Understandest Thou What Thou
Readest?
by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
This was the question Philip asked of the Ethiopian
prince as he sat reading from Isaiah’s prophecy (Acts 8:30), and it is a
question which we should continually keep asking ourselves as we read the Holy
Scriptures.
There are always those among God’s people who do not
much care whether or not they understand what they read, if only it warms their
hearts! To them the Bible is little more than a fetish. Taking only those
Scriptures which appeal to them, and leaving the rest, they actually feel
themselves quite spiritual and often talk about believing the Bible whether
they understand it or not!
But such “spirituality” is far from genuine, and
such “faith” is blind and superstitious at best.
While it is true that the Bible teaches many truths
which we believe, although they are beyond our comprehension (such as its
opening verse!), yet how can we believe what the Bible says unless we
understand what it says? God would have us understand what we read and believe
it intelligently. Indeed, true faith will want to know and understand more and
more of God’s Word. One who does not care whether or not he understands what
God has said is not interested in knowing what God has said at all. His faith
is based on his own will rather than on God’s Word, for regardless of the
meaning of Scripture, he will take any passage that suits his fancy and use it
as he wishes.
How great an emphasis God Himself puts upon the
importance of understanding His Word! On one occasion, when our Lord saw the
multitudes, He “was moved with compassion toward them because they were as
sheep not having a shepherd: and He began to teach them many things” (Mark
6:34).
And now that the secret of God’s great plan has been
made known, how much more reason there is to study the Scriptures with a view
to understanding them! How Paul, by the Spirit, emphasizes this as he writes of
his prayers for the saints:
“THAT the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, MAY GIVE UNTO YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION IN THE
KNOWLEDGE OF HIM:
“THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED;
THAT YE MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING…” (Eph.1:17,18).
(A 10 Minute Video)
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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