Is this legalistic?

Hi,

Here are some thoughts from a booklet on GospelFellowships that I have helped put together:

Principle 30 - reading the entirety of scriptures

\tFor some Christians in the world, having access to the full Scriptures170 is not a present reality to them. Many simply have parts of the New Testament or literally scraps of paper with copied scripture verses on them. Yet for a select group in the body of Christ there is great abundant access to full Bibles in literally hundreds of translations171. Also with easy access to God's holy Word at all times, whether it is on digital device’s or in audio or book form. But sadly, compared to the Christians in other persecuted countries we have the least desire and love to read the Scriptures. As blood bought followers of Jesus Christ our life is not our own172 and therefore we should have the desire to be in the Word of God daily. Even beyond that our appetite to eat the Scriptures should be of such that it takes precedent over anything else in our daily lives173. One reason for the lack of intense Bible study is the fact that we really do not believe what is written in the book. If we truly believed the Scriptures and that the life to come matters much more than this life174 then we would be more diligent to be steeped in what God desires of us now and for eternity.
\tOf all the ways to read the Bible one of the most beneficial can be an overview reading of the entire scriptures, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, and book by book175. And beyond this even a chronological reading of the scriptures can be of great benefit to know exactly when events took place. It is our burden that if the body of Christ in many areas would commit176 to being those who read the word of God constantly and consistently in context, this we believe would strengthen the body of Christ greatly. We must not be of those who take out a favorite few verses or even a few hundred verses, for the entirety of the Word of God is our standard and rule. We must not try to only delve into deep mysteries and secret things in the Word of God but rather read and believe simply177 what is written and allow it be become real in our practical daily lives178. We are listing the entire Bible chronologically here so that believers can commit to read daily a portion so that in 365 days, the entire Scriptures can be read in context and in its fulness. We believe this will dispel many doctrinal errors179 that have been held by some and allow us all to be more versed in the holy Scriptures which are a light to our path180 in this earthly pilgrimage181.

Principle 38 - A Love For God's Words

\tWe take for granted the often dozen Bibles or more each Christian family owns in the America or other countries. We read Bible translations until we get bored with one and move onto another. We buy Bibles even for the style and look and other vain reasons. Yet the majority of our Bibles are not worn, marked, and memorized as the valuable possessions they actually are.
\tBibles in the underground Church in China are scarce at times, and it is common that fellowships have handwritten copies of verses and epistles similar to the early Church days. The Chinese love their Bibles greatly and treat them as the most cherished item in the world that they own or have. Some of the current servant leaders in the Church would travel a day to just to be able to borrow and read a Bible and then travel back to their home. Most preaching especially in the earlier days of the movement was from memory, verses they memorized.
\tHow much do we love God's word? Do you spend hours with your Bible reading over and over its truths? May God wake us from our spiritual slumber to see the true eternal value of the Word of God.

Principle 44 - Sharing Scripture With Each Other

\tThis practice is necessary in the North Korean Church for there are not an abundance of Bibles. So each week members in the underground Church share scripture verses and lines of hymns written on pieces of paper. Most Christians in other countries can have up to 5-10 Bibles in their homes, in North Korea each believer, on average has 10 verses on a piece of toilet paper. These are passed around as precious items which build up and edify the body.
\tThis is a Biblical practice where we are encouraged to speak to one another with psalms, hymns228 and to the practice of public reading of Scripture229. We can learn from this practice and actively share Scriptures more in our emails, letters, text messages and in person with each other. Such constant sharing of Scriptures with each other in the body of Christ builds us up in our most holy faith230.

Principle 46 - Memorization Of The Scriptures

\tIn underground Churches the need to memorize Scripture is not an option but a necessity. When Bibles are scarce and imprisonment likely, the believer desires to prepare for such trials by storing up the word of God in their hearts. Also it becomes a great blessing to share Scriptures with others in everyday life without needing a physical Bible present. Such believers become "living bibles234" where the Word of God is always present.
\tWe can learn much from this discipline. To study and memorize the word of God shows our true love for the Scriptures in which we have in abundance. Do we really desire to read the Word above eating, entertainment and the many other things that occupy our time? While we have freedoms may God instill in His Church a greater love and desire for the Word.

from http://www.gospelfellowships.net

It is a good thing if you read your bible through from cover to cover for the first time. Along the way in reading it, you'll discover some things. You may stop and stay at one passage for a few days and then move on. If you haven't read the New Testament from cover to cover, I encourage you to do that first. It will give you a good foundation so that when you read the Old, you'll see the scriptures coming to life as you'll see Jesus in everything you read. You'll just love it.

