4. Greater understanding of God’s Word leads to greater graciousness.
James 3:17 nails it, “Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
I have seen many Christians online who are passionate about God’s Word, except for when it comes to the verses about being gracious, kind, peaceful and gentle. And when you study Scripture for passages that call us to these character traits, it is surprising how many there are!
God’s Word is good news! You share it, not shove it … with a smile, never a scowl.
5. Do you love Jesus and the church more?
David Santistevan has shared, “If your study of theology doesn’t lead you to love Jesus Christ more, you’re missing the main purpose of theology.”
You know you are really understanding God’s Word when your heart cries out with the Apostle Paul to know Christ more than anything else in life (Philippians 3:7-12)! And likewise, you love the church more, which Scripture calls Christ’s “bride” (Ephesians 5:25-27; 32).
6. It’s not how much of the Bible you know, it’s how much of the Bible you obey.
True Christianity is not head knowledge, it’s heart transformation. Don’t get me wrong, we need a greater understanding of Scripture as the basis for obedience. To the degree we understand, and our hearts are opened to the truths of Scripture, is the degree we can walk and live according to the Scripture. But the blessing is in living it out. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
7. Biblical illiteracy is a real problem.
The Bible is the greatest treasure on earth. It has come down to us at great cost and has been divinely kept to the original writings thousands of years ago, and yet some Christians are bored with it, or never read it at all.
While some in closed countries are smuggling Bibles in, too many believers in the Western world are not taking advantage of the Bibles they have.
You may call yourself a Christian, but are you ignorant of the Bible’s teachings? Open the Book! Jesus calls us to follow him, not just pray a prayer of salvation while you run the other way.
