Our Bible Study Helper
Tune in - How to Apply the Bible • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
What Do You See?
What Do You See?
1 . Give each student a copy of resource 45-R5 face down.
2. Students turn their papers over and examine the picture for ten seconds before putting it face down again. Discuss what they saw.
ASK: What did you see in the picture?
ASK: Who saw the piece of chocolate cake?
3. Students turn their papers back over and look for the piece of 45-R5 chocolate cake. They will begin to find other hidden objects as they search the picture a little more thoroughly. Let them know there are 12 objects hidden in the picture. Instruct the students to search the picture silently, making a mental note of what they spot.
4. Students share what items they found on the page. Use a copy of resource 45-R6 to make sure they found them all.
5. Discuss the exercise and relate it to Bible study.
ASK: How did your examination of the picture change once you started looking for the chocolate cake?
ASK: How might this exercise relate to studying the Bible?
The more we study a passage and think about its meaning and implications, the more truths we will recognize in the passage.
6. Transition to the Bible lesson.
This session will present both the Holy Spirit's role and our responsibilities in Bible study. You will be encouraged to know you have divine help when you study the Bible. The Holy Spirit will help you see and understand Biblical truths. And you will be challenged to do your part to study the Bible diligently and thoughtfully.
The Holy Spirit's Roles
The Holy Spirit's Roles
God gave His Word through the Holy Spirit and then gave us the Spirit to help our understanding as we study God's Word. So the One Who communicated the Scriptures in the first place is in us to help our Bible study be successful and profitable.
Inclusion of God's truth
Inclusion of God's truth
In communicating God's Word to authors, the Spirit included everything in the Bible we would need to be saved and then grow as believers. Nothing is missing and nothing should be added.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
ASK: What will happen to people who try to alter or delete God's Word? They will experience God's judgment and won't have any part in the blessings God has planned for believers.
John wrote Revelation 22:18 and 19 about the book of Revelation in particular, but they apply to the rest of the Bible too. People who add to the Bible or delete parts of it reveal their unregenerate hearts. The Bible can't be improved, and it needs no editing or altering. The Holy Spirit made sure the Bible was perfect when He communicated God's Word to human writers and ensured they wrote exact words.
ASK: What might people add to the Bible? Teaching from secular psychology, new ideas from a well-known pastor or church leader, beliefs from false religions, cultural wokeness.
ASK: What doctrines might people remove from the Bible? The doctrines of eternal judgment for the lost and justification by grace alone through faith alone.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Peter said that God has given us all we need for life and godliness. Through our saving faith in Christ, we have a new nature and the promises of one day being released from the presence of sin in our lives and enjoying eternal fellowship in God's presence. Until then, we can grow in godliness through our relationship with Christ and the Bible. We can live according to our new nature instead of our old sin nature. As we study the Bible, we build our relationship with Christ and begin to live according to His nature in us. The Holy Spirit helps us live like Christ by helping us understand the Bible.
Illumination of God's truth
Illumination of God's truth
The Holy Spirit's ministry in helping us understand the Bible is called illumination. An illustration of a person with a lightbulb going off in his or her head captures the essence of illumination.
Holy Spirit illumination of Scripture begins when a person understands his or her need for salvation.
1. For the unsaved
1. For the unsaved
Every one of us was once a lost sinner. Without illumination of God's truth concerning salvation, we would still be dead in our sins and separated from God.
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
ASK: why do unbelievers need God's help in understanding the Bible? Their understanding is darkened, and their minds are blinded.
Unsaved individuals can't grasp divine truth on their own. God must disclose Himself to them. The Holy Spirit plays an important part in that disclosure.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
ASK: What has God done so sinners might understand God's Word, acknowledge their sin, and trust Christ as Savior? God sent the Holy Spirit into the world to convict people of their sin and point them to Christ, the answer to their sin.
The Spirit reproves the world of sin (John 1 6:8), meaning He convicts people regarding their sin. Unbelievers are not conscious of their exceeding sinfulness until the Holy Spirit begins to reveal it to them in conjunction with hearing the gospel.
ASK: Describe a time when you witnessed the Holy Spirit helping a person to understand his or her lostness.
The Holy Spirit proves to the lost that they are hopeless on their own and that God will judge them for their sin. He presents to them their need for Christ's perfect righteousness. Unbelievers will then either accept or reject the gospel. Sinners trembling under conviction but refusing to accept the Savior are committing the grave sin of rejecting Christ (John 3:36). Praise God some will respond to the Spirit and accept Christ as Savior. The Spirit's effective work should encourage us to share the gospel.
