I remember when my boys were young, a question I often asked was, “Have you studied?” Most of the time, the answer was “yes,” but the older one would occasionally say, “I don’t need to; I already know the material.” This was not an acceptable answer. He thought he received all he needed to know from listening in class. Sometimes, we approach our Christian faith this way. We listen to a message at church or a teacher in Sunday School and feel we have enough to get us through the week. If this is you, you are approaching the most important part of life based on what someone else says. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul writes that we are to study! That’s not just for preachers and teachers! It is for us, too!
II Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Why should we study?
- It’s a command. When God inspired men to write the scriptures, it was given so we could understand all we need to know about God and mankind. Our beginning is spelled out in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. In chapter 3, we find how sin entered the world. In scripture, we see how we are to live in this life, how we can inherit eternal life, and live with God forever. God wants us to get to know Him in a personal way, and His word gives us the pathway to Him.
- We need to study so that we can understand God’s word. We are His workmanship, and we are to live our lives to please Him. We can’t do that if we don’t study. We will not know what pleases God or how to execute God’s plan unless we study. We do not want to stand before God as an unprofitable servant because we did not study. He provided His word and answers to all of life’s problems, but we must put forth the effort to find out how to apply His word. What a tragedy to stand before Him one day and be ashamed we didn’t obey. What a tragedy to have others seek to know God, but because of our lack of discipline, we don’t know how to use God’s word to help them. We cannot rightly divide God’s word because we don’t know it. We must study to apply God’s word to our lives correctly.
- We need to study God’s word so we can seek guidance for the decisions we make. Psalm 119:105 teaches that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It shows us the way to righteousness in a dark and scary world. I don’t know if you’ve ever walked in the dark, but I have. Having a flashlight makes so much difference in how I feel when I’m in the dark. When the light is illuminating my path, I feel safe. Each step is secure, making the journey faster, and I’m at peace. Without the light, I stumble and fall. I fear moving forward because I don’t know what is ahead. God’s word gives security to decisions and peace to each step.
Psalm 119:105 ”Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
- God’s word will also keep us from sin. When we study and memorize scripture, we will have the ammunition to fight against the temptations of this world. Without the word, you have no weapon and no ammunition for the weapon. While on this earth, we still have a sinful nature. We must fight spiritual warfare until we die. The only way to fight is to know scripture. When we hide it in our hearts, we are always ready. When Satan attacks, the Holy Spirit will bring to our memory the weapons that we have hidden away.
Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
- We are also to study to make sure what we are being taught is correct. In Acts 17:11, we find those Paul and Silas were teaching in the Synagogue at Berea. They had listened attentively; they were eager to know the truth. After hearing what the preacher had to say, they searched the scriptures for themselves. They were studying to find out if what Paul told them was true. They didn’t just reread what he had said; the verse tells us they searched the scriptures daily! We are to do the same. How will you know if what you hear is the truth if you don’t study and check it out? Many people have blindly followed charismatic leaders straight to the gates of Hell because they did not study the Bible for themselves. God has given us everything we need to know to gain eternal life if we will study, pray, and repent. He’s given the saved everything we need to know to live a victorious Christian life. However, we must do our part to grow and maintain our relationship with God.
Act 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
I hope you see the value of studying the Bible. We are commanded to study, and not to study is disobedience. We need to study for understanding, for guidance to keep us from sin, and also to know if we are being taught correctly. Studying is vital to our Christian walk.
