God's Provisions For Growth

 2 Peter 1:1-4

Subject: Spiritual Growth 

Theme: acknowledge God’s provisions in order to stimulate and pursue real spiritual growth.

Introduction:

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4, Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:1–4)

Building a life that reminds God of His darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is no small undertaking. If our estimation of the Lord Jesus is anything near the Bible’s presentation of Him then you understand this is a monumental task! Assuming the responsibility of genuine spiritual development is our obligation, but we must make use of God’s supplies for the task. Well, what has our Heavenly Father given us? Peter, the Lord’s apostle, wrote to inform us that everything we need has been supplied! Our job is to make use of these provisions to build lives that mirror our Lord’s.

Yes, in Christianity, we have what we need for spiritual progress…all of what is needed. Peter demonstrates that being firmly established and abounding in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, involves:

·        Diligence in our personal spiritual growth (2 Pet. 1:1–11; Jude 20, 21)

·        Faithfulness to the apostles testimony concerning the Lord Jesus (2 Pet. 1:12–18)

·        Adherence to Scripture as the Word of God (2 Pet. 1:19–21)

This study will focus on what God has given us to grow. His provisions to us are essential to our spiritual journey! In order to stimulate spiritual growth, acknowledge God’s provisions (2Pet. 1:1-4).

Message:

I. God Provided a Preacher (2 Pet. 1:1)

Notice Who was Writing. “Simon Peter” introduces himself: As “a servant” (bondslave, Matt. 23:11) “and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (see Rom. 1:1; Titus 1:1). Immediately we are struck by his simplicity and humility. Near the close of his life, at the zenith of his apostolic authority, he was Christ’s slave first, and His apostle, one sent with a commission, second.  He was a bondslave by choice; an “apostle” by divine appointment. He uses no pompous titles or symbols of status. He has only a grateful acknowledgment of his obligation to serve the risen Savior.

Notice Why He was Writing. He is both a concerned pastor and a champion of sound theology. His purpose was to call Christians to spiritual growth (chapt. 1) so that they can combat apostasy (chapt. 2) as they look forward to the Lord’s return (chapt. 3). He passionately pleads for Christians to mature and guard against false teachers; he was driven by the fact that His time was short (1:13-15) and that these congregations faced immediate danger (2:1-3).

Notice to Whom He was Writing. “them that have obtained like precious faith”. The recipients of this letter are the same as those who received Peter’s first letter (2Pet. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:1).  It is also written to you and me for our edification! These believers had “obtained,” “received,” or “attained by divine will” their salvation. Peter emphasized how salvation was not attained by personal effort, skill, or worthiness, but came purely from God’s grace. The original churches to whom this Letter was written had obtained the same precious faith as Peter and his colleagues. Have you also received God’s salvation gift in Christ? (Rom. 6:23; John 6:16)

II. God Provided a Process; Notice What We Have (2 Pet. 1:1-4)

The Process Starts with Salvation: We have a precious faith (1:1)

It is the Same Faith. The phrase “like precious” generally was used to designate equal rank, position, honor, standing, price, or value. Peter was emphasizing that Christians have all received the same precious, priceless saving faith. There are no first and second class Christians in spiritual, racial, or gender distinctions (Gal. 3:28). Since Peter was writing to mostly Gentiles, he was emphasizing that they have received the same faith as the Jews (Acts 10:44–48; 11:17, 18). Like precious faith: These Gentile believers had received the same kind of faith as believing Jews, a faith that was in no way deficient. All who are saved by the grace of God enjoy equal acceptance before Him, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, male or female, slave or free. The faith given them by God was of equal honor or privilege with that of the apostles’ faith. Here Peter foreshadowed his purpose by stressing that the faith of the apostles was no different from the faith of any believer. Anyone who has faith in Jesus has the same access to God as any other believer.

It is Saving Faith. This is because it involves God’s initiatives.  Peter is speaking of a subjective faith, i.e., the Christian’s power to believe for his salvation. Faith is the capacity to believe (Eph. 2:8, 9). Even though faith and belief express the human side of salvation, God still must awaken that faith. God initiates salvation when the Holy Spirit awakens our soul in response to hearing the Word of God (Acts 11:21; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:2). Further it is because it involves God’s righteousness. “Through the righteousness” tells how believers share the equal gift of salvation because God’s righteousness is imputed to us. This righteousness recognizes no distinction between people except that the sins of some are more heinous than others. So, not only do we have salvation because God gives it to us, we are saved only because God imputes righteousness to us (see Rom. 3:26; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8, 9). It was obtained when we were given the gift of righteousness (justification). The righteousness believers are given is the righteousness of Christ Himself.

