New Believer’s Path · Lesson 3 of 7 · Letting the Word of Christ Dwell in You · about 5 min
Besides hearing it preached, how else do I learn Christ?
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16 · WEB
Before Hudson Taylor came to faith, there was a time when he did not believe and spent time with friends who were sceptical of the faith. One of their favorite arguments was that many Christians say they believe the Bible, yet live as if there were no such book.
He told himself then that if he ever said he believed the Bible, he would at least try to live by it and put it fairly to the test; and if it proved unreliable, he would throw it overboard altogether. When he came to faith, he kept that resolve. Looking back years later, he wrote, ‘I have put God’s Word to the test. Certainly it has never failed me.’
Source: Hudson Taylor, A Retrospect, chapter 1
In the last lesson we learned to speak to God. This lesson turns it around: listening to God speak to us.
Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.” (Matthew 4:4) The body needs food every day, and the heart needs God’s word every day. We read the Bible not to pass an exam, but to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16)
When you first start reading the Bible, the most common problems are not knowing where to begin and not remembering what you read. Start with John’s Gospel: it opens with “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1, 14) and carries on to Jesus’ death and resurrection; the whole book answers one question—who is Jesus?
You don’t need to read fast, or understand everything. When you finish a chapter, just find one sentence that moves you, copy it down, and read it again whenever it comes to mind during the day. In the early church there were people “examining the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11); what carried them was not reading a lot at once, but reading a little every day.
This week: read one chapter of John and write down one sentence. Just one chapter, just one sentence. Leave the parts you don’t understand for now; you can ask about them in a small group later.
“Let the ___ of Christ dwell in you richly”
For someone just starting to read the Bible, what does this lesson suggest?
Read one chapter of John’s Gospel and write down one sentence that moves you.
Just this one thing, so small you cannot fail. Write it down and it goes into your Rule of Life card.
Added to your Rule of Life card. Tap each day you do it this week: