In our instant gratification society we have been conditioned to expect immediate satisfaction to all our desires. Want to eat lunch? Pull up to the drive in window. If you don't get your burger in under 5 minutes complain about the slow service. Want the news? It's delivered daily and instantly via either television, radio, or e-mail. Need your car fixed? If the mechanic can't do it right now, I'll find someone who can.

Instant gratification is a wonderful thing, but not all things come instantly. Take, for instance, the understanding of God's Word. We have been conditioned by society to expect instant gratification, and sadly, many Christians bring this mental attitude into their relationship with God. The Church that is in the world to influence it for Christ often has the world in it.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8  "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
 
The believer can  understand the Bible, but in order to do so he must put aside the wisdom of the world. Unlike the local "McDonalds", Bible knowledge cannot come by a quick drive to the neighborhood Church where the Pastor gives you the 30 minute special. Yes, we do learn God's Word, to a degree, during the Sunday sermon. You must understand that, if the only Bible study you are getting is at Church, you will never understand God's Word. So let's start answering the question, "How can I understand the Bible?"
 

Luke 4:3-4 "And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."

When Jesus was attacked and tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus made His stance on God's Word perfectly clear. Man shall not live by bread alone: food is a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing. I love to eat as much as the next man. However, if the only food you're giving yourself is physical food, you're slowly starving yourself to death. Many needs both physical and spiritual food. He needs every Word of God, not just the parts that appeal to us. We need that Sunday Sermon, but we need more than that if we're going to grow.

What would life be like if we ordered our physical eating habits along the lines of our spiritual eating habits? What if we never ate except when we went to Church? The Brown family gets up every Sunday morning to go to Church. They go early so they can eat because, well frankly, they're famished! They haven't eaten since last Sunday, and little Jimmy's ribs are starting to show. When they get to Church they arrive early, but other believers are already there in the prime front row seats. Daddy Brown murmurs a little, but sits down anyway with the family. The Church then begins it's music service, all the while parishioners are aware of an aching sensation inside. You see, a week is a long time to go without eating.  FINALLY the Pastor comes out. Everyone looks at their watches, for they only have a half hour to feed. The Pastor starts giving out food and, ravenously, the Brown family starts eating as fast as they can. "Let's gorge ourselves before the time is up!". All too soon the service is over. The Brown Family goes home, satiated at the moment, but all too awfully aware that it will be 6 days before they get a chance to eat again.

Does that scenario seem ridiculous to you? It seems literally idiotic to me. And yet, so many believers live their spiritual lives just that way: gorge and starve, gorge and starve. When the trials come they wonder why they are unequipped to handle them. Gee, I wonder?

Luke 8:19-21  "Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it."

Jesus felt so strongly about God's Word, and the believer being familiar with it's precepts, that He said My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it. Too many Christians are wandering around saying, "I just don't know what God wants me to do", or, "What is God's Plan for my life?". Believers, if we study His Word we will be equipped with that knowledge. If we are equipped with that knowledge them, Jesus said, we are expected to do it. A faith that has no sense is nonsense. We must study His Word.

Luke 11:27-28 "And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

Jesus furthermore taught that happiness (blessed: makairos, happinesses) can only come to those who both study and guard the Word of God. Paul taught that, unless we had a working knowledge of the Biblical doctrines, we were defenseless in the devil's world:

Ephesians 6:16-17  "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"

For the Word of God, properly divided and understood, is part of our battle armor to protect us as we go against Satan and his minions. The Bible is our sword, yet, if you don't understand it's most basic precepts, you'll be like the fool who tried to take on a master swordsman. Let me tell you, friend: Satan knows the Word, and uses it to his benefit. If you don't know the Word you'll be a highly ineffective warrior for the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:13  "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.

The World would have you believe that the Bible is only a work of man. A classic work, an ancient work, and because it is it is to be regarded on the level of Aristotle's works. The world would have you believe this. God, however, teaches that His Word is a power, a tool to effectually work in the believer who studies it. Far from a work of man (which can only emotionally stir you) the Word has the ability to change it's user into a worker that God can be proud of.

John 10:34-35 "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;"

What is written in God's Word is immutable, unchangeable, and efficacious for the life of the believer. Jesus believed that scripture cannot be broken, that is, because it's Author was Divine, then what was written therein would come to pass. He believed that this same Scripture, our Bible, was the manual to give us the answers whereby we might live a life of peace and happiness.