It is the Same Savior. Yes, Peter is identifying Jesus Christ as both Savior and God. “God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Is. 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 60:16; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8). This title of Jesus reflects Peter’s great confession in John 6:69: “Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” The title our God and Savior Jesus Christ is one of many in the NT which indicate the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus. If He is not God, then these words have no meaning.

The Process Continues with Strength: We have grace and peace (1:2)

This blessing of grace and peace is more than a mere formula of greeting. These virtues come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The apostle’s lofty prayer for these believers is that grace and peace might be multiplied to them through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Knowledge (1:2) is a strengthened form of “knowledge” implying a larger, more thorough, and intimate knowledge. The Christian’s precious faith is built on knowing the truth about God (1:3). Christianity is not a mystical religion, but is based in objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord, the more “grace and peace” are multiplied in the believers life. God wants us to have this knowledge by His sustaining, empowering grace in our everyday lives (2 Cor. 12:9; Isa. 40:29-31). He wants our hearts to be guarded by the peace of God that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7; Rom. 15:13). But this is not to be given in small doses! He desires these blessings to be multiplied in volume, not added in small segments.

How can these blessings be multiplied? It is in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Again the better we know God, the more we experience grace and peace. We do better by dwelling in the secret place of the Most High than by making occasional visits there. Those who live in the sanctuary rather than in the suburbs find the  secret of God’s grace and peace. (MacDonald)

I urge you to take advantage of the “full knowledge” available to us through Christ Jesus. In this way we can grow in spiritual strength to combat false teachers who claim to have special knowledge but who openly practiced immorality.

The Process Continues with Sanctification: We have everything necessary (1:3)       
The Source of the Process; “His divine power” refers to Jesus Christ (1:3). Christ’s power is the source of the believer’s sufficiency and perseverance (Matt. 24:30; Mark 5:30; Luke 4:14; 5:17; Rom. 1:4; 2 Cor. 12:9). The genuine Christian is eternally secure in his salvation and can persevere and grow because he has received everything necessary to sustain eternal life through Christ’s power. We are assured that Christ has made full provision for us to have a life of holiness. Christ’s divine power has provided everything believers need for life and godliness as an evidence of His power.

The Significance of the Process.  We, every Christian, should have (1:3) immense interest in spiritual maturity because it will keep us from falling in this life and assure us of a triumphal entry into the next (2 Pet. 1:10, 11; Jude 24; Heb. 12:15).

The Substance of the Process. “All things that pertain unto life and godliness”; Peter clearly states that God has given us every resource and empowerment necessary to live this kind of life. Notice the words “hath given” (1Pet. 1:3). The genuine believer ought not to ask God for something more to become godly (as if something necessary to sustain his growth, strength, and perseverance was missing). Because we already have every spiritual resource to manifest, sustain, and mature in godly living. Every believer is a divine repository of spiritual affluence! Yes, you are rich in spiritual assets.

The all things that pertain unto life and godliness include the high priestly work of Christ (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:24-25), the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2Cor. 3:17-18), the activity of angelic agencies on our behalf (Heb. 1:13-14), the new life we receive at conversion (1Jn. 5:10-13), and the instruction of the Word of God (2Tim. 3:14-17). Just like a healthy, newborn baby has all of its parts and everything it needs for a full life at the time of its birth, Christians are given the “god-life in miniature” at our spiritual birth. Every new Christian is given a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3), a new nature (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10), the “seed” of the life of God which is opposed to sin (1 John 3:9), and spiritual eyesight to see the things of the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Life and godliness (1:3) refers to “the godly life.” It denotes a reverent and worshipful lifestyle which is fully sensitive to God’s will and obedient to His moral standards.  Living to please God as opposed to yourself or mere people is the focus here.

