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God’s Word Is a Treasure to Believers
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- Updated Aug 23, 2023
Books come and books go. Today’s best-seller often relocates to a rack in a discount house tomorrow. Books can be physically or digitally borrowed from libraries. They can also be purchased new or used from a behemoth mega-store, a local purveyor or from an online seller. Ever since scribes have been in existence, words and sentences have been combined to form letters, narratives, inscriptions, plays, and yes — books. Billions of words/sentences/letters, etc. have been created and written and just as soon forgotten.
But one book remains a perennial best seller — the Bible (since September 21, 1522, says the linked article). The Bible is God’s very Word to us. The Bible serves as more than “just a book,” it endures as a treasure chest full of God’s words to us as He reveals His history of creation and redemption, His wisdom, prophecy, and best of all, knowledge of Himself.
God’s Word etches His truth on every soul who reads it. There is no getting past the truth of the Bible, for God can use it to draw men to Himself. Whether it’s through the public preaching and proclamation of Scripture, one-to-one sharing, via articles and teaching like this, or reading the text, God’s Word never returns to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). Yet only some understand the Scriptures as God intends.
How Does a Person Understand the Bible?
An agnostic or an atheist can pick up a Bible and proclaim, “This is a lie.” Why? First, their worldview rebels against any idea which exalts God as Lord of all. Second, only a Christian can understand what the Bible says (1 Corinthians 2:14). A person is either for the Lord Jesus (believers) or against Him (unbelievers); no grey area exists (Matthew 12:30).
Once a person surrenders to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, the Holy Spirit immediately “takes up residence” within that person (John 14:16-17; Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit gives us understanding of God’s Word as we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (John 14:26).
Jeremy Ham of Answers in Genesis underscores this truth; unbelievers can never receive the Holy Spirit in their current state. They are therefore unable to understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit is He who “carried the writers of the Scriptures along” as they wrote (1 Peter 1:21). The treasure box of God’s Word remains locked to them.
Most people are blessed with the capacity to read and hear, and a casual leaf through the Bible can reveal some glaring truths such as, “I am the LORD, and there is no other. Besides Me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know Me” (Isaiah 45:5). This verse is easy enough to understand, right? But an unbeliever doesn’t accept the LORD God as who He says He is, therefore, the unsaved person will not comprehend the gist of the passage — who God is and how we are to respond to Him. No amount of commentary study will equip an unbeliever with the truth. Only a true Spirit-filled Christian knows and grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18).
What Does a Believer Do With the Bible?
“God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
God gave us His Word as a revelation of Himself. Scripture appears to unbelievers as gibberish at worst, and interesting sayings at best. For believers, though, the Bible – while exposing God’s character and redemptive actions throughout history (past, present, and future) – encompasses our rules for life as we obey Jesus’ commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37; c.f. Deuteronomy 6:5).
Sadly, thousands of dusty Bibles sit atop shelves along with a promise to read it someday. Vibrant, growing Christians who fervently obey the Lord seek counsel from God’s Word every day. Not just counsel for pains and heartaches, but counsel for living life while here on earth. Scripture tells us we are sojourners and exiles in the world (1 Peter 2:11). As Christians, we “are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). We need the help only God’s Word can give to sustain us as we serve as Christ’s ambassadors on this earth (2 Corinthians 5:20).
The Bible is not a stagnant offering; it is a growing storehouse of treasure, provided and maintained by the Holy Spirit. Psalm 105:5 tells us, “Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered.” Every time we open the Bible, we are gifted with another look at who God is, what He has done, and what He will do. That includes both the Old and New Testaments. Some people read only the New Testament, deeming the Old Testament as “irrelevant” to modern life. Yet read these few still-relevant Old Testament proverbs:
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
“Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips” (Proverbs 24:28).
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it” (Proverbs 17:17).
Will We Ever Fully Understand the Bible?
Not everything in the Bible makes perfect sense to us. But our perfect and holy Father – the Bible’s Author – knows our limitations and He knows His power at work in us (Philippians 1:6). Even some of the human agents God used to pen the Scriptures grappled with the meaning of certain passages. Apostle and biblical writer Peter said, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:15-16a).
As Christians, we are new creations in Christ. Pastor John Piper relates, “And because you’re someone new, you can understand more of the Bible than you might think.” When we approach the Bible with prayer, awe, reverence, and expectancy, the Lord never disappoints. Often heard from many pulpits is, “You know, I’ve read the Bible countless times and this is the first time I’ve noticed this.” That’s the living and active nature of God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12), and therein lies some of its treasure.
Even while some matters will not be disclosed or settled until heaven (and glory), the Lord will give us all the understanding we need (2 Timothy 2:7) to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3) as we await the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Know this also, to immerse ourselves as good stewards in God’s Holy Word is pleasing to Him and He will equip us to live for Him by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Ten Ways to Enjoy the Treasure of God’s Word
1. Read your Bible every day without fail. Try to read through the entire Bible each year; it’s entirely possible and without having to read at a jet-speed pace.
2. Pray with the expectancy God will show you something new with every daily reading (Expectation is like saying, “God, You will do this for me.” Expectancy is like saying, “Lord God, I am so excited to see what You will show me this day.”)
3. Journal as you read and meditate upon Scripture.
4. Join a group where you can share the treasures God shows you in His Word
5. Look for the scarlet thread/cord throughout the Bible — that unmistakable revelation of Jesus Christ in foreshadowing, Christophanies, and prophecy in the Old Testament and the clear manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
6. Read and/or watch a trusted commentary concerning the book you are studying. (Logos has a great selection of books and Ligonier boasts numerous DVD teaching series.)
7. Memorize verses and/or passages which stand out to you (and many will). You will then have a ready resource for conversations with others or help in times of personal need.
8. For the crafty ones, create a treasure box with a hinged lid and place your Bible within (leave it unlocked). It’s a visible reminder of what awaits inside.
9. Share your favorite verses and passages on your preferred social media sites (remember, KJV is the only Bible version in public domain).
10. Share the Gospel (the best news ever) with others and, if you are able, give them a copy of a Bible so they can look into the riches of God’s Word, too.
I pray you enjoy and grow in the richness of God’s Holy Word. No time spent with Him will ever be a waste of time, for He is worthy. Be like the man in the parable Jesus shared in Matthew 13:44, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
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