I am not a rich man. In fact, on the scale of poor, I rank a few levels above that of the street pauper. I'm not saying this to complain, for I praise the Lord for what I have. Yet for me and my family, every purchase must be carefully weighed and judged before it is made. Consequently when we purchase a new appliance I always read the owner's manual before plugging it in. Why? Because the manufacturer made this product. Surely he knows the best way to hook it up, install it, and use it. You see, if we spend a few hundred dollars (untold riches) on a new item, I certainly don't want to destroy it before I get the pleasure of using it.

The Bible is God's manual for the believer's life. You see, He made us, and knows how best we should live our lives. Too often we act stupidly and "plug ourselves in" to predicaments without first gaining knowledge from the Manual. Right then we fall into trouble, and rightly so. We must study the Manual!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

We usually read the first part of this verse while ignoring the last. Did you read the final note? Let me repeat it: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. You cannot be mature (perfect: teleioo = Mature) as a believer unless you know God's Word. You cannot do good works for God unless you know God's Word, for it is His Word that equips (throughly furnished) you to do good.

You must study and learn His Word to be an effective worker for the Lord.
 

Interpretation is the human effort in Bible study. Interpretation describes all the things that we, as believers, do to try and understand God's Word. Interpretation is not adding our own opinions to the Biblical text at hand, but it is a method whereby we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture so we can understand it. Once we understand it we are then able to apply the precepts of that passage to our lives. Some of the methods of Biblical Interpretation are:
 

Topical Study

Using a Topical Method of Bible study the Christian, using a good concordance, looks up all related Scriptures on a particular subject. He then reads and studies these Scriptures, comparing Scripture to Scripture, to better understand God's viewpoint on that subject.

Contextual Study

The Christian doesn't look at a particular verse divorced from the context to determine it's meaning, but carefully studies the Biblical context around the verse to better understand God's viewpoint on the subject. Sometimes the context of a particular verse will be a few verses before and after the verse in question. At other times the context may be several chapters, or even books, before and after that verse. Scripture must be carefully studied in context.

Historical Study

What was life like at the time the verse was written? The "Eye of the Needle" made sense to the early Christians, but does it make proper sense to you? When we think of this phrase we think about a metal sewing needle. When the ancients thought of this phrase, they thought about a very small door that was located next to the main gate of the city. The historical context of a verse may make all the difference in the world in interpreting it.

Linguistic Study

Our Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Chaldean, and Greek, and was translated into English by many Godly scholars. The original texts of the Scripture are rich with meaning, meaning that was often lost in the translation for the sake of readability. Again, a good exhaustive concordance (like "Strong's") will help you study the hidden meanings behind the English text.

Illumination is the Divine side of Bible study, the means whereby He empowers us to understand His Word. You see, the technique of Bible Study is important, but if there's no power behind the technique then you'll get absolutely nothing out of it. OK, you're probably going to think I've lost my mind, but there's a funny little story I want to tell you that illustrates this point. If this offends your sensibilities, just skip past it!

A few days later, the Rabbit was again taking a break from writing, and sure enough, a Wolf came out of the bushes and was ready to eat her. "Wait!", yelled the Rabbit, "you cannot eat me right now."  "And why might that be, you fuzzy appetizer?"  "I am almost finished writing my Ph.D. thesis on `The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves'." The Wolf laughed so hard that he almost lost his hold on the Rabbit. "Come read for yourself, you can eat me after that if you disagree with my conclusions."  So the Wolf went to the Rabbit's hole and never came out.

The Rabbit finished writing her thesis and was out celebrating in the lettuce fields.  Another Rabbit came by and asked, "What's up?  You seem to be very happy."  "Yup, I just finished writing my dissertation." "Congratulations!  What is it about?"  "It is titled `The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'"  "Are you sure?  That doesn't sound right."  "Oh yes, you should come over and read for yourself."

So they went together to the Rabbit's hole.  As they went in, the friend saw the typical graduate student abode, albeit a rather messy one after writing a thesis.  The computer with the controversial dissertation was in one corner, on the right there was a pile of fox bones, on the left was a pile of wolf bones, and in the middle was a Lion.

The moral of the story is:  The title of your dissertation doesn't matter.  The research doesn't matter.  All that matters is who your Advisor is.

You see, so many people approach the Bible and try to study it like a textbook. After all, if I can read and study Plato and Socrates, surely I can study and understand what 66 men wrote! On this premise Isaac Asimov, a highly gifted and ultra intelligent man, wrote a commentary on the Bible. Asimov, who has a flair for writing and teaching, winner of numerous awards for Science Fiction, and with an IQ well above that of the normal man (as I am) thought writing a commentary on the Bible would be a breeze. He, of course, does not believe in God or in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. His work, unlike the other works that he has successfully published, won no awards from the Believing community. I've looked for it in Christian and religious bookstores to no avail. It is perhaps one of his only abysmal failures and, quite frankly, I'm not surprised. You see, Asimov doesn't have the proper Advisor when it comes to studying the Bible. The Bible is not a textbook. It is a Living Word, lovingly written by the Father to His Children using 66 authors as His medium. Unless you possess the power behind the writing you'll get absolutely nothing out of your efforts.

