IN 2024, WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE.

By Robb Brunansky, opinion contributor Sunday, January 7, 2024, Ugandan Bible reading and Getty Images

The New Year has come, and I hope that we will begin the work of the Lord in 2024. The mighty Christians of Scripture have read the Scriptures regularly, year after year, throughout the history of the church. Everyone should be encouraged to diligently and regularly read the Bible because the new year is a good opportunity to start a new year. 

First of all, we must think of two wrong reasons to read God's word. We must read the Bible, not just to get information. After listening to the teachings of the Bible in churches, universities, and seminaries, millions of people do not know God and have never been changed in the least from what they learn. We should also read the Bible as part of our daily duties. 

When considering our Bible study and reading in 2024, it is very important that we realize the great possibility that we can read the Bible every day but not take advantage of our time to read the word. This is the reason why we should read the Bible: it is not as if we are doing something for God by reading His Word; rather, we should read the Bible as people thirsting for his work in the US. Bible reading is about getting better, changing, and growing in goodness. 

This truth is reinforced in our minds by the words spoken by Jesus in John Chapter 17, verse 17. In this place, Jesus said the prayer: "Sanctify them in truth; Your Word is truth." This is a wonderful request that Jesus made from the Father. He asks the Father to sanctify all who believe in the truth, which he equates with the word of God. When we consider this appeal to God, there are three things we must keep in mind. 

First, think about what sanctification is. 

At its most fundamental level, sanctification involves separating and sanctifying. For example, the Sabbath was considered holy in the Old Testament. In addition, people can become holy, as shown in Jeremiah 1:5, where we read: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I sanctified you; I have made you prophets to the nations." The word "sanctifie "is translated as""sanctified, which means sanctified. Before he was born, Jeremiah was assigned to serve the Lord as a prophet to his nations. 

Due to its meaning, sanctification indicates that it is a progressive position and process. A person can be called sanctified, but that does not mean that he is really sanctified. God created man for his own use, and as they learned to emulate his character, they gradually became more useful to God and demonstrated their loyalty to him through love-driven faith. According to the study of the Holy Scriptures, this is how sanctification is described. 

Sanctification not only comes from outside but also changes our behavior. People who do not believe in God fulfill the lusts of their flesh and live for the benefit of themselves. However, people believe that they do not have the same desires in their lives. They continue to fight against the ungodly passions that we have been commanded to reject. However, the difference lies in the fact that a new desire arises in the believer, which is to please God, do what God wants, seek glory for our Lord Jesus Christ, live for the good of others, and glorify others. the mercy of our Lord. 

Second, learn how the sanctification process is done. 

Sanctification is a manifestation of God's grace in our lives. God has no right to punish anyone. We have no claim to God in ourselves, so we cannot ask him to sanctify us. 

The New Testament not only emphasizes that sanctification was a gift from God to all three members of the Triune God, but it also does so. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you all; and may your spirit, soul, and body be perfectly preserved, without error, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." In verse 26 of The Book of Ephesians, Jesus Christ said, "That he might sanctify it, having sanctified it by the washing of water with the word." This is another example of a sanctifying source. Furthermore, we see that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, where Paul says, "But we must always thank God for you, brothers whom God loves, for God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and faith in the truth." 

The Triune God helps us to be better. 

This does not mean that we have no role in our sanctification. The Scriptures are full of commands to obey, purify oneself, avoid evil, avoid immorality, oppose ungodly passions, and pursue truth and righteousness. We are asked to work to maintain our safety out of fear and dread. We must always remember that even though we work harder and become holier than others, it is only because of God's grace and power in our lives, not because of our own strength, power, or effort. 

In what ways does God sanctify us? Sanctification has two meanings: it occurs at conversion and lasts forever; and it develops throughout our lives. The word of God is the source of both understandings of the term. God originally set us apart for himself through the truth of his word. We also know that faith comes by hearing, and the word of Christ is proof of this hearing. Or, as James says, "in the exercise of his will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits among his creatures," as James says in James 1:18, "for you have been born again not of corruptible seed, but through the living and everlasting word of God." 

Progressive sanctification occurs in the same way as our conversion—through the word of God, and the spirit of God uses that word to make us more holy. In addition to John 17:17, one of the clearest statements on this subject is found in Acts 20:32, where Paul says, "And now I commend you to the Lord and to his word of grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all the sanctified" as he left the Elders of Ephesus for the last time. Paul told the Ephesians that they had everything they needed in the word of God so that they could finish their struggle with strength. 

The 119th Psalm contains some of the most beloved verses on this subject, which testify wonderfully to the power of the word in sanctification. "From Your precepts I understand; therefore, I hate every wrong way," says the Psalmist in verse 104. Note that those who believe in the word of God gain an understanding of the following: truth, righteousness, justice, wisdom, holiness, sin, and salvation. The word draws us to itself by revealing the truth to us, and the Spirit works in our hearts. We want only the truth, not lies or the counsel of the wicked.

Finally, we must do sanctification. 

How do we read to know how God's power can change us through His Word? 

First and foremost, respect God's word. We need to love God's word if we want him to change our lives. What a wonder that the eternal God has to reveal anything to us—let alone his complete word! 

Second, read God's word prayerfully. We should be in a state of prayer as we read it, asking the spirit to examine our hearts, reveal our sins, and comfort us in our sorrows and tribulations.

Third, read it carefully. All those who are in Christ Jesus have the promises of God, which allow us all to believe, trust, and rest in his word. 

Fourth, humbly read the word. We cannot change God's words into what we want, but we must accept what he says, regardless of our previous thinking. 

Fifth, you must read the word with the intention of obeying it. We don't come to the world just to get information; we come to change! To maintain it, we must carefully read the words. Will we dare to come humbly and faithfully to the word of God every day with a heart that desires holiness? God will faithfully work in us and sanctify us with his word. I pray that this is our main wish as we begin the new year that God has given us. Happy New Year! 

The pastor-teacher of Desert Hills Bible Church in Glendale, Arizona, is Dr. Robb Brunansky. You can follow him at @RobbBrunansky on Twitter.

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