God’s Word Is Our Foundation

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AStudying God’s Word

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Studying God’s Word

Introduction

Today we begin a journey that will take us through four years of study of the Bible. You will probably find this study different from studies you have done in the past. It will blend apologetics (defending the faith) with inductive Bible study to help equip you to answer challenges posed by skeptics and to strengthen your own faith and devotion to Christ.

Walking in Truth

We are going to start by taking a look at several passages from Scripture that talk about using the Bible as our starting point. The key theme of our lesson today is the authority of God’s Word in every area of our lives. At the end of this lesson, I hope you will be able to identify some of the important qualities of God’s Word and analyze how you use God’s Word in your life.

Let’s read Psalm 86:11 together. Have someone read the passage aloud.

Now that we have read the text, let’s take some time to observe what it is saying to us. This process is an important part of understanding what God’s Word is telling us. In Lesson 5, the inductive method will be explained further, including the basic ideas of observing, interpreting, and applying the text of Scripture.

You are probably aware that the Bible is filled with figurative language, especially in the poetic verses of the psalms. We are going to look at how that figurative language is used to refer to the words of God and how they apply to our lives.

• Who is speaking and who is being spoken to? David is talking to God. The title of the psalm indicates David as the author, and God is directly addressed.
• What two requests does David have for the Lord? To be taught God’s way and to have his heart united so that he might fear God. These are direct observations of what the text is saying.
• David talks figuratively about walking in God’s truth. What does he mean by this phrase? Walk is often used in Scripture to refer to a pattern of life or course one follows. Psalm 1:1 uses this idea to talk about “walking” in the counsel of the ungodly.
• Can anyone think of any other passages where the “Christian walk” is referenced? Answers may include John 8:12, Romans 6:4, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Ephesians 4:1, and many others.

  When we study the Bible, we start by observing what the text says. But there may be phrases or words that need to be interpreted. In this verse we have figures of speech that we need to interpret. We use the normal use of language, immediate context of the surrounding passages, and the rest of Scripture (using cross references) to help us understand the meaning of the text. Sometimes we are helped by understanding the culture of the writer and other historical elements.

• How could we summarize (or restate) David’s desire? David desires to live his life in light of God’s truth. Here is where we can take the truths and begin to find application to our own lives.

  Look at the third line in the verse. Some translations present the idea of having an undivided heart—one that is committed totally to God. If we rephrase his words (an example of interpretation), David is asking God to give him a single focus in his life. That focus is on God so that David might please God in the way he thinks and acts.

Discover the Truth

David desired to live his life according to God’s principles of truth; and that should be the goal of every Christian.

A Lamp and a Light

The Bible is God’s true and sure Word to us, and we should walk in the way it instructs. This truth is one that we see throughout the Bible, and we will look at several more examples today.

Let’s read Psalm 119:105 together to see another metaphor used to talk about this idea. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What is being compared in this verse? God’s Word is compared to a lamp and a light.
• What figure of speech is used in this verse? A metaphor is used to compare two things.

  We have another metaphor to interpret in this verse. Just because the psalms are written as poetry and not direct statements of truth doesn’t mean that they don’t contain great truths; we simply have to examine the language a bit more carefully to understand the ideas being described.

  • Recognizing the type of literature, poetry in this case, is an important part of accurately interpreting a passage of Scripture.
  If we scan ahead through verse 112 in this psalm, we see that it is filled with phrases like “righteous ordinances,” “Your word,” “statutes,” and “precepts.”
• What are all of these phrases referring to? They all refer to God’s revealed truth, similar to the “word” in verse 105. Today, we have that recorded in the Bible.
• The metaphor is referring to God’s revealed truths as a lamp that lights a path. How does this relate to Psalm 86:11 that we just looked at? The idea of walking in light of God’s word is common to both passages. Connecting similar passages helps us interpret Scripture.

  As we walk, we take one step at a time. The lamp helps to illuminate the path in front of us so that we don’t go off the path or step into any danger. As we go about our daily lives, God’s Word should guide our decisions just as a lamp guides our steps in the dark.

  Another way we could think about this is looking at the world through a pair of glasses. Any of you who wear glasses or contacts can attest to the fact that the world looks fuzzy without them. You might see a sign ahead, but you can’t read it to give you direction. You might look down at a book only to see some black squiggles on a page. The Bible can function as a set of glasses. If we look at the world through the lens of Scripture, we see things very differently from the way the world sees things. As Christians, we trust what God has revealed to us, and we view the world from a biblical perspective.

