Lesson 7 (part 2): HOW TO READ THE HOLY SPIRIT'S BOOK

Many times our preconceived ideas about an author determine how we read and comprehend a book. If you're like me and you've already read a book by the author, you will quickly judge the book you're reading by comparing it to the first one instead of assessing it on its own merits. When I find an author I really like, I usually want to read everything they have written. But with every book I find myself thinking, "this one is so much better" or "his first book was much more absorbing."

We readers even tend to automatically group our authors into a certain genre. We hear their name and immediately say "he writes legal thrillers" or "she writes romance novels" or "if he wrote it, it must be sci-fi."

What we know about an author definitely influences how we approach their book. As believers, our understanding of the authorship names of the Holy Spirit will influence the way we approach His book, the Bible. Let's look at four guiding principles to see how our appreciation of the AUTHOR will affect the way we read and understand the Bible. (Page 92 in your workbook.)

The principle of the Author/GOD

Certainly those of us who appreciate the Bible as the Word of God will approach it differently than someone who regards it simply as a piece of English literature or another religious book.

When authors write a book, they invest something of themselves in that book. Writing is a very personal and creative process for most authors. When God, the Holy Spirit, wrote the Bible He certainly invested something of Himself in that Book! As a result, the Bible is a unique book that must be spiritually discerned.

Because the Bible is spiritually discerned, it is not a book you just pick up and read casually. There are things you need to remember when you read your Bible:

• Approach it in a spiritual frame of reference.





• As you begin reading, take a moment to intentionally yield yourself to God.





• Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to make what you are reading real in your life.





• Listen carefully for the voice of God as you read.





• Let what you read accomplish its objectives in your life.

The principle of the author/TEACHER

Many teachers have written books by compiling their study and teaching notes on a particular subject into a textbook they use in their classroom. As a student, if you knew your teacher wrote your textbook, wouldn't you read the book differently than you might otherwise? I sure would! If I were reading my own teacher's book, I'd read every word thoughtfully and try to understand everything my teacher wrote.

I might read articles or reviews written about my teacher's book in other publications, but generally, to prepare for class, I would read my teacher's book first and foremost. Wouldn't you?

Shouldn't we approach reading our Bible in much the same way? Applying this principle would lead believers to:

• Read the Bible before reading books about the Bible. There's nothing wrong with using a good commentary but study the Bible first to get a foundation straight from the Word. Insights from other writers can be added to that foundation later.





• Read with your whole attention on the Bible. Read thoughtfully. Meditate on the words you've read. Let them become a part of you.





• Pay close attention to the words the Holy Spirit used to write His book. If God inspired the very words of Scripture, then those very words are important. Most of us are not Greek or Hebrew scholars but a good exhaustive concordance or Bible dictionary can help expand your understanding of the full meaning of some of the original words that were used. The Amplified Bible is a good practical help as well.





• Be diligent in your study of scripture to let the Bible speak for itself. Don't read the Bible to find a proof text for a particular theology. Rather, read the Bible to understand what the Bible is saying.

The principle of the author/FRIEND

Have you ever had a longstanding friend write a book and give you a copy? Or, have you had the privilege of getting to meet and develop a relationship with an author? We tend to read books written by our friends differently than books written by those we've never met, don't we?

This principle suggests that our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit will definitely affect our approach to personal Bible reading and study.

• When we view the Bible as a book written by our Friend, we will plan to read some of it every day and all of it eventually.





• We will want to read our Friend's book systematically to ensure that we complete it and understand what is written.





• When we read the Bible as a book written by an intimate Friend, we tend to allow our personal knowledge of our Friend to color or add meaning to what we are reading. As we grow in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves increasing in our understanding of His book.

The principle of the author/HELPER

Sometimes we have the opportunity to attend a seminar, workshop or conference where we receive help from an author/speaker. When that occurs, it is not unusual to want to purchase the author's books (particularly those that deal with our problem area). Then when we read that book, we read it with the express purpose of gaining additional insights.

The Holy Spirit is our Helper sent from God. As we experience the helping ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we should be motivated to read the Bible and apply it to life. When you read your Bible, ask yourself:

• Is there some command to obey in this passage?





• Is there some promise to claim?





• Is there some sin to avoid?





• Is there some prayer to pray?





• Is there some challenge to accept?

An author writes a book hoping it will be read. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, intending for it to affect our lives. As you read your Bible this week, will you allow your growing knowledge of its divine Author to improve your understanding of its message? Will you respond to what you read?