follow and for the mature, a teacher is to constantly put people into remembrance of the truth. A teacher’s role is not to make others dependent on him for truth, but have the purpose of bringing others into a Christ-centered focus. We should not set ourselves up as some kind of guru, but rather to guide others into the truth and to be sufficient in Christ alone.
You as the individual believer have the anointing of God upon you. The only thing you must do is seek God and listen with an expectant heart. In order to seek God and study in the Spirit, it is necessary to remove all distractions. This includes study aids. While they may have their purpose, during your time of seeking you must focus on the word of God and His Spirit – not on the things of man. Take time alone with God without anything that distracts. The next portion of this study will offer what I believe will be helpful tips on assisting you with your Bible study life.
Quantity
Read the word in quantity. I have heard it said that quality time is more important than quantity time; however, this quaint saying has little value. You must devote quantity time to study if you are to truly know the word and the things of God. Put your time into perspective. Which do you believe will hold more value at the end of this life, two hours of TV a day or two hours of Bible reading? Perhaps you can’t sit and read that long. You could commit to thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the evening. I believe that two things are necessary in Bible study, quantity reading and then slow study. Quantity reading is straight page by page reading of the scriptures. Slow study can be a topical study where you are looking up related passages or verse by verse word studies.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the commute time for the average American is around 30 minutes each way. This means most people are in their cars an hour a day minimum. I have found it very helpful to listen to the Bible on CD or on MP3. This serves well for quantity reading. I can go through the New Testament about 1 ½ times a week. If you are someone with a long commute, this may be a great opportunity for you as well. If you commit yourself to purposefully reading the word in quantity, it will begin to change your perspective on many things in your life and will also provide a good foundation for understanding the principles of God. God reveals Himself through His word. If you do not seek His word, God will not reveal the deeper things of the Spirit to you. Those who appear to be spiritual giants of the faith are merely common men who have set their hearts to seek God and know His word. Consider these passages:
Psalm 119:127-128 127 Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold! 128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.
Proverbs 20:15 15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
People think nothing of devoting 4-12 years of their life to study for degrees so that they can have a lucrative career. How is it that the sacrifice of studying for our eternal benefit appears to be a sacrifice too heavy to bear? If we will devote our lives and careers to gaining worldly riches, what would we change in our lives if we truly believed that the things of God are better than riches?
Context, context, context
What could be more important in biblical study than understanding the context of the passage you are reading. The vast majority of doctrinal errors are derived by taking a passage out of context. When you study the Bible, it is vital that you look at each passage in its context. You must look at a meaningful scripture in the context of the complete thought being expressed; you must look at the complete thought in the context of the subject being addressed; you must look at the subject being addressed in the context of the book of the Bible you are reading; finally, you must look at the local context of a passage in light of the entirety of scripture. Scripture must interpret scripture. Two passages taken out of context may appear contradictory by themselves; however, if we interpret these passages in light of their local context and the context of scripture as a whole, the contradiction gives way to understanding.
This is why quantity is so important. The more you read, the more you will remember. Each time you go through the Bible you will see things you did not see before and you will also remember more and more each time. As you remember, you will begin to grow in understanding and you will begin to tie passages together in their context as well as the context of the entire Bible. It is not necessary to understand everything. Keep studying and remain diligent. It is your responsibility to be faithful; it is God’s responsibility to give you understanding. As you understand, you will grow. As you grow, you will understand. It is impossible to have a rich understanding about many local passages if you cannot see how they fit into the bigger picture of the word of God. The ONLY way to get the bigger picture is to see every thing in context and the ONLY way to see every thing in context is to read the word over and over and over.
