The Methodist’s View of the Bible

We should study the Bible to know how to do Christ’s work in the world. Our knowledge of God’s Word is not useful unless it strengthens our faith and leads us to do good.

John Wesley called himself a man of one book. We need to spend time reading it and meditating on it, trusting the Holy Spirit to bring it to life for us. Wesley wrote, “I want to know one thing; the way to Heaven. God Himself has condescended to teach me the way… He has written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be a man of one book.”

Wesley was well read of other books, but Scripture was his priority. In his complete English Dictionary Wesley defined a Methodist as “one that lives according to the method laid down in the Bible.” He believed we can never be growing disciples of Jesus Christ without disciplined study of and reflection on the written Word.

What the Bible was meant to do is answered in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

When we study the Bible we should be looking for who God is and what He’s saying to us every time.

Prayer is talking to God. Reading His Word is Him talking to us. God longs to be known. And the Bible is one of the means by which God is revealed to us.

1st John 3:3-8

1 John 3:3-8 “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.”

The man who knows that God is at the end of the road will make all of life a preparation to meet His God.

What do we know about Christians and sin? That we still sin; we just don’t enjoy it as much any more! Who John is talking about here is the person who continues to sin and isn’t sorry, doesn’t confess and won’t ask forgiveness. Our victory is not complete and we still struggle with temptation and sin.

My application Bible suggests three ways we can find victory over a prevailing sin:

1. Seek power from the Holy Spirit and from God’s Word
2. Stay away from tempting circumstances. Remember Joseph ran from Potiphor’s wife! If you are tempted by money, don’t volunteer to be the treasurer of your club! If you are married and someone of the opposite sex is looking good to you, you may have to cut that person out of your life.
3. Seek the help of the church or have a Christian friend who will hold you accountable and pray for you. And vice versa.

John says if we don’t abide in Christ, sin comes into our lives. This just means we need to continually remember His presence and deliberately walk the way we know He wants us to. It’s at least harder to sin if we picture Jesus standing right there.

1st John 2:19-21

1 John 2:19-21 “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth”.

John said this group did not belong in the church. CH Dodd wrote, “Membership of the church is no guarantee that a man belongs to Christ.” And AE Brooke wrote, “External membership is no proof of inward union.”

In verse 20 John reminds his readers they possess knowledge. Remember both the seemists and the Gnostics claimed to have higher/special knowledge. But John is saying his readers know the gospel. What John and Peter and Paul were all trying to do in their letters was not so much tell them something new, but to bring into active and decisive use the knowledge they already possessed. That’s what I really loved about the first part of this letter and all the letters Paul wrote – they confirm and encourage our faith and then they go on to tell us plainly, in practical ways, how we can, and should, live our faith. It’s not knowing that’s the problem, it’s doing!

Our lives would be immediately different if we put into practice what we already know. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot more to learn, but even as we are this very minute, we have enough light to walk by, if we use the light we have.

1st John 2: 12-14

1 John 2:12-14 “I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

John has been warning his readers the perils of the dark and the necessity of walking in the light. Now he says, that in every case their best defense is to remember what they are and what has been done for them.

Since they believe: no matter who they are, their sins have been forgiven. No matter who they are, they know Him who is from the beginning. No matter who they are, they have the strength, which can face and overcome the evil one.

The man who is a forgiven man, the man who knows God, the man who remembers that he can draw on a strength beyond his own strength has a great defense against any temptation by simply remembering who he is and what Christ did for him.

There are three gifts from God mentioned here: the first is forgiveness. In verse 12 some Bible translations say, “I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.”

Remember in Bible times the name described the nature of a person. And the names often were changed in the Bible: Simon became Peter, Jacob became Israel. So John is assuring his readers of forgiveness because we know the nature and character of Jesus. We know Jesus is the image of God and what we see in Jesus we know must be the same in God.

We see Jesus’ sacrificial love and patient mercy so we can be sure we are forgiven.

The second gift is increasing knowledge of God. And knowing isn’t just intellectual. It’s personal; as a friend. In Genesis “to know” is the most intimate of all relationships.

The third gift is victorious strength. Jesus doesn’t speak in general about conquering evil. He speaks about conquering the evil one. He sees evil as a personal power, which seeks to defeat us and to seduce us and to seduce us away from God. A commentator wrote that we all know there are some people in whose presence it is easy to be bad and some people in whose presence it is necessary to be good. When we walk with Christ, always remembering Him, always conscious of His presence with us, we are walking with the one in whose company we can defeat the assaults of the evil one.

God's will for my life

One of the biggest dilemmas we face is figuring out God’s will for our lives.

What does He want us to do? How are we going to get there? What can we do to figure it out?

Knowing the Lord’s will is much more than a five-step program or asking a question and getting an answer. It begins with knowing the Lord Himself. Regular prayer and Bible reading are essential parts of a close relationship with God. As you grow closer to Him and understand more of His character, the plan He has for your life will begin to be revealed. This is an important, foundational part of understanding God’s plans for you.

To know the Lord’s will for your life, you need to see things the way He sees them. This happens through a renewing of your mind. In Romans 12:2 (NIV), Paul writes, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Renewing your mind means to gain an entirely new way of thinking, rather than simply blending in with what the rest of the world says. It applies to every area of our life: from our relationships (Do I have friends for my own enjoyment, or are they an opportunity for me to be an example of Christ?) to every one of our motivations (Is my goal to have as much fun as possible, or to serve God with all of my heart?)

