EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)–If someone asked you, “Of all the religions in the world, what makes you think you’ve figured out which one is right?” would you know the answer with confidence? Peter said to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
You’ll grow unshakable in your faith depending on how much of the Bible you know and how obedient you are to it.
— Knowing God’s Word gives assurance of salvation.
Bible study has many benefits. Do you ever wonder if you’re really saved and going to heaven? We can’t help others come to Christ if we’re insecure in our own spiritual condition.
The Bible says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). God wants us to know that we have eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ; and His Word (“these things I have written to you”) is the means by which He gives this assurance.
How do we know we’ve been forgiven of sin? How do we know we’re children of God traveling toward heaven? Because God said so. As we get into our Bibles and discover what God has to say, it strengthens our faith and reassures our souls. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
— Knowing God’s Word defeats Satan’s attack.
Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the Bible is our Spirit-given sword for warding off Satan’s attacks and claiming victory in spiritual combat. Some people are tempted by one thing and others by another.
If you’re tempted to lose your temper, memorize a verse like Proverbs 15:18: “A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.” If you’re prone to depression, memorize verses like Nehemiah 8:10: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” If you have problems keeping a clean mind, try Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Or if you’re frequently afraid, learn the secret of 2 Timothy 1:7: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Whatever your sin or weakness, there are verses in the Bible for you — verses to wield against Satanic attacks. The secret to victory is finding those verses, committing them to memory, and meditating on them until they get into your spiritual bloodstream.
— Knowing God’s Word enables us to witness to others.
A plan of systematic Bible study and memorization can give you confidence so that when the opportunity to witness comes along, you know what to say because your mind is filled with the Word of God.
When Scripture is inputted into our life, it seeks an outlet. When we’re thrilled with the Word, we want to share it. The Bible says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
— Knowing God’s Word helps us know our heavenly Father.
Knowing God’s Word helps establish intimacy with our Heavenly Father — and what a confidence-booster that is! Paul says, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him—that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly …” (Philippians 3:10, Amplified Bible).
God reveals himself through His Word; and when we read the Bible, we are meeting with the Master.
Some people think they can never really understand the Bible. But notice the way the Apostle John addressed his readers in 1 John 2:12: “I write to you, little children….”
Wherever you are in your spiritual experience, rededicate yourself to serious lifelong Bible study. You can grasp its great teachings. You can know for an answer. You can sanctify the Lord God in your heart, always being ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.
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David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point for God, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., and chancellor of San Diego Christian College (formerly Christian Heritage College). For more information on Turning Point, visit www.TurningPointOnline.org.
