Romans 15:4 tells us that whatever was “written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Romans is not the easiest of books to read. The depth of Paul’s writings, inspired by the Holy Spirit, can be somewhat intimidating and require thought and research to explore and understand. This verse, in contrast, could not be clearer. It tells us WHY the verse was written and WHAT we are supposed to do as result of reading the scripture.
- Why was it written? It was written to instruct us. Scripture is not a collection of esoteric thoughts and theories. It is written to provide clear insight into the will and expectations of our Holy and perfect God.
The second question that we should ask ourselves when reading scripture is to ask what we are commanded to as a result. Here again, this question is answered with total clarity in the text.
- So what? What are we commanded to do? We should take encouragement but we are also to persevere. But persevere in what? Again, the answers are found in God’s holy and unchanging word. Here are two passages to help understand that.
- 2 Timothy 3:16. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
- I Peter 3:15. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
- We are called to study the gospel and share it with others but do so in a way that promotes the concept of humility and gentleness.
The third question to ask is “what is the Lord calling me to do?
- The final piece of the puzzle is to focus on the end result and that lies in a single word – HOPE. This is not the hope as in “I hope that my College wins the National Championship.” This is the absolute certainty provided by God’s promise. Titus 1:2 is clear on the type of hope that God’s word provides: “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”
So as we study God’s word we know that scripture is God breathed, is infallible and provides instruction to share the hope contained in the gospel message with others.