Do I sound like a broken record? I hope I am making my point clear. You as the individual must depend on the Spirit of God and discipline yourself to read the word. This is the only way to spiritual maturity. Without the word, you cannot grow or as Solomon put it, “it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge”. (Proverbs 19:2) Here are wise words of advice for every Christians. Look at Proverbs 2:1-9
My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; 8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
The word is the source of knowledge. When the Bible speaks of knowledge, it is always referring to knowledge of the scriptures and knowledge of God. In the hands of every Christian is hidden treasure. You must open your Bible and search for the knowledge of God as if it is a hidden treasure – and indeed it is. The value of it is eternal and exceeds anything we can find in this life. If every Christian sought the things of God as if it was a valuable treasure, the church would turn the world upside down again. Understanding comes by knowing the word and its context.
Journaling
Journaling is a powerful discipline in the Christian life. Journaling is taking the time out to write down what God speaks to you as you read the word. Journaling is powerful because it requires you as the individual to push all things aside and listen to God. Take a passage of scripture and write down what you believe God is saying through this passage. Write down how you interpret the passage, how it relates to other passages that come to mind and how it applies to your life.
I journal on a computer and as I do, many of the things I discover are formed into sermons. The amazing thing about journaling is that God reveals things in the word that you did not previously understand. I live by the passage of Jeremiah 33:3
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
You will be amazed what God can reveal to you when you submit yourself to Him, study the word and listen expectantly for the Spirit of God. Look at these two passages which explain this principle to us:
Psalm 49:3 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
How do we speak wisdom? By gaining understanding by the meditation of our heart on the word of God. As we meditate on the word, God reveals understanding to us.
Proverbs 2:6-7 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
All true wisdom comes from the Lord. He speaks knowledge to us and gives us understanding. Do you want to know the word? You must study the word. Do you want to understand the word? You must meditate on the word. Do you want wisdom? You must seek the Lord and walk uprightly by applying the word to your life. The answers are before you and God reveals to any who will take time to seek Him. If you don’t seek, you will not find. Journaling is another discipline of seeking. When you journal, you are seeking understanding from the Lord and expectantly listening as you write.
Application of the Word
It is vital that we apply the word to our lives. Look at Jesus’ parable about those who hear the word in Luke 6:47-49
47 "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."
The foolish man and the wise man both heard the word, but only one applied it to his life. You cannot walk on the paths of righteousness if you do not obey the word. Christianity cannot exist outside of obedience to the word of God. Look also at James 1:21-25
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
God does not honor hypocrisy. In fact, God will expose hypocrisy. If you are to be blessed, you must lay aside ungodliness and obey the word that is implanted from the scriptures. You cannot be a hearer and not a doer and expect God’s blessings. If you look around you will see an unending supply of teachers claiming to have the secret of God’s blessings as they pad their pockets with seminars and books that claim to tap into spiritual secrets. Here lies the secret of God’s blessing. If you look into the perfect law of liberty (the word of God), continue in it, do not forget what you have learned but do as God has commanded, you will be blessed. There are no faith formulas or secret spiritual laws that modern day ‘Christian’ gurus must reveal to you. The secret is faithfulness and obedience. God does not bless those who claim His promises, but those who walk obediently so that they may obtain His promises. If you live for yourself and expect to claim the promises of God, you are deceiving yourself. The Bible pulls no punches, those who hear but do not obey are in self-deception; however, if you walk in obedience, you have the blessings of God. The word does not profit those who do not act in faith. Look now at Hebrews 4:1-2
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
Also consider this passage in light of James 2:26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
True faith is active. Anyone can say that they have faith, but the one who truly has faith will act upon it. To say, “I believe” and then to live in disobedience is a worthless faith – in fact, it is not faith at all. True faith is alive and draws us into obedience. The gospel that is not mixed with faith, profits nothing. Those who receive the word but do not apply it to their life fall short of the promises because their faith is dead. Those who believe and apply the word have a living faith, a saving faith, and will be blessed as they inherit the promises of God.
It is vital to apply the word to your life. It is o.k. to struggle and keep pressing on; it is not o.k. to live in disobedience and try to claim promises through a dead faith that is of the flesh and not by the Spirit of God. You have been given the power to become the children of God, but you must obey through faith.