The Supply Line (Channel) of the Process. All that believers need for spiritual vitality (life) and godly living (2Pet. 1:6; 3:11) is attainable through the knowledge of Christ. Just as His divine power is the source of holiness, so the knowledge of Him is the channel of holiness. To know Him is eternal life (John 17:3) and progress in knowing Him is progress in holiness (Jn. 15:1-8). The better we get to know Him, the more we become like Him. An intimate “full knowledge” of Christ is the supply line of spiritual power and growth (see Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9-10; 2:2-3). Thus salvation must precede growth; we must know Him before we can grow in Him! It really is WHO you know that matters for salvation; then WHO you know WELL for sanctification! The knowledge of Christ emphasized here is not a superficial knowledge, or a mere surface awareness of the facts about Christ, but a genuine, personal sharing of life with Christ, based on repentance from sin and personal faith in Him (Matt. 7:21).

If we know Christ Jesus more fully, we can know more of His sufficient power and grace in our experience.  If we do not believe He is enough for every challenge, and that we have real access to His sufficiency, we are vulnerable to being led astray—away from Christ and away from the maturity to which Christ calls us (Col. 2:8-10). But, if we have a deepening understanding of Christ and all He has provided for us and all that He makes available to us, we have a solid foundation on which to grow in every area of our lives. A foundation established on the eternal principles of God’s Word must be our focus to have a meaningful, satisfying, Christ-centered, and victorious life.

The Process Continues with Scripture: We have precious promises (1:4)

A Baby Needs Food to Grow.  A baby will not grow automatically even though every life process is in place for it to do so. A new baby needs to have its new life nurtured. It must receive love. It must be kept clean. It must be fed, and fed, and fed! If this nurturing does not take place properly, at best, the child will be stunted and weak. In the worst case scenario, it will grow weak and die.

Spiritual Growth is Not Automatic Either.  In the same way, as Christians we do not automatically grow just because we are alive. We Christians must also nurture the perfect and wonderful new spiritual life. Not only has God provided the new life and power, like a good parent; He also has given the food and the love-nurture needed for our growth! His Word cleanses, heals, and grows the spiritual life of His children. His Spirit in us and His presence in the church provide the environment of fellowship and love which fosters optimum growth (John 14:16–18; Acts 2:38–42).  Casual association with just any congregation will only hinder growth—commit to a solid Bible-believing New Testament Church who is obedient to Christ’s Great Commission!

The Bible Is No Ordinary Book!  The next time you are in a bookstore, wander over to the self-help section. Browse through the titles, and you will be amazed at the large number of books offering guidance for living a better life. Do you need a crash course in how to be more productive? There is a book a two for that. Need to learn how to cope with daily stresses? There are multiple books for this as well. Or, maybe you would like to know how you can improve your family relationships. You will probably find an entire section devoted to that subject (Wiersbe, MacDonald & MacArthur)! Yet, despite all these guides for improving certain aspects of life, only one book gives us guidance for every aspect of our lives—the Bible. God knew that we would require help getting along in this crazy and sometimes frustrating world. That is why He moved men to record His inspired principles, advice, and directives in the Bible. This is why He has guarded and preserved His Word through the centuries.

While skeptics attempt to lump the Bible alongside other religious books, a brief overview of the Bible quickly reveals its uniqueness. The Bible was written over a period of sixteen hundred years, by forty authors from various walks of life, and in three languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic). Although the majority of the Bible’s writers never met, they present a unified picture of God, a central message of Jesus Christ as God coming to earth as man, and they address some of the most controversial topics of their time (and ours!) without contradicting one another (Wiersbe, MacDonald, & MacArthur). Amazing? It certainly is. God has given us this special book to communicate His personal message in a way we can easily understand. In the pages of the Bible you will discover who God is, how you can get to know Him personally, and how you will benefit from living your life according to His wonderful principles.

God’s Word is the Standard of Truth.  The Bible also provides an objective, trustworthy standard of truth—not society’s perception of truth, but God's absolute truth. In a world that can't make up its mind about right and wrong, the Bible stands as a perfect measuring stick against which every thought, word, and deed can be evaluated.