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  As you came in, I asked you to think about problems in society. What are some of the problems you wrote down or thought of? Answers will vary but will likely focus on abortion, euthanasia, family structure, marriage issues, government, crime, teaching evolutionary ideas, etc. Write some examples on the board and ask how the world’s view of these issues differs from the Bible’s teaching. For example, the world looks at abortion as an issue of choice and convenience, but the Bible teaches that it is murder and the killing of a person made in the image of God.

  While there is no disputing that these ideas are problems within our society, they are really more like symptoms of an underlying problem. The real problem is that people don’t take God’s view of these issues into account. If God’s ordinances, precepts, and words were truly and sincerely valued, these issues wouldn’t exist on the scale they do in our society. If people’s hearts were truly united to God’s, and they used his words to guide their steps, they would not choose to have an abortion, abandon their families, or teach evolution in the schools. Of course, even Christians sin against God in these ways, and we should be looking at the sin within ourselves as we confront the sins of those in the world.

  When we put on our biblical glasses, the right choices in all of these circumstances come into focus. Rather than being problems, all of these social ills are symptoms of a lack of authority. God’s Word has been set aside by a majority of those in our society—sadly, even among those who claim Christ as their Savior. Rather than using God’s Word to guide their steps, they look inside themselves for inspiration and do whatever they think is right. Just like in the time of the judges, the King of kings is not honored, and each person does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25). So, what’s the root of the problem? The Bible is not the authority in the lives of individuals as they willfully rebel against their Creator.

• So, let me ask you a question in light of these cultural concerns: Is it more important for people in our country to get back to traditional family values or to look to the Bible as the absolute authority? (Should we fight for traditional marriage or biblical marriage?) This is likely a touchy subject in many circles, so take care to say this with the right tone. Many may not have thought about this issue from a biblical perspective. Ask them to consider their answer in light of Scripture and provide passages that would support their thinking. We should not desire to return to a tradition from the “good ol’ days,” but to point people to God’s Word and his authority.

  This is what it means to put on biblical glasses—every thought must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:4–6. We can’t look at everything through a talk radio filter, a political filter, or a coffee chat filter; we need to use the Bible as our absolute authority. All these problems are symptoms. The real problem is sin within the hearts of people leading them to reject the Bible as the absolute authoritative source that it is. As we proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and the authority of the Bible as God’s Word, people’s hearts and minds will be changed through the Holy Spirit’s transforming power. As individual lives are changed and they are discipled to walk in the ways of Christ, we may see changes in the broader culture. But that change in culture should not be our main goal—proclaiming the gospel to the glory of God should be. The Bible does not call us to transform the culture, but to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations.

Discover the Truth

• Who can summarize the key principle we can draw from Psalm 119:105, and how can we apply it to our lives? We must see God’s Word as the absolute authority in every area of our lives, seeing the world through biblical glasses and taking every step in the light of his Word. Our Christian “walk” should be down a path illuminated by all of the truths found in the Bible.

  And if we are going to use the Bible as our lamp, we will have to study and know its message. We will have to understand how it is structured and where to go for certain answers to specific questions. And that is what we intend to do through this curriculum—develop a truly biblical worldview with the Bible as the authority in every area of our lives.

What Is God’s Word? Activity

Have the students look at Psalm 19:7–11 and identify the various roles of God’s Word. They will fill out the three-column chart in their Student Guides (or print and pass out the worksheet from the Lesson Recources). The first one is done for them. Take a few minutes to fill in the columns with the descriptors from verses 7–11, and then discuss them as a group (or in several small groups if you have a large class).

• Who would like to read your list of the different ways God’s Word is identified in this passage? Law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, rules.
• If someone was using a different version, what other words were used in your version? Allow responses.

  As we mentioned earlier, the psalms are written in poetic form. In this passage we see that many parallel ideas are expressed. This is a form of Hebrew poetry and communicates a broad understanding of what is contained in God’s Word and how it impacts our lives.

• What adjectives are used to describe God’s revelation to us? Perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, righteous, more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey, providing a warning, etc.

  These are different ways of communicating the attributes of God’s Word in a repeated pattern. Notice in verse 10, the parallel ideas of being “more” desirable/sweeter than gold and honey.

