When I was pastoring on Cape Cod, a local pastor called me with a question:

“What are you doing to attract such a crowd?”

I told him that the answer was simple. “We are studying the Bible.”

He responded with surprise, “Why are they interested in that?”

I said, “Well, we start with the premise that it is true.”

“Oh,” came the reply. That was the end of the conversation.

Why do we study the Bible? Here are five good reasons:

1) God is speaking. We need to listen.

This is perhaps one of the most beautiful things about the Word of God. Notice this phrase is not past-tense “God has spoken.” It is present-tense. The Word of God is alive in this very moment, and God uses it to speak to us.

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Heb 4:12

2) The Bible is entirely true. You can trust what it says.

What is your attitude toward the Word of God? Do you question its truthfulness? Consider what Satan said to Adam and Eve in the garden.

“3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

– Gen 3:3

From the very beginning, the father of lies questioned God’s Word. To be sure, there are things that we do not fully understand (1 Cor 13:12), but as Paul says to Timothy,

“16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Tim 3:16

3) The Bible tells us when we’re off-target. It challenges us to take better aim.

We don’t always like this. When we pore over God’s Word, He opens our eyes to areas of our lives that are not in line with His truth. At the same time, the Scripture offers us hope – through Christ, we can receive new life and be set free from enslaving habits and debilitating fears.

4) The Bible has the power to transform our minds.

If you saturate your life with God’s Word by spending time reading it, meditating on it, and memorizing it, it will transform your mind.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple. – Psalm 19:7

God promises to make even the simple person wise if they ask without doubt (James 1:5-8).

5) The Bible is God’s tool for helping us know Jesus.

Ultimately, we ought to study the Bible in order to know Christ. The Pharisees studied Scripture with the wrong intentions. They thought they were guaranteed eternal life through the law. They knew all the rules and regulations backward are forward yet they missed the most important part.

37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study

[a] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” – John 5:37-40

Jesus was right in front of them, but they didn’t believe. He is the Word (John 1)! This should be our motivation for reading the Bible. Guess what? When your goal is to know Christ better through reading the Bible, the author will meet you and teach you.

God is speaking. His Word is true. It challenges us. It has the power to transform us. And ultimately, it leads us to Christ. If you miss Him, you’ve missed everything. If you are in Him, you have everything.