March 02, 2025

Enhancing Personal Bible Study

47 minutes

Enhancing Personal Bible Study (WH)

Introduction: I mentioned briefly after the first of the year a Bible study plan for the year that is better than the typical “read through the Bible in a year” plan. The reasoning is that though reading through the Bible quickly provides a good foundation for a beginning Bible student, it is not a means by which we can attain maturity in our Bible knowledge.

There are 66 books of the Bible that God left for us to study. Each of these books has their own theme and message, but are also interrelated to all the others. A theme/message/application of a book cannot be discovered in a quick read-through. 2 Timothy 3:14-17 tells us that it takes all 66 in order to be prepared…

To teach

To be reproved

To be corrected

To be trained in righteousness

And therefore be a “man of God that is complete, equipped for every good work.”

Notice that Paul is addressing all of us as listeners. This is a requirement for maturity. Be careful that you do not complain about the difficulty of a text or a text that doesn’t interest you.

We should begin with this question: How serious are you about attaining this goal?

Jesus condemned the Jews for their poor Bible study: “The Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.” (John 5:37-39, 42).

There is a right and wrong way to study the Bible. We must study so that we truly “hear his voice, see his form, and have his word abiding in us.”

Therefore, in this lesson we will take a look at how to be more efficient and profitable in our study, and how to avoid some of the common mistakes (like the Jews).

Attaining the Goal: Hosea 6:1-6

I know you have heard verse 6 before, but most people have not seen verse 6 in context with the previous verses. Notice how Israel tried to heal their relationship with God. Their definition of “returning to the Lord” was a quick fix. They are going to get back to “obedience.” In other words, their approach is typical of all kinds of religions, including idolatry – “What do I have to do? What does God require of me to stay in his good graces?”

On the surface, that approach sounds good. In fact, even some commentators miss the point of the first three verses, thinking that the Jews are sincerely wanting to get back to worshiping God. No, they are following the accusation Satan made concerning Job – he only serves God for the physical benefits.

Consider the biblical problems with this approach:

Verses 4-6 make clear God is not interested their “return to the Lord.” It would be like us having some tough upheavals in our life and thinking if we just go to church more it will solve our problems. Just “do more for the Lord” is not what God desires.

It is putting the cart before the horse. “Sacrifice and burnt offering” (that is, more worship, more doing, more application of what God wants, is to be generated by love for him. Paul said it well, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Cor. 5:9). Cf. Isaiah 1:10-14.

As verse 6 points out, steadfast, faithful love for God that is generated by the knowledge of God is what he desires. Now which is easier to do? Find out the commands and applications and do them? Or, do the work it takes to have a knowledge of God so that you develop and steadfast, faithful love that is honestly with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Christians and other religious people have an inordinate desire to try to grab (and leave out) certain parts of the Bible to attempt to find a short-cut to whatever they find to be immediately understandable and practical. It is not our job to search the Scriptures for what we need. We are children: we often don’t know what we need. We are sheep: we often don’t know where green pastures are. We are to receive and delight in all of the Scriptures.”

We are being disrespectful to God, our Father when we think that to be a faithful Christian doesn’t mean I need to know all scripture, I just need to make sure I’m keeping the commands. (Imagine treating your own father or mother that way if they sent you a letter?)

What Is a Biblical Application and How Do I Look for It?

This is where people like the Jews made a serious mistake just like many do today in that their definition of application was far too narrow. For most Christians who grew up in the 20th century, the bulk of preaching was to (1) know the facts, (2) understand what to do to be saved, and (3) know the right and wrong side of “doctrinal issues” and morality. You couldn’t define what it means to be a Pharisee any better! Jesus, in his sermon on Pharisees in Matthew 23 blew that approach up!

Consider what is involved in “practical application.”

It may be, “go do something.”

It may be, “worship, praise, awe of God.”

It may be, “am I serious about reforming me?”

It may be, “Am I bringing my thoughts to be captive to Christ?” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

It may be, “I am truly denying myself and taking up his cross, or am I leavened with the world” – lacking radical discipleship?

It may be, “Has my study of this text caused me to desire God and love God more? Cf. Psalm 63:1-8

The result of narrowing the definition of application is to justify ourselves for not spending the time needed to know books like Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and many of the minor prophets. Example: Isaiah 29:11-12

Example: Hebrews 5:10–6:7

What is the spiritual condition of the Hebrew Christians and how did they get in that position?

The writer wanted to teach them about the significance/importance of Jesus being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Give an application that would somehow change the way you should live your life day by day because you know that Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek?

The point is that there isn’t a typical application as we would think of it that specifically says, “do this…” The “application” is not given until 10:19-39! But how is that an application from Jesus being a high priest like Melchizedek? It is the CONFIDENCE that we now have in Jesus! With that confidence and boldness to enter the holy places, we get endurance! That is not typically the “application” we are looking for when we say, “what’s the application I should take away from this text?” Or, “Where were the applications in that sermon or class?”

Many times the application is, Look at your glorious God! Look what he has done! But if we keep thinking that every paragraph is supposed to have something that tells me what to do, we are going to never see the glory of God! (Back to the Jews’ problem, Jn. 5)

When we study the way we do, taking a paragraph at a time and spending 35-40 minutes either discussing it in a class or preaching it, and then expect to find a “practical application” but can’t seem to find it, what happens? We get bored with the text, shove it out of our minds and just one of those “facts” that God stuck in the Bible that might be on the “final exam,” and go off looking for other parts of the Bible that will give you some commands, some specific applications. Admit it! Did you ever get excited about “the significance of the Melchizedek priesthood!” Nope!

When that happens, what part of the Bible will you go to? THE MILK. That’s what the Hebrews did! 6:1 – they didn’t “leave the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ.” They just looked for the simple what must I do?!

Want a simpler analogy? If your primary focus on your wife is, “What do you want me to do for you today,” and at the same time spend little time or effort in deeper conversation to actually know your wife so that you feel closer, more intimate, more connected, and more in love, WHAT KIND OF MARRIAGE IS THAT!

Conclusion: I have talked to many, many preachers who have said that they don’t preach on “hard or difficult texts” because the members complain. What spiritual condition will this leave those Christians? A better question: Is that what God wants? Does God want an evangelist to ignore parts of the Bible that present-day people find difficult? God didn’t seem to see it that way when he gave Isaiah to Israel. Cf. Isaiah 29:11-13

Berry Kercheville

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