One of the takeaways I had from preaching school was that I wished every Christian could go and have the same kind of intensive study. Every day I was opening my Bible and being guided on how to know the stories and scriptures better. I was challenged to wrestle with difficult passages and commands and apply them in my daily life. Preaching school gave me the structure and freedom to grow in my knowledge of the Lord.
The sad thing is that I could have been doing these things all along. I didn’t need a school to lead me by the hand and force me to study. I had all the tools necessary at my disposal. I had the scriptures any time I wanted, and I had teachers willing to help me understand. But I was not motivated to put the time in on my own, so my knowledge was lacking.
The Bible warns us to make sure we are diligent to show ourselves approved as Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:15-16. We have a personal responsibility to study the scriptures and know their interpretation. We cannot rightly divide the word of truth if we don’t spend time with it. We cannot shun profane and idle babblings if we haven’t studied the Bible long enough to know what they are.
There are grave consequences for neglecting the scriptures. In Hosea 4:6, the Lord spoke to Israel, “My people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” During the time of Hosea, Israel was experiencing a time of economic security and plenty. But as their worries became less and less, so did their desire to understand and obey the word of God. As punishment, God allowed them to be destroyed and removed their priestly privileges.
God dealt severely with His children of the Old Covenant because they neglected His word. In this country, we also have been blessed with great amounts of wealth and prosperity. Like Israel, we can easily become complacent in our studies. It is far easier to watch another YouTube video or start a new show on Netflix than it is to open our Bibles and truly search the scriptures. If we want to retain our privileges as the children and priests of Christ, we must grow in the knowledge of His word.
Is your knowledge lacking? Peter says we must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Do you know the voice of your Good Shepherd? The only way is to study the Bible (cf. Heb. 1:1-4; 2 Pet. 1:19-21). Start growing today!