Two scripture passages that come to mind when I think of the importance of reading the Bible are John 17 and Matthew 4:4. Several years ago, after a church service where I had just preached, an elderly woman approached me and shared a profound insight she had recently learned: “If you are not in the Word [of God], you are in the world.” She meant to say that if you are not influenced by the Word of God, you are influenced by the world. And I responded, “That’s right! That’s John 17.” Indeed, if you are not listening to the Word of God, you are listening to the world.
John 17 is a prayer of Jesus for us, yes, not only for His twelve
Apostles but also for us (as indicated in verse 20: “who will believe in Me
through their [Apostles’] word”). In this High Priestly prayer,
Jesus indicates the means of preserving His people in the world is by the Word
of God (John 17:17). John 17 has 26 verses, and Jesus says “Your word”
referring to the words of the Father five times (verses 6, 8, 14, 17, and 20). If
you are curious what those words are, they are the words of God written and
handed down to us, which is the Bible. See how verse 20 reads: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for
those who will believe in Me through their word.”
The “these . . . their” in this verse refers to the Apostles, the
original hearers of Jesus; therefore, the words of God are what they have
spoken and recorded, which comprise the Bible.
John 17 reveals not only the importance of God’s Word but also the malevolence
of the world. Jesus uses the term “world” fifteen times to refer to the people
of earth. However, He makes a distinction between His people and the rest of the
people of this world at least seven times (verses 6, 9, 11, 14, 18), and most
clearly in verse 14, which reads, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the
world,” which is reiterated
in verse 16. Here, we see that Jesus and His people (we, Christians) are not of
the world. In what ways are we not of this world? Jesus’ prayer reveals them in
three aspects of our identity:
1. That we are the elects of God destined for eternal life (verses 2, 6, 9, 11, 12).
2. That we are the people of the Word (verses 6, 8, 14, 20). More will be explained in the next paragraph.
3. That we are the people hated by the world but beloved by God (verses 14, 16, 15, 23).
These three aspects are true for every Christian, though not in equal measure. The world hates some Christians more because of their godliness. 1 Peter 4:4 alludes to it that Christians are so different by their godly conduct that the world hates them. If we are so comfortable with the ways of the world (contrary to 1 John 2:15–17), and if the world is comfortable with us (contrary to John 17:14–16 and 1 Peter 4:1–4), we are not living as John-17 Christians. Unfortunately, we do live like non-Christians sometimes. Surely, we should not let the world hate us as a consequence of our evil deeds or due to laziness in good works. We should be hated because we refuse to participate in, support, or approve anything contrary to the Word of God. Thus, circling back to the importance of the Word of God. As said before, Christians differ from the world because they are the people of the Word of God. The people of the Word means:
1. They are the doers of the Word of God. Verse 6 reads, “And they have kept Your word.” Keeping the word of God presupposes that they know what the Word of God says. How can you keep (obey) the Word of God if you don’t know what it commands, instructs, and exhorts you to do? And how will you know if you don’t read the Bible? That’s the reality. To be different from the world is to be a doer of the Word; to be a doer of the Word is to be a knower (student) of the Word. To be a knower of the Word is to read the Bible. The less you read, the less you look like a Christian and the more worldly you have become.
2. They are the receivers of the Word of God. Verse 8 reads, “I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them.” This expresses the same idea as in verse 6, that they are the doers of the Word, but with a nuance. Here, we see the imagery of receiving something from a giver, presenter, or proclaimer. God’s words are being presented, proclaimed, offered, or taught, and Christians receive them. How does one receive something abstract that is not a physical thing? It is by believing, as verse 8 goes on to read, “they have believed.” This truth has already been stated in chapter 1 of John, verse 12, “as many as received Him . . . who believe in His name.” This implies that one must read the Bible receptively (believingly). You must read the Bible, willing to be influenced by what it says, not just to be a knower but to be a believer of the truth and be transformed by its truth.
A Christian is (must be) diligent in the Word of God because that’s
what biblical Christians do. It’s not just about affirming some basic truths
about who Jesus is and what He did. It is also being diligent in seeking to know
more. Verse 17 (John 17:17) echoes this truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth.” This is Jesus still praying to the Father that God
will sanctify Jesus’s people (us) by the truth, the truth which is the Word of
God, the Bible. Sanctifying means making people more like Christ, who has kept
the perfect law of God (verse 4: “I have finished the work which You have
given Me to do”). To be like Christ, we must keep (obey) the Word of God.
Again, how can you, if you do not study (find out) what the Word of God says to
do in any and every situation of life?
Sanctifying, or sanctification, also has the idea of becoming more
holy, godly, and set apart for God. It involves actively fighting against sin.
The Word of God helps us in our sanctification. Psalm 119:105 demonstrates this
truth: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Therefore,
a Christian must be devoted to the word of God: reading and studying regularly for
His sanctification. There is no other path to holiness, godliness, and victory
over sin other than what Jesus states in John 17:17—through the Word of God. Would you commit to reading
the Bible regularly and as often as possible (even multiple times a day) this
year?
Let me save the other passage, Matthew 4:4, for another
time.