The Basics of Faithful Bible Reading – The Task at Hand
Question: Why is it necessary to be faithful in daily Bible reading?
This is a question that I hope to answer in this introduction to the task of faithful Bible reading.
Looking back over our lives as Christians, what can we remember most up to this point in our journey with the Lord? Maybe it is unexpected events that took us by surprise,(such as in my own experience, my financial situation seemingly always at the point of no recovery) or maybe a friend or co-worker we talked to a few times about Jesus says they finally gave their life to the Lord, or maybe it was a hurt that we saw the Lord heal and restore in friendships and relationships that we never thought possible.
We can see from these little events in our lives that God is a God of restoration, right?
WE LIKE THAT DON’T WE!?
These little events are not bad things at all, and in fact, they are liberating to remember at times. We enjoy seeing good things happen; surely when we are involved. All this to say that as important as these little events in our lives seem to us, there is a more important thing. And not just a thing, but a commanded task from God Himself, in His Word that we must never forget to mention and talk about in our walk with the Lord, and not just in the church building.
But, as we gather in other places; be it our homes, workplaces, or coffee shops for one-on-one discipleship, this task, I would say, without it, Christians are just decaying and wasting away because they are not feeding themselves the nutrients needed to grow within the very professions and contexts many make about themselves. And I would say that’s putting it graciously.
But, what I do pray that, as believers, we can remember as most important, is what we have learned and gleaned from God’s Word until our last breath in these fleshly, sin-filled, decaying bodies.
The first part of Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”. Well, how does that happen? How does that work? I will hopefully answer that for you here in a moment when I ask a seemingly rhetorical question that can get a bit personal. Meaning, as I have already given a general, yet applicable answer, to these questions, I want you to get real about this personally with yourself and God. Be honest with God. Not in fear that He may strike you down for “lying in church” but because you Know the God of restoration.
As I have grown and continue to grow in sanctification in my walk with Christ, His grace and mercy become more and more potent and more real in my understanding of who He is, what He has done, and why He has done such. One of the most important questions we can ask when it comes to God and His knowledge of, and sovereignty over all things, is “God, what is your purpose in all of this”? Right? There is an answer to that. And there is a very good place to find it.
This task is indeed a must for the Child of God. This task holistically defines the daily life, growth, and walk of a believer with the Lord Jesus Christ. J.C Ryle, in his book on Practical Religion, says this in regards to Bible reading: “Happy is the man who possesses a Bible. Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice!”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me to think that most Christians today would answer this question rather dauntingly with a turn of the head and a roll of the eyes because realistically, the popular answer isn’t always easiest to admit. This question I would like to rescue, so to speak, from the many times it is often overlooked and unasked.
And let me say this leading into this very striking question. I spent a lot of time at “church” growing up. And I can count on maybe one hand how many times I have heard this question asked-
Have you read your Bible today?
Furthermore, do you read your Bible daily? Or better yet, Does God’s Word sustain your life? If so, how often?
A rather simple, lightweight question, yet with much weight in its anticipated answer. Whether this question has a yes or no answer, there is always follow-up with questions or comments related to your answer such as, “What are you learning in your daily reading?” or “What is keeping you from daily devotion to God’s Word? You are a believer, right”?
These types of questions are piercing and convicting for our brothers and sisters in Christ but should be approached with humility, understanding, and with the goal of liberation in one’s daily reading or restoration towards continuing one’s daily reading of the Bible. Hebrews 3:13 reads, “But exhort (or encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”
The Holy Spirit does His job in the conscience of every believer when they individually fail to do what they know is of utmost importance in their walk with the Lord. The Word of God is full of Scripture that points to a life of godliness and how it is attained and is no small task for those who desire such a reality. The Bible also warns us of spiritual consequences such as complacency or shrinking back (Heb. 10:23) when we are slack in our duty as Christians. In this case, it concerns our communion with God or our time spent in God’s Word.
Hence why it cannot be stressed enough how vital reading the Bible is for life and godliness. It is a fountain of Wisdom that will never run dry.
But dear brothers and sisters, may we not be fooled. Without God’s Word, will indeed run dry.
John Owen, in his writings on the Glory of Christ, says this along the same vein:
“Let us, then, consider Him as poor, despised, persecuted, reproached, reviled, crucified, suffering the wrath of God due to our sins. These things are recorded in the gospel for us to read, to preach, and to consider in the duty of meditation”..or communion with God.
John Owen also says this about our duty as believers: “If we thought more of the glory of Christ, and of the wisdom of God in the restoration of all things in Christ, how much more diligent would we be in fulfilling our duties, and how full of gratitude we would be for the glorious privilege of being in this new family”.
So quickly, back to the [purpose of God] in giving us His Word and our purpose as believers to read it daily.
