Overcoming Self – Part 4

Today in our continuation of a chapter taken from my book, Victory Over Backsliding, we’re going to briefly look at the importance of coming to a discerning understanding of God’s Word.  By doing so, we can prevent ourselves from becoming misled because of a wrong interpretation of Scripture. 

Faulty Teaching

       It is one thing to read the Word of God, it is quite another to apply it correctly.  The Word of God is to be studied thoroughly and properly, which also takes discipline.  Notice the following:

            Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  2 Timothy 2:15

We all need to be good students of the Word.  Many seasoned church-going believers still do not understand basic Biblical doctrines because they have never taken the time to study it.  But without proper teaching, it’s impossible to grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  There are no short-cuts to studying the Word, but a good rule of thumb is if any doctrine does not exalt the Lord and in some way encourage others, it has not been tested in the refining oil of God's Word.  If any doctrine in some way feeds the flesh and results in any kind of self-centeredness, pride and arrogance, rather than God-centeredness, it must be abandoned.  

          A lack of knowledge also results in mishandling the Word of God and can lead to backsliding. It can keep us under the bondage of sin or cause us to sin because we do not have all the facts.  Scripture teaches us that the "truth shall make you free" and Jesus is that Truth (see John 8:32,36).  Proper understanding of and meditating on the Word of God gives us discernment, so that we can begin to recognize truth from error in our hearts.

            For the word of God is living 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.  Hebrews 4:12

No other book can claim to do this.  Why?  Because the Bible is a living Word.  It is packed with power.  It is able to transform and change lives. I have a little inscription given to me by my sister written inside my Bible: 

            Sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you from sin.

The Bible can discern many sins in our life that we are not even aware of.  These sins can be a great stumbling block in our Christian life and lead us down the wrong path.

Taken from Victory Over Backsliding, by Linda McBurney-Gunhouse, Creative Focus Publishing, p. 66-67, 2007.

NOTE:  If you decide to purchase the entire ebook, and you will gain a much greater overall insight into this topic.  God bless you as you pursue a closer walk with Him.

In the next blog, we are going to look at something we all need to deal with at some point or another, and that is how we handle things when we’ve been wronged.