Let me take a brief moment to explain works by faith. According to the passage above in James, works are necessary to reveal faith; however, works cannot produce faith. Good works come by faith as we believe the word and act upon that belief. Faith is believing God and acting upon that belief. Works cannot produce faith. Works without faith can never justify a man. You cannot be justified by works (Galatians 2:16, Romans 4:1-6). Equally true is that man cannot be justified by dead faith (James 2:14-26). There is a counterfeit faith and it is made evident by its fruit. Faith that does not produce obedience is of the flesh and not of God. Faith that is dead is a deception that cannot produce life, godliness or good works. Faith that is from God stirs within us the desire to walk in obedience. You can refuse to obey and say you believe, but if you die to the flesh and live by faith, you will always obey.
I hope to shortly do a study on this in greater detail; however, for now just be aware that the evidence of faith is obedience to the word of God.
Memorization
The final discipline of Bible study is scripture memorization. There was a time when I would have made this the highest priority and it was my primary source of study of the word. I no longer place this as the highest value for the simple reason that scripture memorization can often neglect context. You may memorize hundreds of scriptures and still not understand the passages in their proper context. I frequently hear people quote passages to support a personal belief when in reality the very passage being quoted may not say what they believe is being taught. Having understanding is just as important and even more so than having knowledge. One of the meanest ‘Christians’ I ever met could rattle off dozens of verses each time he blasted you with criticism; however he was severely lacking in understanding.
If you are going to memorize a passage, always memorize it in its complete local context. Sometimes this may require you to memorize an entire chapter while at other times the verse alone may complete the thought being communicated. It is also necessary to understand the group context, and the context of the book and the Bible as a whole. If you only have limited time, devote yourself to page by page reading. Once you grasp the context, memorization can be very valuable.
When I memorize scripture, I first determine what passages need to be included in order to present the complete thought. If this requires a lot of text, I break it up between note cards. I try to find the passages where a logical break would flow into the next note card. I memorize one card at a time until I master it and remember the next phrase that is included on the next note card. I repeat the card until I can do it error free and then move on to the next card. Be patient and do not overwhelm yourself with information. If you have not memorized in years, you will find that your mind will struggle to remember at first but the next one will be easier and easier.
The important thing is that you store the word of God in your heart. You can do this by systematically reading the scriptures and you can supplemented by memorization. The most important thing you can do to grow in understanding is to know the context so you can accurately understand the word. Look at 2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Notice the overarching theme of our study – to rightly divide the word of truth. You must be diligent and study the word so that you can be approved by God and use the word correctly. The goal of a disciple of Christ is to understand what God is teaching us. It is not knowledge we are after, but accurate knowledge along with understanding. Proving your doctrine should never be the purpose of study. The purpose of study is to look expectantly to God to reveal His doctrine to you.
Final thoughts
While it is true that the scripture’s prediction that the church will indeed fall away from the faith and the vast majority of those claiming to be Christians will follow false doctrine in the last days, it is also true that God gives each one of us the right and the power to live as overcomers. By His divine power, we have been given everything we need to live our lives in godliness (2 Peter 1:3). I believe that we are living in the last days and if you look around you will see the signs the Bible gave concerning the end times. As I said before, the one sign that truly shows the sign of the times is the falling away from the faith. Scripture will be fulfilled and wolves in sheep’s clothing will arise and deceive while being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13) while the church seeks out false teachers to give them a self-centered gospel (2 Timothy 4:3). The falling away of the church must come first before the man of sin can be revealed who will deceive the whole world (2 Thes. 2:3, Rev. 13:14); however, you have the power to stand firm if you take heed and know the scriptures.
