HOW TO READ YOUR BIBLE.
In the year 2003, the Christian community worldwide
was shocked to hear of the ordination of a gay (homosexual) bishop, Mr.
Robinson in America. A gay is a man who
“marries” another man, something condemned by the Bible. Among those who will not inherit the kingdom of
God the list in 1 Cor. 6:9 includes male prostitutes and homosexual offenders. It is also condemned as a shameful act for
which God visits with great punishment and abandons such offenders (Rom. 1:27).
And yet Mr. Robinson had the courage to
announce that God has called him to be a gay preacher. It is true to say that errors are brought into
the church because people do not read the Bible with a sincere desire to know
what God says and obey. It may also be
that some who read the Bible are not saved and therefore cannot obey what it
says.
In this article I intend to give you biblical advice
on how to read your Bible in a way that will bring God's blessing in your life. It is normally alleged that Kenyans do not read
except when they are preparing for an examination. This non-reading culture may easily affect
genuine believers to the extent that they fail to read their Bibles daily. To read the Bible daily, you require
self-discipline. It is like a person who
wants to lose weight but only talks about it until his doctor tells him that
his blood pressure is high because of his weight. On hearing this he goes on a strict diet and
vigorous exercise to keep his health. In
the same way reading the Bible daily will result from the realization that your
spiritual well being depends on knowing and doing the will of God as it is
revealed in the Bible. As soon as you
realize that you will start reading your Bible with a determination to know
God’s will.
Now, let me draw your attention to three things you
ought to know as you read the Bible. I
am assuming that you are already reading your Bible everyday because God
creates interest in you to read the Bible when He saves you. If you do not read the Bible at all and have no
interest at all in the Bible it may be that you are not saved. Seek salvation
in Jesus Christ even through reading it.
Firstly, you must know that all Scripture (written
word of God) is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim3: 16). The Bible is a Holy Book as it is the word of
the living God. Therefore it must be
held with utmost affection by all Christians and much time must be given to
reading it daily. It is in the Holy
Bible that God speaks directly to us. What the Bible says God says. Practically, it means that you must create
time, choose a quiet place, make a plan to read the whole Bible (66 books) and
cultivate a proper attitude towards it. You
must ask yourself whether the knowledge of the scriptures brings from you
greater devotion to Christ who is contained in every chapter (there are 1,189
chapters, 31,173 verses in the Bible).
must know the person and the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It is the Bible that reveals
Jesus Christ to us and works faith in us because faith comes from hearing the
word of God in the Bible (Rom 10:17). We
are all dying men and women in a dying world and the Bible alone tells us the
way of salvation. After salvation, the
continuous change that takes place in the life of those saved in order for them
to be like Christ can only be accomplished by a constant and conscious exposure
to the word of God: “Desire the sincere
milk of the word so that you may grow” (1Pet. 2:2).
Thirdly, you must know the testimony of the Bible.
The Bible bears witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the theme of the whole Bible. The Old Testament points forward to the coming
of Jesus Christ while the New Testament points back to him. Jesus told the
unbelieving Jews to search the Scriptures for they testify about Him (John
5:39). As Jesus walked on the road to
Emmaus with the two bewildered disciples because of His death, He explained to
them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Simply stated the whole Bible is a revelation
of what God in Christ has done, what promises He has made and what He requires
from us for His glory and our good.
With these encouragements, I plead with you to start
reading your Bible with a renewed devotion in order to know the Saviour Jesus
Christ, and to make Him known to all as He is revealed in the Bible.