An Important Reason to Study God's Word
Bible study helps to change your thinking.
One of the reasons we must study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15) and why preachers must proclaim God’s Word (2 Timothy 4:2) is to tear down our incorrect preconceived ideas.
We all carry some amount of “preconceived idea baggage” when we approach God’s Word.
Becoming diligent students of God’s Word allows Him to show us areas where our thinking is incorrect or where we don’t see the whole picture as we should.
For Example: How We Think About God.
One area where these preconceived ideas are visible is in how people think about God.
Some think of God primarily as Judge (John 12:48) - and they picture His wrath upon sin (Romans 1:18-32). These things are true, but if this is the only way we think about God - it can lead to Christians feeling like they can never please God and lacking confidence in their salvation. This is not how Christians ought to think or feel (1 John 5:13).
Others think of God as loving (1 John 4:8, 16) and gracious (1 Timothy 1:12-17). These things are also true - but if we only think of God as being loving and gracious, it can lead to some having a relaxed attitude toward sin because, after all, “God loves me, and His grace covers me - so it’ll be fine.” This is an attitude Paul said Christians should NOT have (Romans 6:1-2).
The Full Picture Through God’s Word.
Everyone who approaches God’s Word has preconceived ideas about who God is. Some of those ideas may be correct to some extent, while some may be wrong.
We may have had certain aspects of God’s nature emphasized to us, while other aspects of His nature may have been neglected or ignored.
By spending time in His Word - both Old and New Testaments - God slowly tears down those incorrect, incomplete ideas we brought with us and replaces them with the correct, complete picture of His nature through His Word.
While this is not the only reason to study God’s Word, it’s undoubtedly one of the many good reasons!
Amen!