By setting your mind on the things above (Colossians 3:1-3), you will gain a new perspective that Scripture teaches us will allow you to “test and approve what God’s will is.”

Many people wonder just how the Lord speaks to us. This is sometimes the most difficult aspect of knowing His will, but it is much simpler than some make it out to be. There is no one way that the Lord speaks. Sometimes He makes things clear through prayer or while reading His word, and other times it is through what people say. There are examples throughout the Bible of God speaking to His people in a variety of ways. When we keep an open mind and an open heart, we allow the Lord to work in whichever way He desires.

One way to begin to explore what God may have planned for your future is to look at what God has given you right now. Our gifts and talents have been given to us by God and are often indicators of what He wants us to do with our lives. Are you a great singer? Maybe God has created you to be a worship leader. Do you love being with people? God might have plans for you to become a counselor. Whether it is music, art, teaching, writing or any other gift, the Lord wants you to use these abilities for His glory.

God’s plan for your life could be revealed at any time and in many different ways. If you believe that He has spoken to you about what He wants you to do with your life, be sure to take time to pray thoroughly about it and ask others for advice. If you have no idea, do not give up! God is faithful and He wants to speak to you just as much if not more than how much you want to hear Him. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Knowing the Lord’s will for your life is a process that begins with a firm relationship with God and knowledge of His Word. As you search for Him will all your heart, He will reveal Himself to you. He does have an incredible plan for your life. Continue to do all that you can to grow closer to Him, and He will show you great things. (Jeremiah 33:3)

“Pray that the Lord your God will tell you where to go and what to do.” Jeremiah 42:3

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

My life’s purpose is to be a member of Christ’s family, grow like Him in character, model His character, minister His grace, be a messanger of His Word and a magnifier of His glory.

EXODUS

The book of Exodus tells the story of the forming of the children of Israel into a church and a nation. We can learn much from this book.

Many Jews, Christians and Muslims believe there is only one God and that He is the source of everything that exists in the universe. We believe that God cares for people, that He helps them, that He calls them to know, serve and worship Him. Many of the roots from which our faith has grown can be found in the book of Exodus.

Whenever one group of people or a tribe or race is hated or oppressed or exploited by another, they can find in Exodus a challenge and a message of hope. The message of hope is for those who suffer. The African slaves remembered Moses in many of their songs. They knew that God wants people to be free.

The challenge and a warning are first of all for those who oppress them, but as we read this book we will find there are also warnings for those who wish to be liberated. God also wants us to trust Him wherever He has put us at that time.

This book is about going forward. About hoping what you are going to is better then what you left behind. It’s also a book about learning that the only way to be truly free is to put God first in your life and to treat other people justly.

When the book of Exodus was written there were many people who thought there were a large number of gods and goddesses. Others thought there might be one creator-god, but that he was too far away to be concerned with the everyday affairs of people’s lives. The writer of Exodus makes it clear he believes there is one God and that He is a God who comes near to people. He makes Himself known. He has a purpose for men’s lives and He makes it known to them. There are people even today who pray to saints because they think God is unapproachable.

When we read Exodus we should look for what it tells us about God and we should use what it tells us so that we trust Him and do His will.

Lord make me a vessel that serves only You, and my life a reflection of what You can do.

You Already Know

In 1 John 2:20 John tells his readers, “But, you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know.”

We possess knowledge. We know the gospel. What John and Peter and Paul were all trying to do in their letters was not so much tell the reader something new, but to bring into active and decisive use the knowledge they already possessed. It’s not knowing that’s the problem – it’s the doing!

Earlier in John’s letter he said the greatest defense against temptation is simply to remember what we know.

To know our sins are forgiven.

To know Him who is from the beginning.

To know we have the strength which can face and overcome the evil one.

Our lives would be immediately different if we put into practice what we already know. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot more to learn, but even as we are, this very minute, we have enough light to walk by, if we use the light we have.

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna.” Deut.8:3

The One and Only Way to Heaven

It concerns me when I hear people say, “So and so isn’t a Christian, but he is such a good person I’m sure God will take care of him somehow after he dies.” (!)

Last December my daughter was finishing up her first semester in college and we were discussing what grades she might expect. I said, “Well, Freshman Leadership should be an easy A, right?”

She said, “I think so, but the professor told us we had to go to 15 clubs and events around campus and write about them and it’s really stupid so I’ve only done 11.”

I said, “Britt! He’s the professor! Long before you ever stepped foot in his class he decided what it would take to get an A! And he told you and he probably wrote it down! If you don’t do it that’s stupid!”

We have a God who long before we ever set foot on the earth, long before there was an earth, decided what it would take for us to spend eternity with Him. And He told us and He wrote it down.

Brittany ended up getting a B+ in that class, which is ok for school, but when we’re talking about Heaven and hell, there won’t be any B’s or C’s or D’s. It’s going to be A or F/Pass or Fail.

If you know of anyone who is on the path to failure, it is your job as a Christian to tell him or her what you know. Ask God for the opportunity and the courage to share with everyone you can. And thank Him that He did prepare a way for us to go to Heaven. And that it isn’t even that hard: we don’t have to go to school, write papers or take tests. We just have to believe that His Son is who He said He is and He did for us what we know He did.

Knowing God is the meaning of life…and it is the completion of all the changes He is making in your life.



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