2. For the saved
2. For the saved
Christ promised believers divine help in understanding God's truth in the Scriptures. Unaided human reason, even regenerate human reason, is not sufficient for the understanding of Scripture. We must have a supernatural Teacher if we are to comprehend the message of a supernatural Book.
The Lord Jesus Himself had served the disciples as their teacher of Scripture for three years. As He promised, however, the Holy Spirit came to take over His teaching role.
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
While walking and talking with Jesus was exciting and enlightening for the disciples, to have the Holy Spirit in each of them after Jesus left was much more practical. They greatly benefited from the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in them.
Luke recorded a superb illustration of the ministry of spiritual illumination (Luke 24:13—35). Two disciples walked the Emmaus Road, puzzling over the meaning of the Old Testament Scriptures and their relationship to Jesus Christ, Who had been recently crucified. They wondered how the crucified Jesus could ever do what He had promised. They needed someone to explain the Scriptures. A stranger drew near, the Lord Himself.
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Jesus explained and applied the Scriptures and comforted His followers so that their hearts burned within them. They understood the truth and were emotionally moved by it. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit is doing today to the yielded believer. He opens the Scriptures to us, helps us understand their meaning, and assists us in applying the truths to our lives in ways that bring us comfort and assurance.
ASK: When have you had an aha moment as you were reading or studying Scripture? How did you respond?
The Believer's Responsibility
The Believer's Responsibility
Be persistent
Be persistent
The Holy Spirit will always be faithful to illuminate Scripture. But we must do more than open our Bibles and start reading. God expects us to study the Bible persistently. Once we start a study on a book, passage, or topic, we need to see it through to the end rather than growing weary or becoming distracted.
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Verses 3 and 4, which we read earlier in this session, assure us we have all we need through Christ and through the Word to grow as believers. Yet Peter continued and wrote that we are to exercise diligence in adding to our initial faith in God. He then went on to list the fruits of persistent, diligent study of God's Word (2 Pet. 1 :5-7). He included virtue, personal knowledge of God, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. The believer who adds these fruits of the Spirit to his or her life will reflect Christ's heart and character in the world.
ASK: What qualifies as being diligent in our study of God's Word? Five minutes a day, five times a week? An hour every day of the week? What do you think?
The Bible doesn't give us the minimum amount of time we need to spend in God's Word before God will consider our study to be diligent—and for good reason. Bible study is more than a task we check off our list once we hit a time limit. Diligence is a matter of the heart. It is a desire to want to know God better and be a better reflection of Christ in the world. The apostle Paul had such a desire.
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
ASK: How might we develop a heartfelt drive to know Christ and become more like Him? It begins with a commitment to study God's Word even when we feel like doing something else.
The more we study God's Word, the more we will be captivated by its rs message, for the Holy Spirit will be working in our hearts to endure us to Christ and His ways. The hardest part is getting started by saying no to our fleshly desires to use our time selfishly.
ASK: What excuses have you given when you've been challenged to study the Bible?
Many years before Paul, the writer of Psalm 119 came to delight in and deeply respect God's Word (1 19:14-16). We, like the psalmist, should come to the place where we desire to be persistent in Bible study.
Be patient
Be patient
Bible study isn't like scrolling through social media posts looking for a funny video or a thought-provoking meme. Bible study takes patience. Psalm 1 makes that point by calling us to patient, thoughtful meditation.
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
ASK: What comes to mind when you consider meditating on God's Word?
Bible meditation has nothing to do with the meditation popular in yoga and Eastern religions. That type of meditation gets a person in tune with self. It is all about listening to one's thoughts and feelings and responding accordingly. Getting in touch with our inner thoughts and feelings won't make us more like Christ; it will only strengthen the hold our sin natures have over our lives.
Biblical meditation involves thinking about truths revealed in God's Word. It means considering how those truths inform what we already know about God and His ways. It means considering how the truth affects our lives and how God expects us to respond. It includes evaluating our thoughts and actions in light of God's truth, considering how we might have sinned against God and how we have been obedient. Bible meditation may also include looking for new reasons to praise and trust God.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
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.
ASK: What are the benefits of meditating on Scripture? Believers will bear spiritual fruit that impacts them and those to whom they minister.
We also need to be patient because the Holy Spirit doesn't always immediately help us understand a text. We might go days or even
weeks before we begin to grasp the truths God included in a text.
There is a lot to consider in a text, as we will learn throughout the remainder of this course. And we could never, through our meditation on Scripture, exhaust all there is to learn about God and His ways.