God’s Promises will Help Us Grow.  Thus, included among the “all things” (1:4) which God’s power has given to promote a life of holiness are His exceeding great and precious promises in the Word. It is estimated that there are at least 30,000 promises in the Bible. John Bunyan once said, “The pathway of life is strewn so thickly with the promises of God that it is impossible to take one step without treading upon one of them.” Think of some of the promises that relate to the life of holiness. (1) Freedom from sin’s dominion (Rom. 6:14). (2) Grace that is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). (3) Power to obey His commands (Phil. 4:13). (4) Victory over the devil (Jas. 4:7). (5) Escape when tempted (1 Cor. 10:13). (6) Forgiveness when we confess our sins (1 Jn. 1:9)—and forgetfulness too (Jer. 31:34). (7) Response when we call (Ps. 50:15) (MacDonald). The Bible states that all promises given to us are “Yea” in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20), for He invites us to participate in His life and all the benefits and blessings which flow from it. What does 2 Corinthians 3:18 promise as we come to know Him more intimately?

Like building a new house requires definite consideration of what can be done with the available funds, we Christians must build our lives fully cognizant of what we have in Christ Jesus. Be assured our heavenly Father has richly provided everything we need to become truly godly individuals. The materials with which we build are spiritual and significant; therefore, we should build with confidence in God’s supply and provisions. As in building a house it matter what materials we use! (MacDonald & Wiersbe) 

As genuine Christians, we cannot afford ignorance of God's supplies for spiritual development. In order to live with spiritual integrity from day to day, we must put to use God resources. Peter warns that it is dangerous to build our lives rather haphazardly. He shows that being firmly established and abounding in the knowledge of Jesus Christ is essential. 

Filled and Fruitful!

The Holy Spirit confronts our sin to reduce its dominance, and He creates positive developments nudging each Believer towards Christ-likeness. While convicting and cleansing are essential activities of the Spirit of Grace, they are incomplete without Him creating the character of the Lord Jesus within us. Spiritual transformation is not only concerned with those wrong patterns of thought and deed we must discard, but also those good traits and qualities that must be imparted to us as children of God.  Creating Christlike character in Believers is the specialty of the Holy Spirit; He is the key to fruit bearing in our lives.

A RENOVATION PROJECT

Spiritual formation is much like renovating a living room in a home.  There are some items that will be removed. Perhaps an old couch, the end tables, some lamps, and old pictures will be removed and discarded. The project may be as extensive as taking out a wall and the existing flooring.  But the work would be grossly incomplete if new flooring and furnishing were not installed. The wall that was removed gives way to an enlarged room and a more open floor plan. The old flooring tiles can be replaced with hardwood flooring. New furniture items and fresh wall paper would finish out the project nicely. In the renovation process there is both removing the old and installing the new. If there is only taking out without a putting in, the room would be uninhabitable and incomplete.  It would not serve its full purpose.  So it is with the renovation work of the Spirit.  He endeavors to remove sinful habits and install saintly habits.  He must root out godless character and install godly character. Anything less would be incomplete. The Spirit must rid believers of inconsistency, low integrity, hatred, anger, and worldliness.  He would love nothing more than to refurnish our soul with righteousness, all goodness, truth, love, joy, peace, virtue, godliness, brotherly kindness and many other graces typical of Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:9; Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:5-8).

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Regarding the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), we believers must undergo something of an internal renovation. When the Spirit’s endeavor is well under way, it will display the most brilliant creativity in the entire universe. The Spirit of the Lord actually fashions Christlike outgrowth in each of us as we yield to His authority. This is nothing less than an absolutely astonishing reality for us Believers. In this function, the Spirit produces our new character—Christ’s image (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). This is a wondrous undertaking when one considers how glorious the Lord Jesus truly is and how much unlike Him we are! The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:22–23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith [faithfulness], ²³ Meekness, temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law.” He portrays this creative labor as “the fruit of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit fashions within Christians this new distinctive character all the while evidencing supernatural life in us.

Supernatural Fruit

First, it is important to observe that this “fruit” is not produced by us believers ourselves, but by the Holy Spirit growing “fruit” within our souls. Fruitfulness is possible through our vital union with Christ (John 15:1-8). Without Him we, the people of God, can do nothing at all to produce personal holiness (Jn. 15:5). We are called upon to abide in Christ because through the Lord Jesus we can become absolutely everything He requires (Phil. 4:13). All the listed virtues, the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22, 23), describe the life of the truly spiritual child of God as we abide in a fruit bearing relationship to Christ. This fruit can only grow out of supernatural life.

