How we approach God’s Word will determine our response to it.
Let me explain …
We typically approach God’s Word in one of three ways:
- From above – you come to the Bible looking down upon it. This approach tends to be academically driven and is often critical and arrogant that you know better than God’s Word.
- Beside – this approach sees Scripture as your friend and support, but gives the Bible no authority in your life. It can encourage you but not correct you.
- From below – this is where you humbly come beneath the authority of God’s Word as you declare, “Lord, You and Your Word is true and right … and I am wrong in any area that is different than what the Bible says. My answer is ‘Yes, Lord!’ to anything You say through Scripture.”
Of the three positions and approaches to God’s Word, only one will change your life—coming to Scripture from below.
We live in a day where many people come to Scripture either from above (a position of pride) or wrapping their arm around it like friend (beside). Yet in both of these approaches, Scripture has no authority in your life. It may tell you something to do, how to live properly as a Christian, or how to live triumphant over sin—yet rather than obey, you reason through it, decide if you want to submit, and/or question the validity of the statement in light of your “wisdom,” personal preferences, or cultural norms.
What if we always approached God’s Word from the humble position below it? What if we bent our knee beneath it’s unchanging truth and said, “Yes, Lord!”? What if we held God’s Word in a place of reverence, honor, and an authoritative position in our lives?
If we come to God’s Word from above, we will question it and only enforce our position of pride.
If we come to the Bible as a buddy, it may encourage us but have no right to tell us what to do.
It is only when we come to Scripture as the authoritative, infallible, unchanging, and very words of God Himself that we will obey, submit, and hold fast in faith and trust in what He has said. And when we do, our lives will radically change.
God has declared that it is impossible for Him to lie (Numbers 23:19), and He has spoken to us His very words (2 Timothy 3:16)—which means the Bible cannot lie. Thus, just as He is truth (John 14:6), what He has said is also true (John 17:17)!
The real question before each of us is: will I believe God’s Word? Will I submit to it’s authority in my life? Will I approach God’s Word in humble submission with a “Yes, Lord!” upon my lips?
Dive Deeper
And if you want to take this concept even deeper, I’d encourage you to watch the replay of the webinar I did on Thursday evening. I gave 10 tips/ideas for how to engage God’s Word for deeper intimacy with Christ and greater spiritual growth.
- Download the PDF notes for the webinar
- Mentioned in the webinar:
- Talk Thru the Bible (Bible overviews for each book) • on Amazon | on Logos
- Saturation Bible Study (my book on how to study the Bible) • on Amazon | QuickStart Course
- Warriors of the Word (book to help you memorize Scripture) • on Amazon
- Bible memory app: biblememory.com (use code DEEPER to get a discount off the Pro version)
FOOTNOTES
Photo Credit: Eleni
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