The Importance Of The Scriptures
You may be asking yourself, “Why study the scriptures?” After all, you’re not trained to interpret the scriptures. Besides, your pastor will teach you what you need to know, right? Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Holy Scriptures were given by God as a way of instructing us how to live our lives. Through His words to us he reveals his character to us, and shows us how to live a life that is pleasing to him. The scriptures were given to us through divine revelation to common men, who wrote them in a way that we can understand them. The more we read and study the scriptures, the more we will understand them, and the more we will understand what God wants from us as his servants.
God’s word is given to us in a way that speaks to our hearts. The truths that are revealed in scriptures can give you strength and comfort, and will show you the way God wants you to live your daily lives. Each of us is different, so each of us can read the same passage of scripture, and be touched by it in different ways. By relying solely on another person to interpret the scriptures for you, you are only being told how that scripture touched them. They may be able to help you understand parts of the scriptures at a deeper level, but they cannot give you God’s personal revelation that was meant for you.
Another reason why you should study scripture is that by going to God’s word daily you begin to fill your mind with thoughts of God, and you push out the thoughts of the world. God calls us to strive to be more Christ-like in our thoughts and actions, and that can only happen when we keep him foremost in our minds. As we begin to think less about ourselves, and more about Christ, we begin to make decisions that honor and reflect him.
The most important reason we study scriptures is, that is where the pathway to our salvation is revealed. By studying scriptures we are reminded of our sins, and that we fall short of the glory of God. We can only stand in the presence of a sinless God if we are sinless ourselves. Because we have all sinned, the only path to salvation is to be washed clean of our sins. That happens when we ask Christ for forgiveness, and are washed by his redeeming blood. The more we study scriptures, the more we understand that truth. The more we learn and understand, the better prepared we are to share that good news with others, and allow them to accept the gift of eternal life that was given to us by Jesus Christ.
Why study the scriptures? Because that is where God reveals his plan for our lives, and shows us how we can be with him.