Powerless people study the Bible as a textbook and form the conclusion that Jesus merely "swooned" but never died on the Cross. Powerless people read it and ascribe myth and fantasy to the historic Christ. Powerless people plagiarize it's text for holy writings of their own, claiming that we can be gods as He is God, and supposing that Christ was really an alien from another world who was killed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Powerless people.

This is what Paul was referring to in our introductory text:

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: "

Mystery is the Greek musterion, which means "a secret known only to those within the fraternity or brotherhood". In ancient (as well as modern) times people often banded together in tight knit groups called fraternities. When you joined the fraternity you were privy to information that was not known to the public at large, secret information, musterion. By joining the fraternity your fellow members, on welcoming you to their group, revealed the secrets of the organization to you. You see, now you belonged, whereas before you were outside the fold. Paul uses the exact same illustration in describing the world's ability to grasp the truths of Scripture. When you became a Christian by accepting Christ as your Savior you were then enabled to understand and apply the truths of Scripture to you life. The world cannot know these truths. Sure, they know some of the outer things. The world knows what the clubhouse looks like from the outside. They know we're called "Christian", and know something about the historic Christ. They have studied the Bible and found it to be a great piece of literature full of fables and myths. They have seen our chapels and temples, and found them beautiful. They have even joined our Church assemblies for appearance sake, and some may have even moved into positions of leadership among the sheep. They mimic what they see, but do not understand it, for they are outside of the fold.

If you don't believe me, that's perfectly fine. Yet how else can you explain purported theologians who claim the resurrection was a hoax? That Christ never died? That Jesus was not born of a virgin? That hell is a fictitious place that exists in Scripture only as fable, there to frighten children into obedience? The world has crept into the membership lists of the physical Church worldwide, yet these elements still stand outside of the fraternity unable to see the musterion.

1 Corinthians 2:8-9 "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

The truths of the Bible cannot be experienced by the five senses, cannot be weighed scientifically, cannot be heard, seen, touched, tasted, or smelled. If you have accepted Christ as Savior you are in the fraternity and understand God's act of Creation though you were not there. You can see, in your mind's eye, the birth of the baby in the manger. You can experience, internally, the dusty road He walked, dragging that Cross to His death. And feel, yes feel, the exhilaration when the Tomb stood empty and you know that Satan stands defeated and we are victorious forever.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

You see, as humans we learn only by sensory input, by experience. How often were you told as a child "Now don't do that, it's bad for you"? Did you listen? Absolutely not, unless you are from another planet. You see, even as children we had to make our mistakes and learn by them, for humans learn by experience. Yet the Bible is outside of the range of our experience. So God, in order to teach us His Word, sent the Holy Spirit to each and every believer to empower them to understand His Word. The Spirit is the Agent that causes Illumination. As Paul said, "we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God". You see, God gave the fraternity of Believers this Word and, believe me, wants each and every believer to understand and apply it's teachings to their lives. When He gave us the Word He also gave us the key to unlocking it's power. He gave us the Holy Spirit. Learning God's Word doesn't depend on how many College Degrees you have, nor does it depend on how high your IQ is. Remember, God did not give us the spirit of the world. It depends on your willingness to surrender your thought processes to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him alone to guide you as you study His Word.

There is an alarming trend among Christians toward giving themselves over to others rather than seeking God's Word for themselves. Now, do I mean you shouldn't use commentaries or scholarly works while studying your Bible? Absolutely not!. This Bible Study site exists as an aid to help you find the truths of God's Word. What I am referring to is the growing trend in the Christian fraternity to accept what some Doctor or Professor states as Gospel without so much as a "by your leave" to the Spirit. In Church assemblies the Bible Study classes that are showing the most demand are those that you have to buy a "study guide" for. If Professor so and so wrote a Book, Christians are flocking to the Church office to buy that book because this is a big name theologian. Bible Study, where believers open the Bible and let the Spirit lead them is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Can you learn from Professor so and so? Sure, if he's a believer, and if he was empowered by the Spirit while writing his work. But if you accept what this Professor says without opening your own Bible, you have given up your birthright. You have become Esau reborn, selling your heritage for a bowl of stew. You have put yourself back into the Middle Ages when it was acceptable practice to believe whatever the priest told you because you had no Bible. I totally refute such a concept! God gave me His Spirit to illuminate my mind so that I can study His precious Word. This I will do, if I do it alone while millions blindly accept what the Professor teaches. Your heart should be the same!

