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Why and How Bible Study is Important in My Life

Bible study is a not an option for anyone who claims to follow Christ. This is one fundamental reason why I have made the decision to invest in relevant tools to help me better understand God through His Word. My Logos 3 Bible software package is one of those few tools that have become indispensable to my regular Bible study over the past few years along with my good old Bible dictionary and concordance.

Bible study is important to me as a believer for only a serious study of the Bible will reveal to us how to live by God’s standards. From the book of Genesis, we discover a God who desires a relationship with us. When God spoke about His standards to His people, the Israelites, He gave them written instructions on stone tablets. Today, as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), we have the Bible; God’s written Word showing us how to live according to God’s ways. One can only imagine what would have happened if God had chosen to give His Word through succeeding generations by word of mouth instead of having His people writing it down at different points in time. But in all His wisdom, God has given us His written Word, so we may not alter it. It is written so we may come back to it, time and again to memorize and to study it – all this to one central purpose, so that we may know how to love God and relate to Him.

I remember being taught that the Bible is written in a specific cultural context different to ours, therefore it becomes essential that I first study it faithfully before I can draw out its timeless principles. In seeking to draw out such timeless principles, I must first understand the typically Jewish setting for instance; understand the fact that God’s Word was revealed through languages different from mine. I cannot do this without a proper Bible study.

Bible study has helped me in so many ways to grow in my relationship with God. John 8:32 says, ‘…You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Truth does not set us free unless we first know it. Knowledge sometimes comes at a cost for we must be willing to sit down and diligently focus on our daily portion of Bible study. There are many instances in my life when I had ignorantly believed in Satan’s lies about myself, about God and about others simply because I had not known God’s Word and even more study it adequately enough to exercise appropriate discernment. This has spurred me further to take the study of God’s Word very seriously.

Finally, Bible study is important to me for the Bible is not just any other book. It is the Word of God, “living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). I realize that a regular Bible study will more than help me to remain alert to what the Holy Spirit is seeking to tell me in the different circumstances of my life about how I should act, respond or feel.

To end, I must emphasize this again: Bible study is a non-negotiable essential to our Christian life.

Submitted by Jean Michael Ah Chip