Spirit Filling

Secondly, the way to become fruitful is to be filled with the Spirit of God (Eph. 5:18). It has been recognized (Murray 1984, p.7) that Spirit filling is the yielded believer being continually controlled, dominated, and governed by the Holy Spirit for daily living and service. We are not interested in running our own lives for our own agenda. Spirit filling is commanded, conditional, experiential, repeatable, and God’s will for every believer. Many of us good Christians will never know the fullness of God’s Spirit because we are so caught up in doing many good things and are involved in several worthy causes. We are so busy leading our own lives that there is no room for God to lead us. We have failed to realize that we are often filled with ourselves rather than the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, our actions are the expression of our own will, desires, values, and motives and not God’s plans at all. Consequently, our strength and power is merely human. We desperately need to rediscover the crucified life (Gal. 2:20) and the Spirit’s crucial empowerment.

Being filled with the Spirit is being controlled by the God (Eph. 5:18). God’s positive command is, “Be filled with the Spirit.” The verb “filled” has nothing to do with contents or quantity, as though believers are empty containers needing a required amount of spiritual fuel to keep going. In the Bible, filled means “controlled by.” “They... were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28) means “they were controlled by wrath” and for that reason tried to kill the Lord Jesus. “The Jews were filled with envy” (Acts 13:45) means that the Jews were controlled by envy and opposed the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be constantly controlled by the Spirit in one’s mind, emotions, and will.

And it should also be noted that the verb “filled” is passive. We Christians do not fill ourselves but we permit the Spirit to control us. Thus as Believers, rather than controlling ourselves, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. It may be more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit is the “Agent” of the filling (Gal. 5:16) and Christ is the “Content” of this supernatural filling (Eph. 3:16-19). Thus in this relationship, as we are yielded to the Lord and controlled by Him, He increasingly manifests the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), which is the very character of Christ. Yes, this is how believers can evidence this spiritual fruit.

Being filled is to be repeated and continuous. It is not a once-for-all crisis experience in the life of a disciple; ‘filling’ is not an once-in-a-lifetime moment of spiritual exhilaration from which one will never have carnal moments again. Rather it is a continuous appropriation where the Christian regularly prays (Murray 1984, p. 9) “Fill me for this day, this decision, this meeting, this activity, this encounter, or this chore.” Then we depend upon God to control our thoughts, emotions, and actions. God desires for us to ‘keep on being continually filled with the Spirit.’ It may begin as a crisis experience, but it must continue thereafter as a moment-by-moment dependence upon the Spirit for fresh power/grace (MacDonald & Farstad). Today’s filling will not suffice for tomorrow. And certainly it is a spiritual blessing every believer should greatly desire. In fact, it is the ideal condition for us Believer here on earth. It means that the Holy Spirit is having His way fairly unhindered in our experience. As such believers, we are therefore fulfilling our role in the plan of God for that time (MacDonald & Farstad).

Just as wine can control a person, God desires to control the believer’s life by His Spirit. Such believers are not afraid to express themselves to the glory of God. We will experience the beautiful manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

A Singular Fruit

Thirdly, the word “fruit” is singular. This indicates these nine qualities constitute a unit, all of which should be found in us believers as we live under the control of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).  These qualities will not all be manifested to the same degree or strength, but will still be evident in each believer’s character.  The more we mature in our reliance on the Spirit, the more pervasive Christ’s image will become in our character. As Christians we must consciously depend on the Spirit to produce fruit in and through us.

Christ’s Life

Fourthly, in an ultimate sense this “fruit” is plainly the life of Christ lived out in a submissive Christian. Character influences what we do—behavior. Character can generally be described as the peculiar and distinctive qualities of a person. The original and simple meaning of the word “character” is an engraving—something carved or inscribed in a person’s nature. It is the potential fact about the individual: “the inmost truth of them written upon their personality” according to Practical Bible Illustrations from Yesterday and Today (Steele, Jr. and Stoner, 1998). Thus life is an expression of one’s character.  Remember, the Holy Spirit endeavors to transform us into the image of Christ. Our Lord’s thoughts, desires, motives, ambitions, values, and qualities become a part of each Christian’s inner man greatly exerting influence upon our behavior. 

