Peter wrote, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). There is not a single verse in the Bible that even suggests that after we are spiritually born again by our faith in Jesus Christ that we can put our minds in neutral and stand still when it comes to our spiritual growth. The Bible teaches that we are to move forward in our spiritual growth and press towards the prize of the high calling of God. All Christians are to endure whatever it takes to be a good soldier for Jesus Christ. All Christians are to fight the good fight of faith and earnestly contend for the faith that we have in Jesus Christ (cf. Jude 1:3). With all of the Bibles and Bible helps that we have today there is no excuse for a Christian not to have a good knowledge of the Bible and of Jesus Christ.
Understanding who Jesus Christ is and what He has done is of extreme importance. Paul wrote, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better” (Ephesians 1:17). I am always amazed when I hear someone bragging about their denomination or church. It seems that they put more emphasis on organized religion than they do on Jesus Christ. There are many professing Christians who have fallen into the error of thinking that humans are the ones that will build the church and keep it going. But the apostles didn’t start the church and Christians can’t keep it going! Jesus Christ gave the gifts of the Holy Spirit to men and women, and ordained that they do the work of the ministry. Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).
There is not a single verse in the Bible that teaches, suggests or even insinuates that Jesus Christ will give or share His position as Head of the Church with anyone else. Paul wrote, “And He is the Head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He may have the preeminence…In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…Beware lest any man make a prey of you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power…Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together, increases with the increase of God” (Colossians 1:18, 2.3, 8-10, 18-19).
Most airline and corporate pilots take recurrent training in the planes they fly. Most medical professionals take recurrent training. And every Christian should continually increase their knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. And yet, less than 20 percent of all professing Christians have read the complete New Testament, much less the Old Testament. I heard a pastor say that he never taught a book in the Bible until he had read it at least 50 times. An amazingly simple and good idea! The first rule of learning is repetition. Learning the Bible is amazingly simple, just read it over and over and allow the Holy Spirit to teach it to you.
Most professing Christians are lazy when it comes to studying the Bible. And yet both the Old and New Testaments tell us that we are to study God’s Word diligently. Moses told the Israelites to fix God’s words in their hearts and minds, and teach them to their children, talking about them day and night (Deuteronomy 11:18-20). Ezra devoted his life to the study of God’s Word and teaching it to God’s people (Ezra 7:10). David said that a man is blessed by God if he delights in God’s Word and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). As Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah God revealed to him some of the future of Israel and Jerusalem (read Daniel 9). A diligent study of the Bible will give a person the knowledge of eternal life in Jesus Christ and explain, in great detail, the future of this earth.
The apostle Paul tells us to study God’s word because it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that a person may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17). We spend an enormous amount of time, effort and study preparing ourselves for our future here on this earth—which is very temporary—like a puff of smoke (cf. Psalm 102:3). Shouldn’t we spend at least an equal amount of time studying God’s Word preparing ourselves for eternity in God’s heaven? We all want God to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Olympic athletes train for years with extreme dedication, even though their reward only last while they live on this earth. Christians should prepare for their eternal life in God’s heaven with at least that same level dedication because a Christian’s rewards are for all eternity (read 1 Corinthians 9:23-27). Our works are important to God, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). But knowing God is more important than anything we can offer to God (cf. Hosea 6:6). “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18). It is impossible for a Christian to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord without a good knowledge of the Bible.