Quickly turn with me if you can to 2 Timothy 3:16-17
There is God’s purpose for His Word. To train us in righteousness.
Now turn over to 1 Timothy 4:7-8.
There is our purpose for reading God’s Word- To train, or discipline ourselves for godliness. For Christ-likeness. This is a breakdown of what sanctification looks like for the believer.
So, when someone asks the question, “What is God’s will for my life?”
Take them to 1 Thessalonians 4:3, which says explicitly
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification”.
And allow me quickly to distinguish this from another term, and that is justification.
We are not justified nor declared righteous by reading our Bibles. Rather we are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone, and therefore we have the responsibility as Christians to read our Bibles. This goes right along with the good works that we do as believers. It is faith-based work. Not a work-based faith.
So..now that I have put some meat on the bones of this task at hand, there is a verse of Scripture that I believe will put the next several weeks into context for this series I have called:
The Basics of Faithful Bible Reading.
And it is-
This verse applies in its most practical understanding to both believers and unbelievers. Meaning, generally, if you do not do what you are supposed to do, you know it. However, the effect of knowing you did wrong is different for the believer. It is the weightiness believers have in knowing it is sin, recognizing it is an offense to the holiness of God, and they repent of it.
The lost do not comprehend this reality. Let me ask you this. Do you ever wonder why evil men keep doing evil?
Because they have not repented and believed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And because they do not know the severity of the evil they do before a Holy God. If they did, they would first be possessed by the Holy Spirit of God. A close follow to that is that they would indeed become conflicted with the weight and disgust of their sin, and repent.
But we know that God alone does that work in a heart to bring one to repentance, just like He did with us who are saved. If God doesn’t do the work of bringing sinners to Himself, the Word will have no effect. Likewise as follows, the fruit of repentance will have no root. And I hope we can all agree with that. But that is a sermon for another day.
However, let us not be misinformed believers! This weightiness helps us recognize the heaviness of our responsibility which hopefully helps us to see our weakness and desperate need for the sustaining strength of Christ. We always need it! Daily. Hourly. Every moment of our lives as believers. The difference between saved folk and unsaved folk is that the saved life exalts Christ and Christ alone. This must be our aim as believers.
Charles Spurgeon says this:
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is my responsibility, it is your responsibility, it is our responsibility, to Read the Bible. Hebrews 4:11-13 tells us:
It says “no creature” is hidden from His sight.
How terrible a realization on the day of judgment for the wicked. But how conflicting to our conscience as believers when we do not do as we know we ought! This is when the breathed-out Word of God corrects us as we saw earlier in 2 Timothy 3.
May this be an encouraging charge for us. If we are to do things differently than the world, Biblically understood as the unsaved persons, may we not only revert to “for the Bible tells me so”, but may we also know what the Bible exhorts us to be ready for in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2)
A staggering statistic I think I heard on a Christian talk show on YouTube somewhere, I can’t remember the exact source or the exact statistic, but it mentioned that the majority of saved people read more books about the Bible than they read the actual Bible.
Sadly, this is not hard to believe. Even many pastors do this. I mean, pastors even steal each other’s sermons and call them theirs. This has upset me a tremendous amount just in writing my stuff. To think we have these “pastors” literally stealing sermons and competing with who is better. Folks, that is not Biblical Christianity! It is a slap in God’s face and it quenches the Holy Spirit of His work in the life of shepherds who are leading and guiding their flocks to the living water of the Word!
I truly pray that for the body of Christ all over the world, we read the Word daily, and very often during the day. Don’t live on another man’s opinions of the Bible. Read it for yourself and your growth and sanctification in the Lord.
Other resources are helpful. I’m not saying they aren’t. But a resource is only an exposition. But can also be an incorrect exposition of the source- the Bible. God’s Word to us, the Scriptures. I believe this is a very possible reason that Charles Spurgeon charged his congregation to “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible”.
Our living depends on it so that we may know how we are to walk moment by moment as Christian sojourners in a sin-filled world. The more Bible you know and read, the better prepared you are for the darts of the enemy. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God as we read in Ephesians 6.
This particular article will act as the introduction to a series of installments since I have several points I would like to cover on the subject. I believe James 4:17 to be a valid “driver-verse” if we may call it, for understanding the seriousness of daily communion with the Lord and and not just that, but our duty in every area of our lives as believers as we get back to the most basic, yet most vital task of Christianity-
Faithfulness to Daily Bible Reading.
And so..with this task being brought to our attention afresh, together let us strive in faithfulness and good works by pressing on towards the mark of our high calling in Christ Jesus, and may our daily communion with our great Lord and Savior be evermore lovely! May we hold fast to our hope in Christ by realizing the importance of the “must do’s” in our responsibility as Christians, so that in all things, Christ may be glorified!
