As Pentecostals, we need to read the Bible every day!
The Holy Spirit can bring to memory what we know and have read...
I am just about to finish my read-through of the New King James Version. Yay!
I am becoming more convinced that daily/frequent Bible reading is essential for spiritual vitality in the postmodern West.
I know many have argued that for most of history, the average person has not had access to a personal Bible to read, thus Bible reading is not an essential spiritual task for spiritual vitality… This is accurate, but neglects the present reality, which reflects that all Western believers have over-access to a Bible, and ought to make a daily spiritual practice of reading the Word of God. To not do so is simply an abuse of the most precious gift and advantage we have been given as modern Christians in the West.
We ought to read the Bible personally, privately, corporately, and publicly.
It is important to read the Bible—especially for the Pentecostal. Why? Well, we believe that the Holy Spirit will bring to our memory the things we need.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:25–26 (emphasis added).
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Luke 12:10–12.
The Lukan passage is less relevant than John 14, but I felt the connection was helpful enough to include. Notice, John claims that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance (memory) the things in which Jesus has said.
Jesus spoke directly to the hearers in John 14, so when he says this, they would have audibly been able to hear and remember these words. All others did not have the luxury to hear the words, but we were given the gift of the Bible in which the words of Jesus were recorded in writing for us to receive into our learning and memory.
While Luke shows that at times the Holy Spirit will actually empower our speech and provide the words we may not have or know in the moment we need them, John records that Jesus reveals the Holy Spirit will explicitly bring to our memory the things in which we already know, but are in need of at specific moments. The Holy Spirit will be our helper to remember and enact the words of Jesus in our lives.
The critical point is… we must know what Jesus said. We must know the Word of God.
John takes this seriously in his Epistle when he talks about the fruit of truly knowing the Word—Jesus.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:4–6.
It is nearly impossible to keep the words—or the way—of Jesus without knowing and frequently reflecting on the words of Jesus as found in the Bible. Without engaging the Bible often, we will naturally forget and abandon the words, teachings, and practices of the Bible. This is simply the way things—especially humans—work.
Over the past decade, I have been slowly and painfully working on cultivating spiritual disciplines. Bible reading is the central one for me. The last five years, especially, I have found it to be a critically grounding part of my life.
Following seminary, where scripture reading was tied to my classwork and education, I found the joy and necessity of daily reading. Even though vocationally Bible reading for a pastor is tied to my work, I have found it easier to practice beyond the study for sermons simply because my soul is in need. I need the life that pours out of the Word. I need the wisdom that comes from God through the scriptures.
Without knowing the Word and reading it, the Spirit has little to bring to my mind.
It's like ammunition; without having a stockpile of ammunition, the capacity you can hunt or shoot is limited to what you have.
I went to the shooting range with a group of friends for a bachelor party a while back. We could have been done quickly, but many of us bought lots of boxes to extend our time shooting together. (I should note that this was the last time I was at the range, as I am not a good shot… nor is it something significant in my life.)
Simply stated, the amount of scripture you have access to is the amount that the Holy Spirit can naturally bring to your mind quickly. This is not to diminish the role of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural ability. He is more than able to give you things you do not have! I personally have found this will happen much less than we would hope. Our best bet is to have God’s word hidden in our hearts that we might not sin against him (Ps 199:11).
This highlights something beyond reading. I have been working on memorization lately because of this very idea. For the past decade, I have neglected memorization.
As a kid, I memorized a lot. Programs at church, like Junior Bible Quiz, Sunday School, etc., encouraged me to memorize lots. Since then, I have carried a Bible daily, so the need to memorize has decreased. Nay, I say my laziness has tricked me into believing I don’t need to memorize because I carry my Bible and have Logos (my favorite Bible App) on my phone.
I am trying to memorize verses so I have them ready for the Holy Spirit to bring them back to my mind when I need.
Let’s wrap up…
Read your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring the words of Jesus back to your mind. We need it!