The Bible is not a riddle, but a revelation. “Because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children!” “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Read Matthew 11:25-27 and John 3:1-7.

Unless taught by the Holy Spirit, the Bible is a sealed book, even to the learned and lettered. Human education, reformation and religion cannot take the place of supernatural revelation and divine regeneration. The Spirit who wrote the Bible is the Spirit who teaches the Bible. Read II Peter 1:21; John 16:13,14; I John 2:27.

TEST YOURSELF

1. Do I want to know the truth of God? Read John 8:31, 32. Have I believed on Christ? Am I continuing in His Word?

2. Am I willing to do the will of God? Read John 7:16 (R.V.) “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out…”

3. Am I truly born again? John 3:3-8; John 1:12, 13. Have I received Christ as my own personal Savior? Christ is the subject of the Bible. He is the Gold Key which unlocks the treasure-house of God’s Truth. I must be personally acquainted with the Author before I can understand God’s Book.

SEVEN SIMPLE RULES
1. READ
Read the Bible. Prof. Richard G. Moulton said of the Scriptures: “We have done almost everything that is possible with these writings. We have overlaid them, clause by clause, with exhaustive commentaries; we have translated them, revised the translation, and quarreled over the revisions; we have discussed authenticity and inspiration, and suggested textual history with the aid of colored type; we have mechanically divided the whole into chapters and verses, and sought texts to memorize and quote….There is yet one thing left to do with the Bible — simply to read it.”

The Sacred Scriptures should be read by all. They can be understood by the common man if they are interpreted by their own light. Read the Bible itself for yourself.

2. MEDITATE
Turn it over in your mind. Talk it over to yourself. Talk it over with God and with spiritual men. Ruminate it. “There is no process akin to rumination, which, as you dwell on the Scriptures, draws from them life power. Without such meditation, reading is like eating that which you do not digest.” See Psalm 1:2,3; Jeremiah 15:16; I Timothy  4:15.

3. SEARCH
The wonders lie hidden like gold nuggets in the earth and must be dug up. “Search the Scriptures” John 5:39.

4. COMPARE
The Bible is its own interpreter. Compare Scripture with Scripture and you will understand the real meaning. See I Corinthians 2:13; II Peter 1:20. Pascal said, “Whosoever wishes to give the sense of Scriptures, and does not take it from Scripture, is the enemy of Scripture.” Dr. A.T. Pierson wrote: “There is no error on earth which may not find apparent support from some isolated text, but no error in doctrine or practice can stand the test of the whole Scripture. We must compare Scripture with Scripture so that one passage may interpret another or may correct the false impression gained from another.”

5. PRAY
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law,” Psalms 119:18. The Spirit who inspired must be the Spirit who expounded (II Peter 1:2; John 16:13,14; I John 2:20,27).

6. BELIEVE
“In all other departments of knowledge men believe what they know but in divine revelation men come to know what they believe.” Intellect says, “I cannot know God,” and intellect is right. Reason says the same. “By faith we know” (Hebrews 11:3).  See also Hebrews 11:1,6; II Corinthians 4:18; I John 5:9-11. Faith is confidence and certitude concerning spiritual realities. Faith is based upon facts — the historical facts of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the veracity of God’s Word, the trustworthy testimony of eyewitnesses, and the understanding of our rational natures.

True faith is simply taking God at His word. Remember faithful Abraham–“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded (absolutely certain) that what He had promised He was able also to perform,” Romans 4: 20,21.

7. OBEY
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Principle must be followed by practice. After doctrine comes duty. You can never learn a second lesson from God until you practice the first. (Read that aga1n — don’t forget it.) Doubt is usually the result of disobedience. Whenever you see a command in the Bible, translate it into conduct and character. Obey what God teaches and He will lead you on to higher and larger knowledge.

—-Kenneth A. Amsler