Let me state the obvious: you can’t live a ‘Biblically grounded’ life if you don’t read and study
the Bible.
How can you be grounded in a lifestyle and belief that you
don’t read or study?
Some may answer that they are grounded in it because they
listen to someone talk (preach) about it for almost an hour every week and then
try to apply it to their lives. Others may use the same argument for Christian
sermons on the radio or TV, books by Christian authors, or even from listening
to Christian music.
While all of these can be good and beneficial, I would argue
that if these are the only sources for your Biblical understanding then what
you are grounded in is the interpretations and understandings of others
understandings of the Bible. This is not all bad as I said before. For
centuries the average Christian had no access to the written Bible but instead
were forced to rely on oral summaries from those who did such as in the form of
sermons or conversations.
But in today’s world of information accessibility, no one in
western culture has to go without his or her own copy of a trusted translation
of God’s word. In fact many of us, thanks to ‘smart’ devices such as computers,
tablets, and phones, have the ability to carry around hundreds of translations and versions at all times. (We can even
carry around the text in their original Greek or Hebrew thanks to these
devices!)
What this means is that we can all be Bereans! In Acts 17:11
the Bereans were commended by Luke for their “noble character” because after
they heard Paul preach they went and “examined the Scriptures every day to see
if what Paul said was true” (NIV84).
While the preacher you love to listen to may be a great
expositor of the Bible, I doubt they are in possession of greater insight and
inspiration than the Apostle Paul. So if scrutinizing Paul’s teaching against
the actual text of the scriptures was commended in scripture itself, it surely
follows that we too should be encouraged to do the same no matter how “great”
the speaker is.
I wonder sometimes what the statistics would be if we were
to poll a group of members of a church like CBF and ask: “Do you strive to live
a ‘Biblically grounded’ life?” and “Do you read and study the Bible regularly?”
If your answer to either of these is “no”, then chances are
your life is on pretty shaky ground. In a “shifting sand” world, where is your
anchor? Philosophy’s come and go.
Science uncovers and then “recovers” new “truths” all the time. Your friends
and family are encouraging but relationships fail and falter at times. Got a
hero? Ask Lance Armstrong about the private moral decisions of one (that rarely
stay private). Have money and influence? Even the Beatles know that “you can’t buy
me love” and Broadway knows “you can’t take it with you”.
Jesus on the other hand has profound words about our
relationship with THE Word. In his time of extreme temptation from Satan
himself, Jesus says “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, NIV84). Here Jesus is quoting
Deuteronomy 8:3 which is a passage from God through Moses that reiterates the
fact that Israel survived in the desert for 40 years but not because of their
“Bear Grylls” wicked survival skills. They were taught by God himself to rely
on His word for their safety and survival. Leaning on their own strength and
understanding got them butchered by the Canaanite and Amalekites living in the
future “hill country of Judah” (See Numbers chapter 14).
As important as it is to live on the word of God, I need
help doing it and I typically struggle when I try to do it alone. Like all good
food, feasting on God’s word is best enjoyed when it’s shared.
I’m very thankful to be a part of two groups of men that
help me stay on a daily diet of God’s word. First is a group of friends that
are trying to get in physical shape while not sacrificing our spiritual shape!
We are holding one another accountable to treating our bodies as the temple of
the Spirit that they are through regular exercise and smarter eating. We are
also challenging each other to read through the Bible from start to finish this
year. (Numbers isn’t that fun some days, but knowing someone else is reading it
too is a good motivator.) So at any workout or in any group email it’s fair
game to ask, “how’s your time in the Word going?” and they often do!
Second is a small accountability group that meets monthly on
“Mighty Man Monday” which is the first Monday of every month. (Now there is a
Thursday monthly meeting time as well.) We share a moment in God’s word, and
then we ask for a report of our giving, our time in God’s word, and our
commitment to purity in all areas.
Don’t have a group of friends to encourage your move to
living a Biblically grounded life? Ask your LifeGroup leader if this can be a
part of your regular meetings. Not in a LifeGroup? Email Justin.hurley@cbf.us or visit our
website and submit the LG interest form.
You can also ask our men’s or women’s ministry leaders to help you find
a small accountability group by asking for one of them at our welcome desk on
Sunday, they can help you find one. Or, why not start one of your own?
(An upcoming sermon series at CBF simply called “The BOOK”
will explore ways and resources to help your personal Bible study.)
