CONTINUING IN THE SCRIPTURES

Diagnosing the Problem

What are some reasons why we don’t read our Bibles?

“Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.” R.C. Sproul

It takes the average reader about 70 hours to read the Bible all the way through. If your goal is to read the Bible through in a year, that would take about 15 minutes of reading per day.

See Proverbs 2:1-6...

To know the Word, we must read the Word.

Matthew 21:42 “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Don’t be destroyed by a lack of knowledge!

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

A lack of the Word produces a lack of growth.

1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—”

See Hebrews 5:12-14...

Matthew 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”” (see Deuteronomy 8:3)

Is it possible that our lack of faith is a result of our lack of Bible intake?

We have been seeing in Matthew 6 that Jesus said that his disciples had “little faith”. In the other places that Jesus said his disciples had little faith, He would often ask them questions like this: Why did you doubt? Why were you afraid?

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

The Call to Continue

Jesus said that true disciples abide in His Word.

John 8:31–32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

Let us strive to be workers approved by God, not those that are ashamed.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Acts 17:11 “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Let us remember who is the Author of the Word.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

Let us set our hearts to read and study God’s Word.

Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

2 Timothy 4:13 “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”