Text: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Let us diligently study and carefully accept what the inspired writer intended the text to mean. In order to be grounded in the Word and rightly divide the word of truth we need to make a sincere and steadfast commitment to daily reading of the Word. Why not at least one hour first thing in the morning?
We do not study the Word to become smart, develop dogmatic doctrines and then go out and arrogantly prove somebody wrong. The Word of God is the medium that the Holy Spirit will use to convict our hearts and transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. Then with the Word of Christ dwelling richly in us we can teach and admonish one another and be prepared to gently and respectfully give an answer to everyone about the hope that we have (Colossians 3:16 and 1 Peter 3:15).
The best way to get the whole counsel of God without adding or subtracting to it is to follow the example of Jesus Himself in Luke 24:27 and read the Bible verse by verse Genesis to Revelation. Some Christians may want to do an occasional topical study or read Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs and the New Testament several times before going through the whole Bible. However, repeated Genesis to Revelation readings should be a lifelong commitment.
Calvary Chapel of Richmond is a local fellowship of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit through the continuous study and application of God's Word.
