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Bible background:
As a diligent student of the Bible, you will want to make sure Bible really says what this study says. Always remember to test all things with God's word - as the Bereans did. They "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Read the study all the way through, without looking up the Scriptures. Then read the study again, this time looking up the Scriptures. Highlight or mark each verse you look up so you can easily find it later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To best understand what the Bible is, let us first consider what the Bible is not. The Bible is not an ancient collection of myths or stories. The Bible is not something to put on your coffee table with pressed flowers or a four-leaf clover in it. The Bible is not a book to be ignored, because we will all be judged by the words that are in it (John 12:47-50). The Bible is, however, a book of spiritual writings written by the Spirit of God through men (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible is the living word of God. We are to live by every word of the Bible (Matt. 4:4). It is a book telling us how to obtain eternal life. It contains the answers to all the mysteries of life. The Bible contains the directions on how to enter the kingdom of God and be converted (Matt. 5:20; 7:21). The Bible tells of all the blessings we will receive for obeying it and all the curses we will receive for ignoring it. The Bible tells us what we are and what to do about it. The Bible tells us how we can please God and what God will do for us when we please Him. If we ignore God’s word by not studying it daily, we are ignoring God. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, in the weakness of the flesh to show us how easy it is to please the Father and to be rewarded with the free gift of eternal life. Jesus was the living word of God, which means He lived by the words of God. We are to live by every word of God so we can be living words of God also. The Bible tells us not to be foolish, but understand what God wants us to do, and then do it (Eph. 5:17)! Jesus said His Way is very easy and pleasant, and some of us will do greater works than He did (Matt. 11:30; John 14:12). The Bible says we are foolish if we think works are not necessary for repentance (James 2:20; Acts 26:20). We must study God’s word to show that we love God (2 Tim. 2:15). We need to engage in acts of righteousness for repentance (Titus 2:7; 3:8). Remember, if the righteous are saved with difficulty, what will happen to the person who continues to live to the flesh and not to the Spirit, which is God (1 Peter 4:18; Rom. 8:13)? Only those who seek God by pleasing Him will find Him. Start today and it will not be long until you are on your way. Be a godly example to others for God and be ready at all times to explain the truth to them. (Feel free to give copies of this study to others who want to know God’s truth. You will be doing God’s Will when you show and tell others how to live this special Way.) Bible background:
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