3. Study
the Bible to Change Your Life!!
The Bible
was not written to entertain, it was written to change your life.
It is hard because
it does take work; it does take effort.
2 Timothy
were Paul’s last words to Timothy. He
suspected these would be his last words. Thus, they were pretty important.
2 Tim. 3:15-17, and
how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Paul emphasizes that wisdom can be gained from
scripture. Again, Paul writes “All
Scripture.
God uses the scripture to prepare and equip.
The Word of God is not only to be read, but to be studied.
A technique for studying the Bible involves, observe, interpret,
and apply,
Observe: Ask what the Bible is saying. What are the facts?
Interpretation: Ask what does the Bible mean? Who wrote the book? To whom is he speaking? What is the purpose of his writing? Who was/were the recipient(s) of the
message? What was the context?
2 Tim. 2:15 =>Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth.
The verse notes that one must correctly handle the word of
truth. This is important. Correctly handling the word of truth takes
work. It takes research.
Misinterpreting=> You can get the Bible to say whatever
you want it to say. When this happens it
does not say what it means.
For
example, the verse, get drunk, be merry for tomorrow we die, can be taken the wrong way.
You have to know the Bible to know how to properly apply it.
Application: What is the Bible saying to me?
Is there a sin to confess? Is there a need to change? Is there someone whom I must minister to?
James 1:22=> Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
This simply tells us to be doers of the word. When we read the Bible we can ask, God what
do you want from me? What are you saying
to me that I need to follow?