Streams of Living Water

(I) Why Should I Read the Bible?

Read: Luke 8:1-18 esp. vs. 18 “consider carefully how you listen”
Someone once asked – ‘what is more important in the Christian life – prayer or bible reading?’ To which the answer came back (a rather hackneyed answer in St. V’s) – ‘what wing of a plane is more important to it, the left or the right?’ Prayer and Bible reading are both vital elements in Christian discipleship and growth. So I thought, after spending some time talking about prayer, we should spend some time talking about reading the Bible, and just as we looked in Ephesians 6 at issues surrounding the ‘how-to’s’ of prayer, so we are now going to looking at issues surrounding the ‘how-to’s’ of reading the Bible.

Now the way I want to do this is not to do an exposition of a specific text of the Bible, but rather to take as my general text Luke 8:18 and use the Shorter Catechism, which is the best short manual of doctrine you can possibly find, as the basis for all that I will say.
SC. Q. 90 How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual unto salvation?
A. 90 That the word may become effectual unto salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts; and practise it in our lives.
Over the course of the next 4 Wednesday nights, I want to spend some time talking about how to read the Bible – now of course I want you to understand that I am talking in these 4 sessions of our attitude to the Bible, not the precise ins-and-outs of reading it per se. That will follow in time.
To summarise the program I am going to follow;
1. Why Should I Read the Bible? – ‘the word … effectual unto salvation’
2. What Should I do Before I Read the Bible? – ‘diligence, preparation and prayer’
3. What Should I do As I Read the Bible? – ‘receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts’
4. What Should I do After I Read the Bible – ‘practise it in our lives’
So the first of these sessions will be devoted to Why I Should Read the Bible. I’m doing this because I don’t think, in general, that we appreciate just how crucial reading the Bible is to the state of our Christian lives. And also, before I talk about how to do it (that is the practical side of the discussion) I’ve got to make you see the need for doing it at all.
[A] The Context of Reading the Bible
The Shorter Catechism is split up into sections. The section immediately before the one we are dealing with covers questions 41-84 – they cover the Ten Commandments or the Moral Law. The last question in the section covers the issues of God’s wrath and curse which fall upon us as a result of breaking God’s Law. Now our section begins by asking the question (Q. 85) – ‘What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin? To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.’ In other words, in order to be saved from God’s wrath and curse, we need to exercise faith in Christ and repentance unto life. But here notice that the catechism question does not say ‘and the diligent use’, but ‘with the diligent use’ – its almost like the catechism is trying to get us to understand that faith and repentance come through the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of salvation. In other words, faith and repentance, which is what we must have in order to escape God’s wrath and curse due upon us because of our sin, come through diligently using the outward means. They do not come another way; the channel through which they come is the outward means.

Now questions 86 and 87 deal with the issues of faith in Jesus Christ and repentance unto life, but it is in question 88 that the issue of the ‘outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption’ is addressed. ‘Q. 88 What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? A. 88 The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.’ In other words, the benefits of what Christ has done are communicated (or given) to us ordinarily through what is called ‘his ordinances’ – the word, sacraments and prayer. These are the ways in which Jesus Christ gives us the benefits of what He died to achieve for us. Now in order to itemise these benefits we would need to go back to Q. 32, 37 ad 38 which deal with the benefits which our ours in Christ during our lifetime, at death, and at the resurrection. Suffice to give you the first of these catechism questions – ‘What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.’ In other words, the benefits of our salvation – that is our justification and acceptance by God, our adoption as His Sons and Daughters and our sanctification which is our being made like Christ – these all become ours through His ordinances. In other words, if it is justified that a man needs, it will come through the word, sacraments and prayer. If it is adoption, it will come through the word, sacraments and prayer. If it is sanctified, it will come through the word, sacraments and prayer. These three ordinances are all that is necessary for a man to enjoy all these benefits of Christ’s redemption.

Now prayer is dealt with from Q. 98-107, the sacraments (that is baptism and the Lord’s Supper) from Q. 91-97 and the word (that is the Bible, read and preached) from Q. 89-90. Let’s think about this for a moment then, and see if we can’t sum up this first point by using an illustration. Imagine a great well of good, clean water. This well contains the waters of redemption – the water you use for drinking and for washing. The ordinances (that is the word, sacraments and prayer) are, according to Thomas Boston, “the bucket whereby one draws the water out of the wells of salvation.”

So let’s be clear about something – the reason we read our Bibles, get baptised, take communion and pray is because we want the benefits of what Christ died to give us – we want justification, adoption and sanctification. That is our motive. Or in other words, the index of how much we want and desire these things, will be how much regard we pay to God’s Word, to the sacraments and to prayer.