It has been wisely pointed out that every one of these qualities is foreign to the soil of the human heart. The method whereby Christ is formed in a believer is the handy work of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 1:21). Max Anders (1995, Chapter 11) observed that the first three of these virtues of the Spirit are habits of mind which find their source in God. The second triad reaches out to others, fortified by love, joy, and peace. The final three graces guide the general conduct of us believers as we are led by the Spirit.

It was Dr. Tim LaHaye (1966, p. 45) who pointed out how this process works itself out in his book Spirit Controlled Temperament. He affords a rather comprehensive overview of a Spirit controlled and fruitful life. LaHaye observed, “Needless to say, any individual manifesting these characteristics is going to be a happy, well-adjusted, mature and a very fruitful human being.” These nine qualities reveal God’s desire for His children.  There is a healthy desire in every one of us believers to please our Lord by living a truly spiritual life.  Again spiritual fruitfulness is not the outcome of human effort (LaHaye 1966, 46), but the supernatural production of the Holy Spirit controlling all facets of our experience.  It would be helpful at this juncture to explore these traits individually as Paul presented them in Galatians chapter five.  Believers’ new disposition in the Spirit is marked by these nine qualities (Gal. 5:22-23). Allow Him to carve out the character of our wonderful Lord Jesus in your life daily.

The Value of Bible Study

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).

Ever wondered why we should read and study the Bible? Have you adopted the myth that closeness to God and Biblical depth are mutually exclusive? Do we unintentionally (subconsciously) believe that God places a premium on spiritual ignorance? Think about this carefully before answering. You see, all of these questions draw serious attention to the great importance of knowing God and His Word. The value of God’s Word to the entire Christian experience can never be overstated or stressed too much. In an age in which more people are rejecting the Bible, let every Believer embrace it with greater passion to know God intimately and deeply.  I firmly believe the Lord Jesus Christ would be pleased with that.

A Noteworthy Observation

It was Robertson McQuilkin who said, “God desires the response of faith and obedience to both the direct teachings and the principles of Scripture.” I was reminded of this crucial function of the Word of God while reading and studying Dr. McQuilkin’s book, Understanding and Applying the Bible as part of an undergrad Bible class several years ago. Yes, God calls His people to certain responses, values, beliefs, and practices through His Word. Ultimately, we are invited to Him for worship, fellowship, submission, and service through His love letter—The Scriptures. For me McQuilkin's statement reinforced something God had taught me years before. Primarily, that there is tremendous value in Bible study and every Christian should develop strong Bible exploration skills. 

Good Bible study habits and methods are crucial to viable Christian development, growth, and service to our Lord Jesus. While it is true anyone can pick up a Bible, share a truth, explain its application to modern life, and urge others to adhere to it, not anyone can do this regularly with accuracy or effectiveness. Sharing biblical truth with others is our Christian responsibility (Matt. 28:18-20) and a God-given privilege, but we should cherish a palpable measure of competence as we do so (2 Tim. 2:15). Certainly, we all make mistakes when handling Scripture, and we all will again, but still we must strive to represent our Lord well. A desirable aim is to express His Word as accurately and lovingly as we can to benefit the listeners on any given occasion (Eph. 4:11-16). As with any worthwhile skill, Bible study strategies must be learned, cultivated, and explored with diligence. In fact my own story regarding studying and sharing the Bible was fraught with many failures. God, in His infinite grace, eventually developed in me the necessary skills enabling me to research, study, and share His Word with a greater measure of accuracy. He desires to do the same for every Believer without a single exception. My own journey is a testimony to this reality.

Personal Testimony

As a new Christian, I recall a cavernous hunger for the grand teachings of the Bible. Being fascinated with biblical messages and thrilled with certain topics, I dreamed of handling Scripture competently also. However, desiring to study Scripture and possessing the ability to do so effectively, are as different as our solar system from a model of it. I was 23 years of age, four years into an Air Force career, and stationed at Plattsburgh, AFB, NY. It was there the Lord Jesus rescued me from my sin and unto Himself. God had saved and forgiven me of a life of sin, and now it was time to grow in this new relationship He had brought me into. Though I had read portions of the Bible for many years as a young person, I still did not possess any significant Bible study skills. I was starving for biblical insight and roundly inept at feeding my famishing soul.