Jesus, when He knew the Cross was just around the corner, prepared His disciples for His death. He told them:

John 14:16-17  "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

Jesus told us volumes in this statement. First, the Spirit is a gift from our Heavenly Father. The Spirit would take Jesus' place here on earth while our Lord is gone. He is called another Comforter, for Jesus was the Comforter who would be departing. As the earthly replacement for Jesus', the Holy Spirit would do all the things that Jesus did. He would teach just as Jesus taught. He would comfort us in times of trials, give us peace when we were driven by the world. He would comfort us, just as Jesus did with His band of disciples. Second, the Spirit of truth would not lie to us. His ministry is characterized by truth. When we seek out the truths of God's Word He would show us the straight path, the right way. He would order our steps if we but rely on Him. Third, those outside of the fraternity of Believers cannot know either the Spirit or the Truths that He would teach.
The world cannot receive the Spirit or the truths of God's Word because the world learns by sensory input (seeth him ... knoweth him). The Bible just isn't in the basic textbook category. And finally, the truths we would learn would be personal truths. These would be truths that we could apply to our own lives. This is possible because the Spirit would indwell each and every Believer (shall be in you), and in such a personal position would be closer to you than your wife and children, closer than your girl or boyfriend. Closer than the Pastor, and certainly closer than Professor so and so. He would illuminate the Scripture so you could understand it, then show you how to apply it to your life.

John 14:26  "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

This Holy Spirit wouldn't have a hidden agenda like many of the people you come in contact with. He wouldn't be buttering you up to get your bid when it came time for re-election, nor would He be catering to your whims so that you would allow him to stay on the governing board or in the pulpit. The Holy Spirit has one agenda: to teach us the spiritual, the musterion, to teach you all things. What Jesus said in the Word, the Spirit will illuminate. What the Lord wrote through the 66 Authors, the Spirit would show us application. No hidden agenda, no cost, no Professor's book or study guide to buy. Just pure applied Bible Doctrine.

John 15:26  "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:"

Since we are Christians, called into a fraternity which should walk after the example of our Lord, the Spirit would show us just how to do this. The world can't understand what it means to be a Christian, but the believer attuned to the Spirit can. Again, the Spirit has no hidden agenda. His job is to teach us the Word, to tell us about Jesus, to enable us to understand God's Word. Jesus so emphasized the ministry of the Holy Spirit in Illumination and spreading the Gospel that He said it was for our own good that He go away.

John 16:7-11 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

The Comforter, within the sphere of His Illuminating Ministry, would do two things: (1) Enable the Believer to understand the musterion of the Word of God, and (2) Open the eyes of an unbelieving World to the truths of the Gospel. Unless the Spirit illuminates or empowers the common sinner to the knowledge of the Gospel, man in his sinfulness is unable to grasp it's basest concepts. The ability to understand and thus accept the Saving Message comes from Him whom Christ sent. The ability to understand and apply the Word to our lives comes through this Comforter. Praise Jesus for His wonderful Gift!

Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."

God's Word the Bible is unique because it came from God. Every portion of it is pure, accurately recorded, and true in all that it affirms. If it records a historical statement then it recorded it accurately for us to read. If it records a precept or a command, it is pure and should be followed for our own good.

Let me use this illustration. I worked on communications equipment in the Air Force for many years. When a message is sent out over the airwaves, it is sent out at a certain frequency. You can understand this best if you look at your radio. If you tune the dial to 98.9 FM for your favorite Christian station, and your station customarily sends it's broadcast out on the airwaves at 98.9 FM, then the result is you will be able to hear your favorite broadcasts. If your favorite station broadcasts at 98.9 FM but you stubbornly tune to 105.5 FM and demand that they meet you there, then, my friend, you're going to be listening to static for a long time.

For some reasons people often act just as foolishly in their relationship with God. You see, just like the radio station, God broadcasts on a certain frequency He calls "The Word of God". You can stand there and pick up Plato's "Republic" and say, "Lord, meet me here. Let me see your Word in this text". You can say, "Lord, meet me here in my own opinions and thoughts. I will or will not do this. I will be as I choose. I will not let someone or something control me outside of me, myself and I."  You can stand there and say, "Well, it's not in the Word of God, but I've experienced it. It must therefore be true if I feel it! God, meet me here in my experiences." You can say, "God, I know my child is wrong, but I'm going to support him in his error because I love him. Lord, meet me here in my idol worship". You can say, "Lord, I'm so hurt. They hurt my feelings, and I must protect myself from any pain in the future. Meet me Lord here in my pitiful state." What will you get out of these requests? Static, only static. God demands we meet Him in His Word, this is His broadcast frequency!

