Why read the Bible: The practical application (Part 3)

I would like to briefly mention why Jesus specifically said eating instead of any other word. In 2 Corinthians 3:6 and 1 Corinthians 8:1, we see that the knowledge of the Word is no good. If you think about some people that are not Christian know the Bible but that has no effect on the person. The word eating implies you taking the substance in, assimilating it, and it becoming part of you. Also, another example is lets say you never had a Oreo before, but you know everything about it such as it is creaming on the inside, but crunchy on the outside, it's sweet, etc. But not until you have actually tasted and eaten it, can you actually experience the sweetness, richness of the Oreo. In the same way, God wants us not to just know about Him, but actually enjoy Him in a sweet and rich way. Some verses in the Bible that talk about the word being rich and sweet to us are Deuteronomy 8:3 (not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Jehovah), Psalms 119:103 (how sweet are your words to my taste), Jeremiah 15:16 (the words becoming the gladness and joy of our heart), Ezekiel 3:1 (eat, go, and speak), Collosians 3:16 (let the word of Christ dwell in you richly), 1 Pet 2:2-3 (tasted the milk of the word), and Hebrews 6:5 (tasted the good word of God). Going back to Ezekiel 3:1 and the example about the Oreo, if you don't eat the Oreo, it is really hard to remember all the facts about the texture, taste, and feeling of an Oreo. However, if you have tasted and eaten an Oreo before it is so easy to tell someone about that Oreo because you have tasted it yourself. In the same principle, in Ezekiel 3:1, it says first to eat the scroll, and then go and speak. If we eat the word of God daily, we don't need to try and think about all the facts and details about the Bible and our God, but it just comes out spontaneously since we have experienced and enjoyed this wonderful Person.


So to wrap everything up, remember John 17:3 (the second paragraph)? Let's then go to John 6:47-48. Here Jesus says that whoever believes has eternal life and He again reminds them again, just in case they didn't get it, that He is the bread of life! So believe into Him and eat Him!! and we get eternal life, which is just this wonderful, awesome Person, Jesus Christ! How do we practically get sanctified, washed, and cleansed? It is through His word by eating the Word!

Why read the Bible?: What Jesus says about the Word (Part 2)

Now that we know the word has this function is to sanctify us by washing us and cleansing us, How do we actually apply the verses in Ephesians 5:25-27? Alright, let's go back to John 17. In John 17:17 it says "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." Here we see that the truth sanctifies, and the word of Jesus is the truth. Alright so what does Jesus say about His own words? John 6:32-33, 35 says "Jesus therefore said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread out of heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread out of heaven./ For the bread of God is He who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world../Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall by no means hunger, and he who believes into Me shall by no means ever thirst." Here Jesus just directly tells them that He is the real manna coming out of heaven from God, the bread of life!! In John 6:54-55, Jesus continues on to say " He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day./ For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink." Surely, Jesus was not a cannibal say eat my flesh and drink my blood. So what does he mean by this? In John 6:57, He even says "As the living Father has sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me." WHAT!?!? Alright, so this is where it all comes together. John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." So everything that Jesus said was in reference to this verse. Since the Spirit gives life and the flesh is basically no good, what Jesus want is to actually eat His word, not His actually flesh at the given time He was talking to the people.

Why read the Bible? (Part 1)

Recently, in a Bible study with Christian Students on Campus at UT, we were going over a normal Christian life in 1 Peter. One thing I really appreciated was the matter of reading the Word. First I would like to propose a question: Why do we need to read the Bible?? (This is kind of long so prepare yourself)

But before we go down that road I would like to propose another question: What is life? Or rather more specifically, What is eternal life?  Is it a thing? A place? Is it living forever? According to the Bible in John 17:3, it says "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Him who you have sent, Jesus Christ." WOW! Alright, for now I just want you to remember this. I will bring it back together at the end.

So going back to the question, Why do we need to read the Bible? Let's go to Ephesians 5:25-27. Here it shows us one aspect of the function and purpose of the Word. "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her/ That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word,/ That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish" So here the word cleans the church by the washing of the water in the word and we know that the church is just us, the Christians (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 1:22-23). The word  sanctifies us by washing and cleansing all the spots and wrinkles within our being!!