Another distinct memory of my first Christian year was a bona fide passion to communicate the Word to both Christians and non-Christians. However, I was plagued with a few crippling problems. The most obstructive dilemma was my grossly inadequate biblical and theological understanding. For instance, I could tell someone they needed to be saved, but I could not show them adequately from the Bible. So, I witnessed to others from gospel tracks. Additionally, I knew that foul language was wrong, but I was unable to identify even one verse to support my opinion. It did not take long for me to figure out that my mere assertions do not make my statements true. Convinced that church attendance, prayer, and Bible reading were important, I commended them hardily to others; yet, I had little or no clue where God or the Bible required this. I even declared arrogantly, that "I believe the entire Bible from cover to cover!" The problem was I had only read about three-quarters of it at the time! In addition, I misquoted verses, misstated the Lord’s expectations, endorsed tradition over truth, disagreed with more mature Christians, misapplied Scripture repeatedly, and scandalously confused the topic of service with salvation. Frankly speaking, I even taught things that not even God knew. I even thought it was possible to be unsaved again. If you had known me, you would have described me as the poster child for ‘zeal without knowledge.’ God in His grace has forgiven me for these awful blunders; I had good intentions, but was severely wrong in many instances.

As previously mentioned, I was ill equipped in Scripture study methods. Thus, I had next to zero ability to acquire the knowledge I desperately needed for life and service. My study approach was entirely without rhyme or reason and generously peppered with unfounded theological biases. As a study method, I ransacked my Bible to justify my misguided ‘insights’ and ‘conclusions.’ Like a hunting dog with no sense of smell, I was ever searching for that illusive ‘proof text’ while ignoring the biblical context. Needless to say I made more than a few embarrassing mistakes along the way. Yes, I experienced some agonizing frustrations in my pathetic attempts to ‘serve the Lord’ and be a ‘blessing’ to others. However, through the gracious leadership of our patient Lord, personal growth became my first priority. That decision also directly impacted my ability to minister far more effectively to others in a manner pleasing to the Lord.

God's Providential Guidance

Nevertheless, there was one thing I did right in those early years. Realizing my severe ineptitude, I purchased a King James Study Bible to assist my personal growth endeavors. This proved to be a truly helpful move. The introductory book summaries, responsible Bible insights, outlines, and notes helped me to develop a fundamental doctrinal orientation. Praise the Lord, the Bible was making more sense to me! Not only did I read the Scriptures and the study notes, but I began following some of its guidelines regarding Bible study strategies. You see, that study Bible provided several different ways to explore the Scriptures in its introduction section. Taking these useful instructions seriously, I began using some of those study methods with notable benefit.

God in His infinite grace also prompted me to develop a simple worksheet to record what I was learning. By this strategy, I could preserve the insights He was teaching me and revisit them as I needed them or to share them with others. This proved to be especially supportive of my goal of growth in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18). These early and humble worksheets spurred me to think far more concretely about Scripture and its place in my own experience. Though my path to using sound Bible study methods was filled with blunders, my ever wise Lord Jesus gradually achieved His purpose in me.

Now there were three major positive developments that came out of those early struggles. The first was my experience of some modest spiritual formation as I applied myself to these study techniques. Secondly, a more effective ministry to believers and non-believers eventually emerged as I used what God was teaching me. People were actually coming to Christ as Savior! Younger believers were receiving some of the basic spiritual guidance they needed. Through my conversations, God was actually ministering to others through what He had taught me. I was delighted beyond my ability to express!

The third advancement was significant improvements of Bible study tools for my personal use. Because I had profoundly profited from these methods, I developed different study worksheets to target other areas in the Christian sphere. Some of these focused on acquiring biblical knowledge, while others zeroed in on application and sanctification. I even designed one for identifying Bible principles and applying them to my professional life. Borrowing ideas and concepts from many different sources, I constructed a number of tailor-made study tools for personal use. After refining these tools, I could confidently introduce them to others as Bible study training aids. In fact, this post is an additional expression of my desire to serve others through personal Bible study training.

