How Bible Study Can Transform Our Lives

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to another episode of Worldwide Wonderful Women. I am your host Paula Harris, and this podcast is for women who are all about learning how to live in God's divine power. It is produced on behalf of Transformed Worldwide Ministries. Thank you so much for being here. [00:00:39] Hello. This is Episode #376 and it's entitled, "Bible Study Can Transform Our Lives". [00:00:49] I would like to share with you this month how Bible study can transform our lives. [00:00:55] Before doing so, I would like to share a short testimony of my own. From a young girl, my mother saw to it that I attended church. This church did not open, much less teach the Bible. So I grew up religiously having a fear of God, but not knowing him personally. It was not until I was a teenager that a couple of women came into our neighborhood and began a Bible study. It was my first time studying the Bible, hearing the Gospel message, and the love of God for me. It was during this time that I received Jesus as my Savior and began my journey of pursuing him through His Word. I later married my husband, William, and it was his aunt who got us into a Bible institute that created my hunger and desire for God's Word. It was then that I began to dive deeper into my study of the Bible. [00:02:01] Here I am now, over 30 years later, having been led of God to start several community Bible studies and presently conducting one online study for several women. I'm still diving deeper into his inexhaustible Word by studying my Bible. [00:02:24] The Bible is not like any other book. Other books may instruct or inspire you, but only the Bible, God's Word can transform your life. I too have written books, hoping to support a transformation in the lives of those who read them. Yet, there is no book by any author that can bring the transformation of a life as that of the Bible. The Bible was written by over 40 human authors. They were from diverse backgrounds, including kings, prophets, fishermen and a physician across different parts of Asia, Europe and the Sinai wilderness, a region of Egypt, which is part of the African continent. It was written over a span of 1,500 years; primarily in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Yet the whole Bible is harmonious in its story about God and His purpose for the human race. [00:03:34] No other book has existed this long and read by so many across the whole world, resulting in lives that are changed. No other book will continue into eternity. Matthew 24:35 states, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. The Bible, the words of God, will never pass away. [00:04:05] So that is why it's more important for us to study our Bible over reading a plethora of other Christian books. It's nothing wrong with reading other Christian books, but not at the neglect of studying our Bible. The Bible is not just a historical record of events and people, but it is the actual way that God our Father communicates with us his children. [00:04:33] First Thessalonians 2:13 states, "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it is really, the word of God which is at work in you believers." So this takes us back to how Bible study can transform our lives. When we study our Bible, receiving it truly as the Word of God and not the Word of men, it goes to work within us, producing a change. A change that is visibly seen in our lives through our behavior. In other words, transformation. [00:05:25] Now the Scripture says, "at work in you believers". If you are not a believer and have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, His Word will work in bringing you to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But apart from salvation in Jesus, you cannot understand the written word of God. [00:05:47] First Corinthians 2:14 states, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." [00:06:05] To study the Bible and become transformed, you must have received Jesus as your Savior. Then, upon receiving Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God will help you to understand the Bible which is spiritually discerned or understood. Otherwise, as an unbeliever, you will study the Bible and it will not make sense to you at all. [00:06:31] Studying your Bible will transform your life because once again it actually goes to work within you, producing a changed life. There is so much I would like to share with you about this, but I will concentrate on one passage of Scripture to show how God's Word works in our lives to change us. Hebrews 4:12 in the King James Version states, "For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." In the New International Version it states, "For the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." [00:07:45] The Bible, God's Word is alive. Alive, or your Bible might say quick, is "Zao" in Greek and it means to have life or be alive. The word of God is living. This makes sense because we're serving a living God who is not dead but communicates with us. To produce life in us, it has to be alive. Jesus said, "The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." That's in John 6:63. [00:08:26] Then it says the word is powerful or active; the Greek word is "energes" and it means energizing. The word of God is living and it energizes, meaning it is effective or active in producing an intended result. God's Word is powerful enough to go to work in us, to accomplish God's purpose for us. [00:08:54] Isaiah 55:11 states, "So shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." [00:09:14] Scriptures emphasize the divine authority of God's Word, which is a powerful force that is active, effective, and guaranteed to fulfill its intended purpose. [00:09:29] The Scripture then states, it is sharper than any double-edged sword or two-edged sword. Sharper or "tomas" in Greek means having a thin edge or sharp point suitable