The Spiritual Discipline of Study

By Pastor Chad

What you believe impacts who you are. And what you believe impacts how you act. 

Over the last several weeks, we have been discussing spiritual disciplines: exercises that cultivate our spiritual lives. One of the most important spiritual disciplines is the discipline of study, specifically the study of sacred scripture. The reason sacred scripture is so impactful as a spiritual discipline is because God uses his word to mold and shape our walks with him.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed [inspired] out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” Scripture is a unique tool given by God that transforms the reader as he or she studies and applies it. Keep in mind, the spiritual discipline of study isn’t just about learning new information. It is that, but more. The spiritual discipline of study is about learning and applying what has been received. When one surrenders to the content and information received in Sacred Scripture, it revolutionizes our character. To be more specific, one allows the truth of the information to integrate into his heart–that truth then develops one into a godly individual. 

Furthermore, studying Scripture is far more than simply reading it. To study it, one must understand it, interpret it, think about it, and evaluate it. Thus, study goes well beyond memorizing Scripture verses (as great as that is). It is assimilating the ideas of the passage into our lives and walks. If one feasts upon the Word of God, the Word nourishes the soul in a special and profound way.   

Why is scripture so central to living a righteous life? Scripture is necessary for living a righteous life because you will never live as scripture commands without submission to what scripture declares. Proper practice is preceded by proper belief. That is, what you believe about God matters. In fact, one’s view of God influences every other aspect of one’s life. This is why the statement “I just need to get some things right in my life before I come to God” is a complete misunderstanding of how God works. One will never get things right in his life until he gets right with God. And the only way to get right with God, is to repent and believe in him. So if you want to correct some bad actions in your life, you must first correct bad theology. It isn’t the other way around. The way we act is downstream from the way we view God. 

Thus, Sacred Scripture is a God-given tool that is used by the Holy Spirit to shape the man and woman of God into the image of Christ. Its power is so telling and demonstrative, that no living Christian has escaped its transformative potency.