The Power of the Bible-Reading Christian
Many Christians get caught in the spiritual death-trap of religious duty, which turns life-giving spiritual activities into obligatory burdens. This legalistic spirit will kill the joy of prayer and drain your love for the Word. It will turn church attendance into a prison sentence and Kingdom service into an unbearable yoke.
The antidote is the spirit of revelation which restores vision and insight into the power of Kingdom living in every arena! Let’s trust the Holy Spirit to enlighten our hearts with a few reminders about the power of God’s Word, allowing our hearts to fall in love with the Bible all over again.
THE WORD OF GOD CREATES NEW THINGS IN OUR LIVES
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. - Genesis 1:3 (NIV)
Just as God spoke creation into existence, He also speaks new expressions of life into existence in our lives. We see this pattern all throughout the Bible with Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Mary, Paul, etc. Every mighty work of God throughout history traces its origin to a Word from His mouth.
As you open your Bible, make sure to simultaneously open your heart to the personal Word of God into your life.
THE WORD OF GOD BUILDS FAITH
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17 ESV
We know that God operates on the basis of our faith in Him. But how do we develop mountain-moving, giant-slaying, water-parting faith? The simplest answer is stated here by Paul – by saturating our consciousness with the Word of God. When our minds are marinaded in the Word of God, our instinctive response to the circumstances in our lives – whether mountain, giant, or floodwater – is to trust that God can overcome it again, just as He has before.
A deficit of faith is the result of distraction from the Word of God. Our world needs mighty men and women of faith in our day and age!
THE WORD OF GOD RENEWS OUR MINDS
Our minds have been conditioned by the negative influences of this world system. These old patterns of stinking thinking stifle the life of God that was placed in us at our salvation. To break out with the full expression of the abundant life God has given us, we will need to view ourselves and the world around us from God’s perspective. The trigger for transformation is a revelatory insight into the truth of God’s Word.
As we drink in the revelation of God through His Word, the curtain of our old mindsets is pulled back, revealing and releasing the power of the life of God within us!
THE WORD OF GOD EQUIPS US FOR OUR PURPOSE
There are many Biblical references indicating that God has good plans for our lives and that He has prepared good works in advance for us to do (Jer 29:11; Eph 2:10). As seen throughout Scripture, this all involves divine-human cooperation which necessitates a spirit of submission on our part. Within this framework, we see why Paul implies that the process of teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training by the Scriptures culminates in a state of being “thoroughly equipped” to fulfill the good works of our callings.
Those under a religious spirit view the corrective warnings of Scripture as angry emanations from a cosmic killjoy, seeking to strain out any enjoyment of life. In contrast, the revelatory view is that God is lovingly protecting us from ruin, and preparing us to be and do all that He has planned for us.
THE WORD OF GOD ENABLES US TO RESIST SIN AND TEMPTATION
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalms 119:11 (NIV)
The more we gain God’s view of things, the less influence sin will have in our lives. The leverage of sin is in deception (Gen 3:1-7; Eph 4:22), and as we gain deepened insight into the truth of God, we become less vulnerable to its chicanery. In the light of this principle, we see how Jesus was able to specifically rebut and rebuke each temptation that Satan leveled at him in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13).
Finally, it is as we engage with the written word of God that we align ourselves to encounter the Living Word of God (Jesus). It is from the logos (Greek term referring to the written word) that the Rhema (Greek term referring to the personal word of God) leaps out. As we give ourselves to feed on the Word of God, we can expect Him to speak to our hearts personally and specifically about His prophetic purposes in our lives.
essential recommended resources
Below are links to the most helpful Bible-reading resources for beginners that will help you on your journey:
NIV Study Bible Soft Cover
The Bible book introductions and verse-by-verse commentary system, combined with extremely helpful timeline and summary charts & tables is the single best one-volume resource that I recommend to those who want to dig a little deeper than the surface. Here are links to hard cover and soft cover options.Life Application Bible
The Life Application Study Bible focuses on helping the reader understand how Biblical truth applies in daily life.