The Word of God is the only sure foundation. Truth comes through the word and deception can only thrive where truth is absent. Most of the church has no real depth of biblical knowledge or understanding. Take note of the call of God’s wisdom to every believer in Proverbs 8:6-11
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
God’s ways are plain to those who have knowledge and understanding. Instruction, knowledge and wisdom are more valuable than anything this life has to offer and they all are found in the scriptures that almost every Christian possesses. Many carry the secret of God in their hand every Sunday, yet they never open the treasure chest to find the true riches of God.
You do not have to be deceived, but you will if you are devoid of truth. Deceitful workers sound authentic to those who lack understanding, but they are exposed by those who know truth. It is necessary to convince the church that doctrine does not matter in order to create a people ready to be deceived. If you choose to stand upon the truth, you will be despised by the deceived church but will be acceptable to God. Almost every book in the New Testament warns us to be on guard that we are not deceived. Most will not heed that warning and few will even hear the warning, but you can be secure in the Lord and find the path of life – if you know the truth of the word of God.
Scripture will be fulfilled and the church will become the Laodicean church. God will reject the church, spew it out of His mouth and begin His judgment as the scripture states; however, God will never reject those individuals who love His truth and set their hearts on Him. It is your responsibility to first study and know the truth of His word and then become a light shining in the darkness. It is your commission by God to make disciples of all men, baptizing them in His name and teaching those around you to observe all things that have been commanded. You are not deceived until you are willing to ignore or turn from the truth (Romans 1:18-26, 2 Thes. 2:9-12). In closing, consider these wise words from Proverbs:
Proverbs 19:16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.
Many will attempt to teach that Jesus gave us liberty to do as we please. Anyone who teaches this or receives this type of teaching has not become a student of the Word. The Bible also instructs us concerning these teachers also.
Proverbs 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
If you perceive that your pastor, teacher or church leader is acting in a way that reveals that he or she does not have knowledge of the word, obey the scripture and go from their presence. The Bible warns that a companion of fools will become a fool and will be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20). Go from a fool that refuses the instructions of the Bible so that you do not receive the same fate. Anyone who teaches anything that contradicts or devalues the truth of scripture is destined for judgment and according to 2 Peter 2, anyone who follows them will also be judged as an unbeliever. We are warned that it would have been better not to have known the way of truth than to have known it and turned from it to follow false teachers and prophets (2 Peter 2:19-21). Heed the warning of Proverbs 19:27
Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
Don’t cease from hearing instruction, but hear and obey the word. Let’s end with another look at James 1:22-25
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
While the modern church growth idea is to adapt to the culture in order to gain members, the true church of Christ must make disciples. I know churches that make themselves like the world in order to “remove the objections of seekers”. Instead of the culture dying to their sins and conforming to Christ, the church is conforming to the world. Those who grow under this model have done nothing for God. No one’s lives have changed, yet members are being added to the role. This is not Church Growth, but cultural conformity. This is the church of Laodicea. The Laodicean church will be vomited out of God’s mouth and judged, but you as the individual Christian can and must live a holy life, set apart for God in obedience to the word. This life is not the inheritance of the Christian and it is vital that you do not choose this as your inheritance. Your life does not consist of the things you possess, but rather in doing the will of God with the hope that will be delivered to you in the day of Christ (1 Peter 1:13).
Jesus stated that heaven and earth will pass away but His word will never pass away (Luke 21:33). Jesus clearly stated that those who love Him will keep His commandments and those who do not keep the word do not love Him or God (John 14:23-24) and those who endure temptation will be delivered a crown of life (James 1:12). If you obey the truth, you are heirs to the kingdom of God (James 2:5) and if you listen to the word of wisdom – which comes from scripture – you will inherit the crown of glory (Proverbs 4:9). 1 Corinthians 2:9 states it clearly:
But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
Do not let anyone cheat you out of your reward, but seek God with all your heart and walk in the truth of His word. The modern church will indeed fall from the faith and into the Laodicean church, but you have been given everything to live godly and to inherit all things. Walk faithful to God and He will indeed bless you.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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