• And what roles in our lives does God’s Word play? Reviving our souls, making us wise, rejoicing our heart, enlightening our eyes, warning us, providing rewards, etc.

Connect to the Truth

These may be ideas that you are familiar with, but when is the last time you really sat down and examined your life in light of God’s Word? As Christians, this should be our standard of truth, our guide for every step in our lives, and the truth that we proclaim to those who are outside of the faith. When we face a trial or question in our lives, we can always look to God’s Word as the source of truth, whether in the direct commands given there or the examples of righteous men and women—especially Jesus Christ. It is when we move away from this truth that our lives (and, by extension, the society) slide into sin and we begin to walk the path in our own strength and without a “lamp” to guide our steps.

Application

Now that we have looked at several passages about the usefulness of God’s Word—and there are many more we could examine—let’s take a minute to recap what we have learned. After that, we’ll discuss how we put these ideas into action in our lives.

• What roles should Scripture play in our lives? Scripture should be the authority that we look to in every area of our lives. It is a lamp to light our path, a source of unity with God’s heart, a tool for making the simple wise, etc.
• Psalm 119:105 tells us that the Word of God is like a lamp that lights the steps in our path. Using a modern metaphor, in what way can we think of the Bible as a pair of glasses? If we look at the world without filtering what we see through the teachings of Scripture, we see things in a distorted way. The truths from the Bible help us see the world “clearly”—as it really is. Since God is the Creator of the world, we can only rightly understand the world by beginning with what he has revealed to us.
• What are the consequences for individuals (and societies by implication) who do not see the Bible as the authority they must submit to? Immoral behavior gets excused, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. We see excuses for abortion, homosexuality, divorce, and even murder.
• Who is the only person who has fully submitted to God’s Word to guide his life? Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever faithfully obeyed all of the statutes and principles in God’s Word.
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  So now that we have uncovered some truths from Scripture about the usefulness of God’s Word, let’s think about how we can specifically apply these ideas to our lives. What we have been talking about is called a worldview. Whether you realize it or not, everyone has one. As Christians, our worldview should be firmly founded upon the truths God has revealed to us in the Bible.
• Everyone with whom you interact has a worldview. In what areas do you see someone’s worldview having the most impact on that individual’s life? Lifestyle decisions are determined by a person’s worldview (i.e., marriage, sexuality, money, raising children, voting, etc.), but ultimately, every area of life is colored by a person’s own worldview. Every decision we make is based on what we believe about God, the nature of man, and what we look to as the source of truth.
• Where do you see a difference in worldview causing conflict in your life and relationships with others? Answers will vary but may include raising children, relationships with co-workers or fellow students, etc.
• Why do people reject the Bible as the absolute authority? Many people want to be in charge of their own lives and reject God’s authority. Others believe the Bible is outdated, full of myths, or mistranslated and untrustworthy.
• How would you attempt to change a person’s understanding of the Bible’s authority and reliability? Many will be unsure about this question, and this would be a great time to assure them that this course is designed to help equip them to deal with such challenges. Ultimately, the message of the gospel received with the power of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that can change hearts and minds. We can get people to live moral lives by punishing disobedience, but true change only comes through a heart renewed by the gospel.
• Do you recognize any areas in your life where you are not looking to God’s Word as the absolute authority? How can you change your attitudes? Discuss various answers, encouraging students to acknowledge where they are living in sin and confessing that sin to others (where appropriate) and to God, as well as seeking appropriate help from brothers and sisters in pursuing holiness of life. Be sure to remind the students that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1–8) and that God will freely forgive us of our sins when we confess them to him (1 John 1:8–9).

  You made a list of the descriptions and roles of God’s Word as you examined Psalm 119. Throughout the week, I would encourage you to meditate on this passage and think about your life in light of these truths. Are there any areas where you are not submitting to the clear teachings of Scripture? Are you clear about how to look at the world in light of Scripture? What decisions are you facing, and how does Scripture inform you about those decisions? Whom could you ask to come alongside you as you seek to grow to be more like Jesus?

  As we study and learn together, let each of us be praying that we would live our lives in submission to God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class before you dismiss them.

• Praise God for his unchanging character.
• Ask God that each person would have boldness to share the hope of Christ with others.
• Thank God for his justice and mercy toward sinners.