Mark 7:9-13 "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

It is possible to "jam" a frequency by adding something to it, something a little louder and off key. Just as I can jam a radio station by broadcasting a competing signal on their airwaves (and this is illegal, by the way!), we can render the word of God of none effect by broadcasting coming to it with our own selfish preconceived notions. If I approach the Word with a clear head and ready for the Spirit to empower and teach me, I will hear that which the Father broadcasts. But if I approach the Word with a mind predisposed to self and self pity I obscure His broadcast. If I make my life experience more important than that which He wants to show me I squelch His transmission. If I decide I know best, regardless as to what He teaches, I hear only my own mind numbing signal. Fellow Christians, we should not be as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17). We must be among those who have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, 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. (2 Corinthians 4:2).  For we who are in fellowship, Children of the Cross, we know that His Word is more than just a dead text. It is a living Word. It is alive and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. (Hebrews 4:12).

Jude 18-19  "How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."

Romans 8:9  "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

The sensual or PSUKIKOS, soulish person are the unsaved who are not indwelt by the Spirit of God. These are those whom Paul referred to as "natural men". Since they do not have the Spirit of God, these people are absolutely unable to grasp or apply it's concepts. Paul told the Corinthians that 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. (1 Corinthians 2:14). The unsaved person is not just on the wrong frequency trying to talk to God. This person doesn't even possess a radio! They are soulish, relying on their own sensual emotions and desires to determine the best path through life. The soulish justify adultery in the name of gratification, homosexuality in the name of diversity, racism in the name of cultural apartheid, a welfare state in the name of political correctness. The soulish have declared man God, God dead, and evolution the new Truth of the 90's. And they are utterly lost and apart from His Grace.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

The carnal, or SARX,  fleshly person is the Christian counterpart to the (PSUKIKOS) soulish unbeliever. This is the Christian who has refused to study God's Word, has embraced experience and self, and because of this has not grown in spiritual maturity. Paul refers to such believers as babes in Christ. God does not equate time in Christ with spiritual maturity. So many believers come to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, come to Church faithfully, but never pick up their Bibles to either read or study them. They have never dug into the deep parts of the Word saying, "Lord, show me". They were content with their conversion experience, happy to just hear what the preacher had to say, satisfied with their own life view regardless as to whether it matched God's Plan. These believers remind me of a beautiful poem I got in my e-mail recently:
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Thank you, my Sister, for that beautiful poem. Believers, you must study God's Word to grow. You may be in Christ for 50 years, but if you aren't on God's wavelength, if you aren't studying His Word, you're still sitting there with the radio set on static. The type of people we need to be is the mature, Bible believing and receiving Christians.

Philippians 3:13-15 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."

We must put the past behind us, put our experiences and sensuality to the side, and pick up His Word so we can grow. We need to get on God's channel. Not on a side band, not on another frequency that we're more comfortable with, but on His channel alone.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
 

• All scripture: Not just the Scripture that we find pleasing, or the Scripture that doesn't challenge us. Not just the comfortable words in the Psalms, the happy words that God gives to bless. But the stronger doctrines, the meat of the Word, is desperately needed by the Christian so he can grow. We must not discount even one Bible verse nor hold it in low esteem, lest it be the one that God intended to drive us toward maturity,
• inspiration of God: This translates from the Greek, "Is God Breathed". Just as God breathed life into Adam to make him a living soul (Genesis 2.7) He breathed life into His Scripture. We cannot discount even one verse as unworthy. It is the very breath of God, breathed out for our own good.
• is profitable: Our own decisions in this life are often bad decisions, unprofitable and foolish. Yet following His Word is always profitable. I literally feel such disgust when otherwise normal people call the psychic networks so they can talk with a "live psychic" who'll help them solve their problems. These people are PSUKIKOS, soulish, having only a sensual grasp on reality. Their words are ultimately unprofitable for they lead people farther away from God. Yet God's Word is always profitable, always good for us.
• for doctrine: So that we can learn to think like our Creator wants us to think. Not just mimic what the elders say, not just so we can merge into the Church crowd and like a chameleon "fit right in". We need to know His teachings, His ways, His desire for our lives.
• for reproof: So we can see the error of our ways and thus come out of sin.
• for correction: So that we can understand why our Father is displeased with our actions. So we can avoid the mistakes of the past we must study His Word.
• for instruction in righteousness: So we can walk pleasing to our Lord we must get on His frequency, study His Word, and GROW!