Inductive Bible Study

Typical of Inductive Bible Study, my plan enables me to observe, interpret, and apply the Scriptures to daily life. As we interact directly with the Word of God, we are afforded additional opportunities to permit the Holy Spirit to teach us His Word. While this plan can be somewhat demanding, I believe it is equally rewarding to those who are serious about knowing God and making Him known to others. God desires for each of us to know Him through the revelation of the Scriptures; historically my plan has served as a catalyst in this regard. The intent is to grow in Christ as we use inductive study strategies, and certainly God will use us to influence many lives for Christ.

Finally, there are several fundamental guidelines that should influence and help us personally discover God’s eternal truth. My goal is to not only encourage you to study God’s Word habitually, but to also adopt Bible study helps and tools  that expedite Christlike formation and transformed living through Bible study. These guidelines for selecting a study strategy are:

1. The motivations for personal Bible study are obedience to God’s commands, spiritual strength for personal transformation, and preparation for Christian service (2 Tim. 2:15; Jn. 5:39; 1 Jn. 2:14). The goal is not to merely become smarter, to argue with others, to become a ‘know it all,’ or to become a prideful Pharisee.

2. The Inductive Bible Study Method uses the Word of God (Old and New Testaments) as the primary source of insight about God and Christian living (Jn. 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10, 13). Choose a study plan that concentrates attention on the Bible and makes proper use of observation, interpretation, and application techniques. Avoid, so called study methods that rely more on modern experiences, contemporary testimonies, and the ‘talking points’ from fringe movements. These tend to ignore major portions and teachings of the Bible while opting for trendy ideas and popular philosophies (Col. 2:4-12).

3. The study plan you choose should enable you to annotate your observations, interpretations, applications, and translate the message of the text into obedient living (Acts 8:26-39; Neh. 8:1-12; 1 Tim. 4:16). This is necessary to aid the adoption, application, and appropriation of Scripture truth.  A simple notebook will suffice; a Bible study worksheet is even better. The point here is to be sure to write it down. Capture on paper or in a computer document what God is saying to your heart from the Word. This is extremely important and must not be divorced from the Bible study exercise.

4. The obligation of personal growth recognizes that Bible study is not an intellectual or academic exercise, but part of a life-changing process. Once we know what the passage says and mean, we are responsible to live it (2 Pet. 3:18; James 1:22). God calls us to obedience and responsiveness to His Voice. The Gospel is to be preached, precious souls are to be won to Christ, Christians are to be feed with the Word, and ministry is to be executed to meet the existing needs.

Beloved, this is important because good study methods must be translated into obedience to Christ. Observation, interpretation, and application are the three vital facets of inductive Bible study. Choose a plan that provides a means of documenting, annotating, and capturing the valuable biblical information discovered as you explore the rich veins of the Word. Such a plan will enable us to effectively use Bible study as a catalyst for life transformation—genuine Christian formation and experience. 

A Process of Transformation

Yes, Bible study is far more than a scholastic work out for our brains! Possessing insight deeply rooted in eternal Truth is a wonderful achievement, but it is not the target at which we as disciples are to take aim. In fact the danger of more knowledge is more arrogance and impatience with those who are not as astute (1 Cor. 8:1)! No, the Word of God can save, sanctify, satisfy, strengthen, sturdy, stabilize, and stir us repeatedly in a continuing process of transformation. Since it is a supernatural Book, we require supernatural assistance from its Author, the Spirit of Truth, to help us grasp its message 1 Cor. 2). Since it is written in human language, ordinary reading and study skills can also be applied as we study it. According to Paul, the Scriptures were given to transform our lives and fit us for service to Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Beloved, this is the value of Bible study!  

Paul, the apostle, said, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17, 18).Yes, the Scriptures stimulate and advance a life changing process that results in greater Christ-likeness (2 Cor. 3:17-18). We must depend on the Spirit of Christ to exercise ourselves in the truths we have learned (Rom. 12:1-2). The wonderful result is a life enriched and changed for the glory of God and the service of our fellow man.

Books you may find helpful if you want to make the commitment to study the Bible regularly on your own are listed below in general order of difficulty, and they represent several strategies. Your best choice would be to look at all of them in a Christian bookstore and try to get a feel for one of them before you try it.

•           How to Study the Bible for Yourself, revised edition, Tim LaHaye

•           Bible Explorer’s Guide, John Phillips

•           Living by the Book, Howard Hendricks

•           How to Study Your Bible, Kay Arthur

•           Understanding and Applying the Bible, Robertson McQuilkin