Keys to Understanding the Bible

Do you do understand your Bible or just let the Bible “fall open” where you think God has a message for you? Do you know what is required from you in order for God to speak to you through his Word? Or do you just accept what you are being taught as the “correct” understanding from the Bible?

Let’s start with what the Bible actually says as to what is the starting point for understanding the Bible. In Proverbs 9:10 we find the following: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  This “fear” is not a fear of “terror”, “dread” or apprehension but it is to be in awe of God. But once again it is not just be in admiration of God but to actually adhere to what Proverbs 8:13 says “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.”  And Proverbs 16:6 “…And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil.”

Now that we understand the starting point in order to grow in wisdom and knowledge we need to look at the following keys:

1st key: Humbleness.

Proverbs 13:33 gives us more information: “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.” So, how can we receive this instruction; What should our attitude be in order to receive instruction and understanding? Isaiah 66:2 gives the answer: “For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.” And to confirm with another scripture Isaiah 57:15: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, You revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

2nd Key: Obedience

Lets start with Deu 5:29: “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deu 11:26-28: “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.” As Rom 7:12-14 & Prov 1:1-4 will confer, that those whom are obedient and keeps God’s Law have a good understanding. Keeping God’s laws we can grow in wisdom, Knowledge and in spirit and can receive the blessings and God promise us through His Word

3rd Key: Understand a Bible verse in the context of what is written and with confirmation of texts written on the same context in the rest of the Bible.

One of our biggest problems today is the fact that there are about 33,000 different Christian denominations today according to the World Christian Encyclopaedia by Barrett, Kurian, Johnson (Oxford Univ Press, 2nd edition, 2001). And why may you ask? One of the many reasons, in my mere opinion is human interpretation of the Scriptures. In 2 Peter 1:20-21 Peter warns that the Scripture is NOT for personal or private interpretation.

The Bible was not written with all of the doctrine concepts in one place, like you would find in any manual today. That is why we need to take a concept, find all the verses that pertains to that topic or concept, read them, understand them and only then can we start to find the truth. Even Isa 28:10 confirms this “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”

4th Key: Keep it simple

There is the acronym: KISS… “Keep It Simple Stupid”. There is a lot of truth in that. Sometimes the Apostle Paul wrote things that are difficult to understand. When we come across things like this we need to use all the wonderful tools we can now find on the internet. Biblos.com is a great website with a lot of tools to do in-depth study on a topic. Also, read a verse in more that one translation. 2 Pet 3:15-16, Peter explained that Paul was a person that wrote difficult topics which has been misinterpreted over the years.

5th Key: Keep looking at the big picture

I will be writing a blog about this very soon but in brief: Christ is soon coming to establish His ruling Kingdom here on earth. When you study the OT and NT, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was preached throughout the Bible. Read Heb 4:1-2; Isa 40:10-11. People sometimes get so caught up in the small things that they lose the concept of looking at the big picture… And WHAT A BIG PICTURE IT IS!!!!

6^th Key: True Godly Calling (As per the Bible)

There is a last key that is based on being called. Once you are truly called by God, the scriptures are opened and there is more understanding… 2 Cor 4:1-4 “ 1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Only once the god of this world and the god of this age is not part of your life anymore, only then will the veil be lifted and through the Holy Spirit within you will you start to understand what God through His Bible is teaching you.

In God’s Love

Ron

Acceptance to Blind Faith

Acceptance. Wikipedia gives a good definition: “Acceptance is a person’s assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit.”

Without attempting to change it, protest… Is that not what Christianity is today? “Blind Faith”? Is Christianity today, what you have been taught by your parents, Minister, Priest and because they “know better” it is just accepted? Or is it that we are to busy with “life” to actually know what God says in His Instruction Manual?

I do not want to call myself a Christian…Does that mean that I do not believe in our Living and Loving God the Father or in Jesus Christ that died on a cross for my sins? A most resounding NO!!! But I do believe in “The Way and The Truth”. Do I want to follow Christ and he commanded us to do; Do I want to adhere to what Paul said when he said “to follow me as I follow Christ”? A most definite YES!!!

But accepting what we have been taught from a young age, actually created “blind faith”. Don’t get me wrong – I was brought up in a very Christian house, church every Sunday, Sunday school etc etc. But then I was called and exposed to the truth and the blind faith departed from me and the Trust was instilled in me through the Holy Spirit. Does this make me better, special? No, because once you actually start to know The Truth, The Way is when you realise how much of a sinner you actually are, how much God actually loves us and to then realise the AWESOME future God has planned for the human race, makes you very humble and realise how small we actually are!!!

I’m starting this blog in the hope that through this God will open more eyes and ears to His understanding and His ways.

Let me start by the following:

I’m NOT trying to Win your heart for Jesus, nor do I want you to “give” your heart to Jesus through this blog. No where in the whole of the Bible is the instruction to “give” your heart to Jesus and you will be “saved”. There is no competition between God and the Devil for souls to be won!!! If the God that CREATED the perfect angel called Lucifer. Do you really think that if God wanted to be in competition, it would not be in His power to convert each and every person on this earth Today!? But God is giving us a choice… But more about this later.

Another thought that relates to the above: There are 7 Billion people on this earth today. Now according to Christian believe, if you have not “given your heart to Jesus” you will be going to hell!! There are about 1 Billion confessing Christians today. This means that about 6 Billion people are doomed for hell! This includes the little boy who just died in Africa because of malaria, the little girl who just died of aids in Africa, and countless other examples of children/adults dying across the world NEVER to have even heard the name of JESUS never mind “Giving their heart…”. And this is the “Loving God” that Christians profess, that this will be acceptable to Him that these people go to hell and the rest have this wonderful existence in Heaven for all eternity? Is this really what the Bible says????

Please note: I’m not a minister or a priest. Just a vessel in God’s hands. A nobody. Will I get people annoyed, step on toes: Yes. Will people dislike what I have to say: Yes. But, what I would like people who read my blogs from this point forward to do is NOT to believe what I say… Go and get your Bible, if necessary, dust it off, and proof to yourself what it says in God’s Word. Go and compare that with what is taught today and see which is the Truth and the Way. Or will you just continue to “Accept” and continue in “Blind Faith”??

In God’s Love

Ron