What to do with the Bible?

The best selling book of all time, is probably also the most misused of all time. I'm not talking about the Tom Sawyer, or the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I'm talking about the Bible. People use the Bible to justify so many things some are accurate and others well, not so much. Which leads me to today's question, what do I as a believer do with the Bible?

The first thing I recommend is to find a version you can read and understand, some are translations, meaning they strive to do a word for word understanding of the texts. Some are interpretations, meaning they put the text into an understandable format for you to grasp the concepts over the actual meaning of each word. When I study I have several versions of both out to compare, my reasoning is that I want to understand the words on the page as I depend on the Holy Spirit to make the meaning clear and applicable to my life. John 5:39 tells us that as we search or pore over the scriptures they point to Christ and His identity.

Secondly, as you read allow the Spirit to speak directly to your heart and teach you what and how to apply what you have read to your own life. Too many believers only read and believe what the pastor/teacher at their church tells them, or their tradition teaches without actually searching the scriptures for the actual teachings of the Word. It is the Word that helps us conform to the revealed image of Christ. Jesus told the Sadducees that "Your mistake is that you don't know the scriptures, and you don't know the power of God." (Matthew 22:29 NLT). They had asked Him a question hoping to trip Him up, and He called them on it.

So read the scriptures for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and apply them, seek out teachers that view scriptures the same way and depend on the Holy Spirit and not tradition to frame their understanding of the scriptures. Remember as you read three things should start to occur in your life.
1. As you study the Spirit will help you move beyond head knowledge but to a deeper comprehension of what the Word is saying to your life.
2. As you begin comprehending your life should start conforming to the Word, as the two images begin to match.
3. As your life begins to become more Christ-like and less religious, your life will begin to communicate the changes as the Spirit gets a deeper hold in your life the Spiritual Fruit will begin to manifest and suddenly being a Christian becomes a true lifestyle of joy and peace and not a religious drudgery that has infected the church today.

I hope this gives you food for thought, email me if you ever have any questions and I'll help anyway can. 

Grace and Peace be multiplied to you. 
Eric