for cutting or piercing. The Word of God is a two-edged sword, super sharp on both sides, having the ability to penetrate easily. You know what it's like if you would try to cut a tomato with a butter knife versus a sharp knife that can penetrate its outer skin easily. The knife needs to be sharp. [00:10:10] Then also the word sword or "machaira" in Greek; represents a knife, dagger or judicial punishment. Just as a physical sword can cut through a person's body, so the spiritual sword or the word of God can penetrate to the very depths of the human heart. God's word is powerful enough to deliver warnings against sin and if necessary, declare judgment and punishment to us when we are disobedient. [00:10:49] Look further at what it says, and I'm going to combine words from the two translations. It penetrates or pierces, even to dividing or separating the soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner or judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [00:11:14] Bear with me as I explain these terms because I will bring it all together in a moment. God's word is able to penetrate and separate soul and spirit. These are two invisible, non-material parts of a person. [00:11:32] The word soul, the Greek is "psyche", is the immaterial part of a person or the area of all the psychological faculties, such as the heart, mind, and conscience. [00:11:49] The spirit, Greek is "pneuma" and is the immaterial part of humanity that connects with God. Now there are times in the Scriptures when soul and spirit are used interchangeably. There are other passages where it is clear that the soul and spirit are distinct and are not the same thing. Only God's Word can discriminate successfully between what is spiritual in a person and and what is merely "soulish or fleshly" in a person. Only the word of God can distinguish between the soul and the spirit, letting us know when we are operating out of one or the other. [00:12:39] Then it states dividing joints and marrow. The joints permit the outward movements, and the marrow is the hidden but the vital life of the bones. Now this is just as mystical as the life of a baby growing within a woman. Who's able to truly discern this or explain it? There are some things that man has gained understanding of, but there are certain things, like these pertaining to the giving of life, that only God knows and sees clearly. Then lastly, it states and is a discerner or judge of the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. God's Word, the Bible, is sharp enough to separate our thoughts and our motives, even if they are closely linked as soul and spirit and joint and marrow are. It uncovers the hidden secrets of the human heart. His Word enables us to see who we really are inside before we ever act out. In regards to our behavior, our conversation, conduct, and attitudes all stem from within our heart. Our heart is the starting place for our behavior. That is why the Bible tells us to guard our hearts for our lives flow out of it. [00:14:15] So this takes us full circle back to the fact that that studying the Bible can transform our lives. Well, how is it, how is that done? When we open our Bible and not just read it, but begin to study and dive deep into it, we will encounter its life-giving power through the living God. It is sharp enough to penetrate and divide and reveal when we are operating in our flesh or our spirit. It exposes the whole person. [00:14:43] It takes the supernatural work of God's Word to expose when we believe we are pure in our motives, but we are not. Through the study of God's Word, we will have a more truthful understanding of ourselves, being able to replace false ideas about who we are with those that are accurate. [00:15:05] His Word, when obeyed, will renew our minds which lead to transformation as stated in Romans 12:2. His word, inspired by the Holy Spirit, will teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip us to do every good work--as stated in 2 Timothy, Chapter 3:16-17. My study of His Word, as well as yours, brings deliverance from fearing God to personally knowing and loving Him. God has revealed who he is through the living Word, His Son Jesus Christ and the written Word, the Bible. It is the study of His Word that reveals his divine character and faithfulness. Our recognition of and sensitivity to his presence grows through the study of His Word. We will learn how to trust him in all situations when we study. [00:16:24] As we grow closer to him through studying His Word, we will gain wisdom and guidance for every area of our lives. We can learn to respond correctly to trials, temptations, and making decisions that need to be made. Instead of collapsing in despair, his Word being alive in us will produce hope, faith, comfort, encouragement and strength in difficult times. [00:16:56] If we study and apply the lessons in the Bible, it will change our character and behavior so we become image bearers of Jesus to others here on earth. And this is what transformation is all about. Becoming more like Jesus until He calls us home. So from the Scripture in Hebrews we know that God will indeed accomplish his will if we will abide and remain in His Word. Why? Because His Word never fails. Well, we have just touched lightly on this topic, but I hope enough was said to inspire you to study God's Word and and to become transformed. Go to our website and see the Bible study material that is freely available to you through our ministry. We would love to assist you on this journey. Until next month, Lord willing, Smile! Jesus loves you! [00:18:05] Thank you for listening. To make sure you do not miss any further future episodes, please subscribe to our podcast. We want all to be able to live in God's divine power. Also sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website "twmforjesus.org." Please do share our podcast with others and Lord willing, we'll be together next month.