What does it take to be a student of the Word?

All believers know that the Bible is God’s Word, that it is true in all that it teaches. We know we’re supposed to not only read it, but to be read by it. We’re to study it and to be studied by it. If there’s one thing it reveals about us it’s that we don’t do well as students of it.

What to do? I’d encourage the cultivating of three qualities we don’t necessarily connect to being good students, but that can make all the difference in the world. We begin with curiosity. Duty is less a motivator than delight is. Nobody has to be told to eat their ice cream. The Bible is that book which reveals to us the very grace and glory of God. A childlike wonder is what we are called to.

How many of us, at one time or another, actually feared that heaven might be boring? All that time. No hardships to overcome. A single encounter with the glory of God should cure such silliness. And a deep study of His Word is a constant encounter with that glory. When we look at the Bible as a history of what other people believed it will not likely grip us. When we see it for what it is, the revelation not just from, but the revelation of the Living God, we are drawn in.

Second, humility. We are prone to thinking we’re doing just fine. We may miss the mark by a bit, but it’s not like we’re Hitler. Except that it is like we’re Hitler. As one wise theologian used to say, if you put Hitler on one side of a spectrum and Jesus on the other, then place each of us on the same spectrum, we’d be holding hands with Hitler and needing the Hubble telescope to get a glimpse of Jesus. The Bible is that mirror that reveals to us what we are. But why would anyone want that?

If we start with humility, if we come to God’s Word already knowing our dependence on His grace, then every deeper glimpse of the stain of sin in us is just another cause for celebrating what He has done for us. If we start with pride, the Bible will pummel us instead. Humility reminds us not only that we’re no good, but that the Bible equips us for every good work, that it is profitable for correction.

Finally, courage. Courage is typically something we think we need when facing hardship, when entering into battle. What use is it when we are sitting down with Bible in hand? It’s useful in that context because we are facing hardship, entering into battle. The Bible is sharper than a two-edged sword, and it not only goes before us into battle with the world but comes toward us in our battle with our flesh. Are we willing to face our failures, to confront our consciences, to own our errors?

Curiosity, humility, courage. These three prepare us for the plow cutting into our souls, That the Word might be planted, that Spirit might bear in us an abundance of fruit for the glory of the Gardner.

Tonight, 7:00 eastern, we conclude our Bible study on the character of God, considering the glorious truth that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Please plan to join us in person or on Facebook Live (RC-Lisa Sproul). For more on this theme, check here.