Personal Preparation for the Bible Study

Personal Preparation for Bible Study

 

I. Six Principles of Personal Preparation for Bible Study

1. Believe in Jesus Christ

Personal preparation in the study of the Scripture cannot be overemphasized. The student must first believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior, because the “natural man” (the man without Christ) cannot accept or understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Spirit of God allows the student of the Word to discern spiritual things.

 

2. Accept that the Bible is Divinely Inspired

God’s Word proclaims itself to be divinely inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Any study of the Word ought to begin by acknowledging that fact. No “leap” of faith is necessary; just a mere acceptance of the fact that the Bible is true and accurate.

 

3. Pray

Prayer is necessary to understand Scripture. God’s Word instructs that if anyone lacks wisdom, and asks for it, God will give it freely (James 1:5). Sincere prayer for correct knowledge and discernment will be answered, because these things are clearly within God’s will (1 John 5:14 compare [cf.] Matthew 7:7-8).

 

4. Study Diligently and Have Patience

Since many passages of God’s Word are not readily understood, diligence and patience are necessary when studying (2 Timothy 2:15). When we, as limited human beings, attempt to understand the unlimited mind of God, we must be aware that a competent grasp will take some time.

 

5. Consistently Confess Your Sins

It is also important to confess sin consistently, permitting God to cleanse our lives, so that a greater fellowship with Him may be attained (1 John 1:6-10). Realizing the need to confess our sins keeps us consistently sensitive to any thought, speech, or action that is not in accord with God’s will.

 

6. Be Willing to Live God’s Will

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “If anyone is willing to do His [God’s] will, he shall know of the teaching” (John 7:17). If the objective is to develop a relationship with the Living God, then any knowledge gained ought to support and clarify that relationship. Knowledge without love results in pride (1 Corinthians 8:1). If your objective is simply an intellectual quest and not a relationship with the Living God, then the knowledge you gain will be lacking and distorted.

 

 

II. Five Benefits of Personal Bible Study from God’s Word

 

1. Greater Faith

The greatest theologian of the Church, the apostle Paul, said of himself that he, “walked by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). We all enter into salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9); and according to Paul, just as we have entered, so are we to walk (Colossians 2:6-7).

 

2. New Knowledge

There is new knowledge to be gained from God’s Word as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:14-18). This knowledge leads us to a greater appreciation of His grace. But along with growing in knowledge, we grow in faith as we “hear” God’s Word through the Scriptures (Romans 10:17) and trust Him for everything.

 

3. Purification of Our Life

God’s Word is necessary for the purification of our lives because His Word is Truth (John 17:17). Although we are Believers, we do have problems with sin in our lives (1 John 1:6-10), so we must learn God’s Word in order to determine what sin(s) may be present. We then can pray intelligently for healing and cleansing (Psalm 51). Please note that Christians have often “added to” God’s Word and made these additions a basis of righteousness. This is called “legalism,” which means that men have made their own laws the standards of righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ clearly challenged this practice (Mark 7:1-13), so we must be careful to pay careful attention to God’s stated standards.

 

4. Power in Ministry

With the Holy Spirit at work in our lives as we study the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16), there will be power in our ministry (Ephesians 2:10). We are in a war with Satan and his forces; therefore, we need power beyond our own strength and ability (Ephesians 6:10-18). The power comes from our submission to God’s will because it  is  God  who is  at  work in us, “to will and to  work His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

 

5. Equipment for Service

With this knowledge of God’s Word, we can practice the truth in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians

3:16-17) and proclaim it to a lost and dying world (John 17:17-19; Hebrews 5:12). A primary objective for the communication of God’s Word is “equipping the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). To “equip” others requires that we must first   be equipped ourselves.