[B] The Content of Reading the Bible
And so we move onto Q. 89 of the Shorter Catechism, which narrows down the emphasis to the Word. It asks ‘How is the word made effectual unto salvation? The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.’ There are two preliminary comments I get out of the way before I discuss the issue of the content of the Bible and what it is used for.
(i) The Agent of Salvation – the word is impotent and powerless unless the Spirit of God breathe through it. Thomas Boston wrote, ‘It is but the sword, but the Spirit cuts with it’. We will speak more of the Spirit’s connection with the Word next week.
(ii) The Forms of Word Ministry – there are two forms highlighted here – the reading and preaching of God’s Word – and interestingly enough, it is the preaching of God’s Word which is the especial means of conversion and confirmation. Everything I say about our attitudes and motivations for reading God’s Word, equally applies to our attitudes and motivations for hearing God’s Word preached. But of course, in this series of sermons we are talking of the reading of God’s Word. But just to note, that the Spirit of God does not only work through your private reading of God’s Word, but also through its public proclamation and preaching. These two, private reading and public preaching go hand in hand. It is as Thomas Boston says, “As the preaching sends you to your Bible, your Bible would send you to the preaching.”
Having said those things, let’s now move on to consider the content of the Bible, in particular, what it is used for. In other words, as we read God’s Word, what happens to us? Or put another way, more technically, by what process does the Word save us?
In this catechism, there are two categories of people, and two activities of the Word:
(1) Non-Christians – the word is talked of as ‘an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners’. The Bible has an important role to play in bringing non-Christians to Christ. The reading of the Bible is said to have two important effects:
a. Convincing Sinners – this is when the word sends forth truth into the mind and heart of the Non-Christian. The reading of the word is like an alarm clock going off for the Non-Christian – listen to what Thomas Boston says, “The sinner naturally is asleep in sin, and the word awakens him; he is bold and daring, and will not consider his sin, nor duty either; but the word brings him to the bar, judges him, convicts him, and condemns him.” You see, the non-Christian is asleep to the truth of the gospel – that’s why, Sunday by Sunday, non-Christians in St. V’s sit under the preaching of the gospel, but are not changed – to all intents and purposes they are asleep (or even dead) to the truth. But it is the word which is the wake up call – especially, according to the Puritan Fathers, when the non-Christian really begins to understand in the mind and in the heart the demands of the law, i.e. the Ten Commandments, and understands that transgression of the law is punished by death. So, for the Non-Christians, the reading of the Bible acts as the Law of God.
b. Converting Sinners – this is when the word sends the despairing sinner to Christ. The reading of the word brings Christ and the salvation he offers into the awareness of the Non-Christian – the word, if you like, is the dating agency which brings Christ and the Non-Christian together. Thomas Boston said ‘The word is the means which God hath chosen for bringing sinners to himself’. In other words, having been convinced of their own sinfulness and guilt through the Bible acting as the Law of God, they now run to Christ through the Bible acting as the lap of God. Remember, the lap of God is the refuge, the mighty fortress, we run to, to get away from our enemies – and there is no greater enemy than sin and punishment – and so we run to Christ, and in this way, the Bible is the lap of God to the non-Christian.
For examples of the Word as a converting ordinance, or a means of grace, in the Bible, look at 1 Corinthians 1:21 ‘God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.’ Again in Romans 10:14-15 – ‘How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?’ In both these cases, salvation comes through the word (particularly the preached word). Solid cases of this happening can be found on the Day of Pentecost, where 3,000 people were converted through the preached word, or the Ethiopian Eunuch, who was converted through Philip explaining to him the meaning of Isaiah 53.
So in evangelism, nothing is as effective as the Word of God. The more of God’s Word we get into society, the more chance we have of transforming society by transforming people. In your evangelism, don’t use reason and philosophy as much as you use the Scriptures. The Spirit will bless the Scriptures – it is through them that folk will be saved.
(2) Christians – the word is talked of as ‘an effectual means … of building them up in holiness and comfort’ Finally, why should we Christians read the Bible. Well, here, we are told that the Bible serves the function of building us up as Christians, and furthermore, this upbuilding makes, us as Christians, two things:
a. Holy Christians – how should we live as Christians? We should live holy lives. How do we know what a holy life is? By reading the Bible. The Bible is our rule of faith and life, the commandments of Jesus what we are to obey if we love Him. By reading the Scriptures, we become more aware and more conscious of the Lord’s will for us in our lives – and that is holiness. It is as Thomas Boston says, “By the reading and preaching of the word, the truth according to godliness is riveted in us, that the longer we live under the means, we are more confirmed in the Lord’s way”. So, for example, we come to God’s Word, which acts like a mirror, and we see that we are not so perfect as we thought – there is a sin needs dealt with in our lives – and through God’s grace we deal with it. So for Christians, God’s Word acts as the Law of God.
b. Happy Christians – the Bible ‘builds us up in comfort’. This world throws a lot at us – troubles, afflictions, persecution and pain. Where do we go to find comfort? To which lap to we run? We run to the same lap we ran to when we first became Christians – that of Christ. The Bible is the lap of God to disconsolate, discouraged, tearful Christians. It is through the reading of the Bible that we get Christ – it was that way when we were first saved, and it continues to be that way throughout our Christian life. And the presence of Christ is the ultimate comfort, the ultimate happiness.
So you see, reading the Bible is the best thing anyone can do – not just non-Christian, but Christian also. The greatest need of the non-Christian is Christ – and he gets Him through the Word. The greatest need of the Christian is Christ – and he gets Him through the Word. Do you want Christ? Do you want all that Christ came to give you? Think of it like this: an elderly and fabulously rich relative of your dies and leaves you his entire estate. Now do you just say, even though everything on that estate is now yours, ‘I think I’ll just have one of the bathrooms, or maybe the monkey puzzle tree in the garden’? No, you don’t, you say, ‘It’s going to take me a while, but I am going to discover everything on this estate and I’m going to make the most of what is mine.’ Reading the Bible is making the most of what is yours in Christ – and believe me and God’s Word when I tell you that what you have in Christ is treasure far beyond the like of what you get on earth – and it all comes to you through the reading of God’s Word.
Listen to what Thomas Boston said, “Those who do not make a practice of daily reading the scripture, are none of the Lord’s people, whatever otherwise they profess.” Hard though these words sound, he’s trying to get us to understand just how crucial God’s Word is to us.
‘Why should I read the Bible?’ someone asks. Answer: ‘Because there we get Christ, and He is all we could ever need, or could ever want.’ Do you want Christ this evening? Then read your Bibles! AMEN

Posted in Shorter Catechism on Reading the Bible |