LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD

1. Lesson 13 for June 27, 2020

2. Let the Holy Spirit work
Put the Bible into practice
Accept the whole Bible
Make the Bible yours
Devote time to it
Learn it by heart
The goal of any study of the Bible is
more than acquiring head knowledge.
If done properly, it will lead to heart
obedience. It is an obedience that is
deeper and more meaningful than
just outward conformity. It will lead to
a joyful faithfulness to the will of God.
The truths in the Bible should not only
be believed, but also—and
especially—be lived.

3. “that you may become blameless and harmless,
children of God without fault in the midst of a
crooked and perverse generation, among whom you
shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15)
Philippians 2:12 is an invitation to
work out our own salvation. How
should we do that?
According to Paul, studying the
Word of God must bring
substantial changes to our lives
(v. 14-16).
We must let the Holy Spirit work
so those changes can happen.
Why? “for it is God who works in
you both to will and to do for His
good pleasure.” (v. 13)
enlightens our minds
(John 14:26)
leads us to Jesus
(John 15:26)
leads us to the truth
(John 16:13)
gives us hope and confidence
(Romans 5:5)
gives us joy
(Romans 14:17)
fills us with love
(Galatians 5:22)
leads us to obedience
(Philippians 2:13)
The Holy Spirit…

4. We must follow the example of He who
said, “learn from Me” (Matthew 11:29).
Jesus studied the Scriptures. He
embraced them and could remember
them and apply them properly in various
aspects of His life.He used the Scriptures when He was
tempted, when He threw out the
money changers from the Temple,
when He had to answer difficult
questions…
He could interpret the events He was
living as the fulfillment of the
Scriptures (Mark 14:27).
We should also use the Bible when
making decisions, when acting, when
interpreting events, when sharing
Christ with others…

5. Some people say that Jesus rejected some parts of
the Old Testament and replaced them with new
commandments (“But I tell you”).
However, Jesus didn't reject them at all. He gave
them a broader meaning instead.
He clarified that He had not
come “to abolish the Law or
the Prophets” (Matthew 5:17
NIV). Rejecting parts of the
Bible was never His intention.
No one can determine which parts of the Bible are
inspired or useful and which ones are not. “All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16).

6. How can we know someone better?
By devoting time to them!
How can we know Jesus better?
By devoting time to Him!
We should set time aside to seek Jesus through Bible study
and prayer.
We will not discover the truths in the Bible
by just reading it quickly. We must read it
carefully, meditate on it, and let the Holy Spirit speak
and enlighten us.
Include a moment for study and prayer in
your daily schedule. Your thoughts will be
linked to the Fountain of Life, and you will
reflect Jesus.

7. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
Why is memorizing Bible passages useful?
We can apply them to various circumstances
They help us making decisions
They influence our thoughts and actions
They lift up our thoughts to God
They protect us against false ideas and
interpretations
We can quote them when we need them, even if
we don't have a Bible close at hand
They defend us from temptation
There are many different ways to learn the
Bible, its teachings and its stories by heart.
Music is one of the most effective ones.
When we sing hymns and spiritual songs, the
truths of the Bible get attached to our minds.
They are also a source of encouragement and
hope (Ephesians 5:19).

8. “There should be a living,
growing interest in storing the
mind with Bible truth. The
precious knowledge thus gained
will build a barrier about the
soul. Although assailed with
temptation, there will be a firm
trust in Jesus, through the
knowledge of Him who hath
called them to glory and to
virtue.”
E.G.W. (Counsels on Sabbath School Work, cp. 2, p. 36)