Spending time each day in and under God's Word is extremely important. I am an advocate for developing the habit of regular, personal bible study and prayer. It directs us as we begin our day, it fills us to love others, and it helps us to focus our lives upon bringing glory to God in all things.
There are, however, some dangers I have seen and experienced when we, as a culture, overemphasize personal bible study. Yes, I think we can idolize bible study, making it into something it was never meant to be. Humans are very good at twisting good things in order to bring ourselves glory.
Here are a few dangers I believe we should be aware of as we seek to develop this very important practice:
First, personal Bible study will not make us righteous. I have heard, seen, and even felt it a hundred times. We base our righteousness on our relationship with our Bible. Bible study will not make us righteous, nor will our failure to study it condemn us. If something comes up (like a child waking, a friend calling, or a person knocking) that makes personal study impossible, it's okay. The Lord loves you and is with you in Christ. Remember, the Scriptures lead us to the One who makes us righteous. His grace, not our study of it, is all we need to make us righteous in Christ.
Second, personal Bible study should not cause us to undermine or neglect other ways to know and understand the Word of God. It can be and has been argued that public worship is to be preferred before private. The good news coming out of the heart and mouth of a good friend and/or preacher, felt by their relational embrace, is a significant and sufficient way to know the Scriptures. People who are thoughtful and intentional on sharing the truth in love have a way of speaking the oracles of God (1Pet 4:11) in ways that are both memorable and meaningful. If we are diligent in personal study, but less-so in public worship, we should be alarmed.
Third, we should not burden the consciences of others to spend time in personal Bible study every day. While we should certainly recommend it for the good of ourselves and others, I struggle to see the mandate (as it is commonly practiced in our day) in Scripture. Not all people are able to spend time in Bible study for long periods of time on a regular basis. I am thinking of fathers who have to work two (or three) jobs to make ends meet. I am thinking of mothers who have the constant burden to care for the home, often without much sleep.
It is a gracious blessing when we are afforded the time and desire to spend time studying the Bible. We have to understand that the Lord blesses us that we may bless others (Gen 12:3). We have to realize that we ourselves may be the means by which people around us know and understand the Word of God. Learning God's Word should always launch us into loving people with God's Word.
Fourth, individual Bible study should not cause us to neglect the riches of communal study. We are not infallible and are often limited within the confines of our own intellect. Joining with others to study, discuss, contemplate, and pray through Scripture is so rich and fulfilling that it can hardly be compared to any other practice in the Christian life. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you may have an unhealthy relationship with your Bible.
Fifth, personal Bible study should not make us unteachable. This falls right in line with the previous point. We should be so secure in Christ that we are willing to hear about our own failures and inadequacies. We should be willing to hear from others the treasures we left untouched. And when someone tells us something about a particular passage, we should refrain from the insecure and often prideful comment, "Yeah, I knew that..." We don't have to say something back. We can just thankfully receive the Word without adding our own commentary.
Sixth, personal Bible study is not the chief goal we look for in the lives of those we disciple. Just because a person studies the Bible, and knows it really well, doesn't mean that person is a Christian. More than the fruit of study, we are looking for the fruit of the Spirit. More than truth, we are looking for the truth shared in love. More than a head informed, we are looking for a heart inflamed. We are looking for more than what a person can accomplish by their own study. We are looking for a work of God.
Finally, personal Bible study is not a full representation of the Christian life. I wish following Christ was always like my times of personal Bible study - quiet room, coffee, comfortable chair, and content that reminds me of a Father's love for me. Knowing the Father's love, however, is the substance we need when we launch into a world where people don't love us.
The Christian life is not a quiet, convenient ivory tower. It is a war - a battle ground where we are constantly fighting for our lives and the lives of others. Wounded people need us to carry them out of enemy territory. The enemy hates us and is relentless in his pursuit to have us undone, defamed, and disqualified. The Christian should not expect a life of quiet times, but one where the megaphone of sin, fallenness, and struggling constantly reminds us we are sojourners in this land.
Again, I am not saying that personal Bible study is a bad thing. It is a very good thing. But only when we keep it in its place to remind, inform, and encourage us, in the midst of our chaotic world, of the peaceful, quiet, and calm rest of Christ our Redeemer.
No comments:
Post a Comment