Benefits of Bible Study
By David Cox
[BS02] v1 ©2011 www.coxtracts.com/bs029
You may reproduce this tract is given away for free.
The Capacity of the Bible.
2Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. .
(1) It is inspired by God.
(2) It is useful to teach doctrine.
(3) It is useful for reproof (discerning wrong).
(4) It is useful for correction (fixing wrong).
(5) It is useful to teach righteousness (what one should be doing instead of sinning).
God gave us His Word in order to prepare and equip the child of God to be perfect (spiritually mature), and in order to have the necessary preparation to fulfill God’s purpose of good works in us, and to reflect the moral character of God within our lives (1Pet 2:9).
To Better Know our Redeemer
Salvation is knowing the Savior. Salvation is not a good work that we do, but it is a personal relationship between a human being and Jesus Christ, the Savior. Only thus can a person go to heaven, and therefore, our knowledge of Jesus (our relationship with him) is what saves us (really it is not that we know him, but that He knows us).
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Not everybody that knows the details about Jesus is saved because knowledge (just information) does not establish a saving relationship. Neither is it a personal knowledge of Jesus that saves a person because many in the New Testament knew Jesus personally like Judas Iscariot and the Jewish leaders, but they did not go to heaven. Salvation is having a personal relationship where you place your trust in Jesus, and ask him to be your personal Savior, and sincerely believe in Him as your Savior.
The Function of Scripture.
Creation also reveals God, but one cannot understand enough about God from creation to be saved. It is limited. Scripture begins where creation cannot go further. Basically, creation alone reveals a Designer that exists as a Supreme Being that made all, and our conscience tells us that we have offended that Creator, so the two together points to Scripture (further specific revelation). Without the Bible, we are not going to know how to be saved. The Bible reveals Christ. The Bible is the complete revelation of God. It describes God in a multitude of details; also man’s sin problem and more about God’s salvation.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
But Scripture was given so that we may have a personal SAVING relationship with God. Nobody can be saved without coming to that through the Holy Scripture (which is the only faithful message of God) and without believing what they say about the Savior, Jesus Christ. Simply put, every attack against the faithfulness, trustworthiness, or the authority of Scripture is an attack by Satan against God’s effort to save man.
To help us Maintain Good Relations with Other Men
Deut 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
The Word of God has a function to put one right with God, but it also has a function to establish what is right in men’s relationships with other men.
To be Approved Before God
2Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It is the good use of Scripture that makes us approved before God. By knowing God’s will and doing it, we are approved.
For Growth and Following Christ
1Pet 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
The Bible is like our spiritual food, that which sustains our daily life. When we “eat it”, we grow spiritually in our salvation. Salvation is a relationship with God, so to grow in our salvation is to deepen that relationship with Jesus our Savior. To follow Christ is to be his disciple. This is to grow in our Christian life, and the essential element in this growth is the Word of God. Scripture is the instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ.
To Increase our Faith and Hope.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
There is a direct relationship between the Scriptures and our faith. Scripture is the means or method by which God has established to increase our faith. Part of this is the “what” we believe, and part of it is the certainty and trust to believe him because we well know the character of God.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
It is by means of this function of Scripture in our life that we have the hope of eternal life by means of the work of Jesus Christ in the Cross. Faith is created by reading and believing the Word of God.
Acts 17:11 These were nobler than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
In this passage, the people of Berea studied the Scriptures and they “believed”. Faith is always the result of an honest and sincere study of Scripture.
Not tasting the Scripture. The opposite of loving the Scripture with desire and seriousness to know is to be “slow” towards the Scripture. By taking an attitude of resistance, disobedience, dislike to the Scripture, or not paying attention to them or blocking what they direct in your own life, is the same as witchcraft in God’s eyes. It is idolatry, and this slowness receives the greatest condemnation from God.
1Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
To Give Spiritual Power in Prayer.
1John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Deut 11:22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; 23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
To Equip us for Spiritual Warfare.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
When we study the Bible with sincerity, we get the ability to discern between false doctrine (error) and what has truly come from God (truth).
To Clean us from Sin.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Deut 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
To Find Peace and Joy.
Ps 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
John 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
To Be Prosperous in Life.
Josh 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Far from mysticism, activities that have magic effects, reading and studying the Word of God sincerely in order to put them into practice to change you life so as to please God and abide in his will will cause you to be prosperous in all of life. There is a divine blessing on the way of God, and only by finding it (through Scripture) and living daily in that way can you really encounter protection and blessing from God.
Deut 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
When a person walks completely in the way that God indicates, then will he have this “good life”. This good life includes a lengthening of days or long life.
To Guide us in the Decisions of Life.
Ps 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors. 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Prov 6:22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
