Why Study the Bible?

Reading the Bible  may sound like a lot of work, like it will take too much time…there are probably dozens of excuses running through your mind right now.  Let me just remind you of a few reasons to take in a little bit of the Bread of Life every day:

• Jesus was tempted in every way we are (Heb. 4:15) without falling into sin, but when He was tempted, He quoted scripture back to Satan, which defeated him (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; Luke 4:4, 8, 12).  How much ammo do you have in your arsenal?  The Word is the Sword of Ephesians 6, the ONLY offensive weapon in the armor of God.
• John 14:26 says, “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 said to you.”  Notice that He brings it to “remembrance.”  If you’ve never read it, He has very little to work with.
• The culture in which we live is changing.  It is no longer “normal” to be a Christian—it is, in fact, considered to be mindless, intolerant, and anti-social.  The pressures brought to bear on us from every side are designed to mold us to the culture around us.  Jesus said, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” (Rom. 12:2)  How does that come about?  Ephesians 5:25-27 gives some insight, “…Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He might present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Jesus sets us apart (sanctifies) from the world (culture around us) by washing us with His Word (the Bible).
• “If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” (John 8:31-32).  I’m betting there are days when you don’t feel so free—when the “tyranny of the urgent” has you in a straitjacket.  It is the nature of God to do everything in ways that don’t make sense to us, and I can promise you from personal experience that spending a few minutes a day reading my Bible has multiplied the time I have to do other important things.  The straps of that straitjacket begin to fall away. Try it!