Articles
For Whom Do You Study?
That probably sounds like an odd question, doesn't it? For whom do you study, when you study God's word? Maybe we should add a few more questions: To whom does the sermon apply? To whom do those Bible verses apply? Whom do we think of when we read the text of God's word? And whom do we hope "gets it" when reading those passages and when discussing their true meaning and application within a Bible class?
I am afraid we sometimes — far too often, in fact — think and talk as if those sermons and Bible passages were meant for "someone else" or, possibly, the members of denominational churches — "them" and not "us" ["us" being me and you].
I know it is very easy to look at others and see their faults; Jesus knew of this human habit when He said, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” (Matt. 7:3, 4). The habit of far too many of us is to see where others fall short of God's standards, but fail to see our own shortcomings. Maybe it is because we don't like to admit our faults; maybe it is because we are just blind to our faults; or maybe it is because we are just arrogant and think of self too highly. Whatever the case, we need to get out of the habit of seeing how sermons and Bible passages apply to others, and start thinking only about how it applies to self and then whether or not we are truly following the teachings of God's revealed will.
Towards that end, let us consider two things that will help us to consider each and every sermon and every Bible passage as we should.
Humility. Long ago, Moses told God's people, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29). Moses also told them, “the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always” (Deut. 6:24). The first thing we must acknowledge as we enter any study of God's word, or when preparing to hear a lesson from God's word, is that this is for my good; God had these words written down by inspiration of His Holy Spirit for my spiritual benefit. That being the case, I should approach every study and prepare to hear every lesson with the mindset that the words could be directly beneficial to me, not think that I don't need to hear them, and not become complacent in my listening or study simply because "I've read it or heard it a thousand times already."
God cared enough to reveal these written words to us, and some preacher spent a good deal of time studying those same words and organizing his thoughts to communicate the message to us, the listeners, that we might know and/or better understand the message; shouldn't I care to pay close attention to those words and shouldn't I strive to know how they will benefit me? Humility is the mindset that helps us to think about the very real possibility I am not perfect yet, and that I could use more instruction, some words of encouragement, or maybe even some words of rebuke and correction.
Arrogance and self-righteousness will cause us to think we are already 'good' and have no need of repentance or seeking forgiveness, and cause us to believe we are superior to others. With that mindset, we will see the application of our study or the lessons from God's word only in the way others need to follow the Divine instructions, and only how others fall short of keeping God's will. Humility will lead us to consider that we are who we are only by the grace of God, and no better than anyone else, and allows us to admit we are nothing without Christ.
Think about Daniel: Here was a man who, when others looked for some fault in him with which they could accuse him, had no fault (Dan. 6:4, 5); this was a man God Himself referred to as an example of righteousness when Israel was being punished for their wickedness (Ezek. 14:14). This same Daniel, when he looked into Jeremiah's writings and understood the reason for their captivity, prayed, “we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled” (Dan. 9:5). Notice Daniel said “we” and not "they." He was humble enough to include himself, and not so arrogant as to think he was without guilt. We would do well to have the humility of Daniel when reading God's word, too!
Honesty. Right along with humility, we must have an honest heart to see [1] the Scriptures for what they actually teach, and [2] ourselves for who we really are. If we are not honest with the handling [interpretation and application] of the Scriptures, or if we are not honest about our personal spiritual condition, then we may be likely to not see that God's word is applicable to self. Maybe we don't think the passage means what it actually says, or maybe we don't think we need its particular instruction, but either will make it extremely difficult [if not impossible] to make the necessary application of a text that might otherwise help us become who we need to be in God's sight.
Think about Nicodemus: When Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), Nicodemus could not accept the reality of what Jesus was saying [that he needed to be completely transformed] because he could not see that he was in need! The only other conclusion Nicodemus could imagine was natural birth, and that seemed even more confusing! Nicodemus responded with the question he did (John 3:4) because he could not see himself for who he really was: a sinner in need of a Savior.
Consider also the illustration of the praying Pharisee and praying publican; one man thought he had no need of forgiveness, but saw himself as near-perfection (Luke 18:11, 12), and one saw himself as a sinner in need of forgiveness (Luke 18:13). One was blind to his need, and the other was honest with himself and understood clearly his need.
There is a reason the apostle Paul was inspired by the Spirit to write, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5); there is also a reason the psalmist wrote, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me” (Psa. 139:23, 24). We don't always see our own faults, and we don't always see what God's word can reveal about self.
So, next time you study in God's word, make sure you study for self, and not be thinking about how the text applies to someone else. Next time you hear a lesson from God's word, be thinking about whether or not this is something you could take to heart, or think about how you might be the one who doesn't fulfill God's will as you should. Be thinking about what the Scriptures actually mean, how it applies to you and you only, if you haven't done all the Lord commanded, or if you haven't lived up to what the passages teach.
When you study, study for you and your benefit. Study to make yourself a better student of God's word, a better disciple, a better example, a better servant, and a better teacher. One cannot and should not study for anyone else. —— Steven Harper