Reading the bible daily is good if you desire to do so, but it's not a daily requirement. Some people read the bible once a week, others daily. Don't allow the bible to become a burden because someone is condemning your liberty for not doing what others appear they do.

One of the things that God has discouraged me from doing is getting into a legalistic routine. I've tried to get into a regular giving scheme and He just won't allow me the freedom to that. Spontaneous giving He allows, but when I to get on some regiment, I instantly get this brick wall. The same goes for daily bible reading. I tried to get into some sort of a bible reading program, or try to do it myself but I get this brick wall. When I read it from time to time as the desire comes upon me and not out necessity, the Lord reveals His word. When I don't read it the bible for a little bit, the Lord comes to me with a word, a passage and I am always taken aback because I hadn't put my quota in for bible reading in a bit. I've tried the daily prayer closet thing, it don't work for me. When I go about my day and walk and talk to the Lord, that seems to work. My prayer is caught up in my daily living.

The systems that I have tried to get myself under never work. I was only frustrating the grace of God.

When there is a prayer request on SI, sometimes I feel this overwhelming need to pray for the person or situation, other times, I have nothing to offer in prayer. Like today for example, I saw a prayer request on the board and I told the Lord that I had nothing but words to offer but no faith to push it forward and I had to leave it.

the horse pulls the cart - the cart does not pull the horse.

I had one stubborn horse that did things the way she wanted to do it, it was her way or you were stuck on the highway while she is running back to the barn. LOL

I never had her hooked to the cart, but if I did, knowing her, by some miraculous thing, the cart would be pulling her. LOL

Saints,

I thought I would write personally that reading the Bible is important to knowing God intimately. He speaks to out in His word and you speak back to Him through prayer. John 17:3 says eternal live is in "knowing" God.

May we read the word of God to communion with the Lord not to just learn more facts about Him. This message by Jim Cymbala speaks powerfully to this truth:

I Am A Branch by Jim Cymbala
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=24014&commentView=itemComments

What about those ancient men that didn't have a bible?

They were the real McCoy that became the actual bible that we read today.

Enoch never had a bible, yet he was a righteous man, walked with God and God was so pleased with him that he was translated to heaven and didn't see death.

Abraham didn't have a bible to read. Yet, he was called the "Friend of God".

Moses wrote the first five books, what he heard was an oral history. Here he was with the limitation compared to what we have today and God caused the sea to roll back through this man, caused a river to spring forth from a rock through him, staid the hand of God, and much much more and he didn't have a bible, all he had was what was told to him.

We need to read the bible whenever possible, not to learn, but to read it. It's the Spirit of God that causes us to understand what we are reading. Without this understanding from the Teacher, it would be fruitless reading, because the act of reading the bible requires one ingredient, Faith. We read it because we are seeking something. We are seeking to know Him more and that requires faith and he that comes to God must exhibit this faith, without it it's impossible to please Him.

This is what pleased God from all those men back in the day and the requirement is still required. God doesn't want our performance, He wants us to take the faith that He has given us and to show it toward Him.

Abraham was righteous because He exhibited faith toward God and not toward himself or anyone else. He called unto God!

THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE WORD OF GOD. It's to get you and I to call upon God for our help and not the arm of flesh.

When we read from all the bible, it shows us one thing, calling upon God caused God to act on their behalf. It's not enough to learn it once, we need to continue doing it lest we forget, because WE WILL FORGET. It's human nature to forget.

I am using bold language basically for myself, I need to hear that too.

God bless.

It Is not legalistic to tell someone they must read tbeir Bible daily. It Is necessary. I say again. It is necessary for our spiritual survival. When Keith Daniel was converted. The man who led him to Christ told this brother that it was necessary he stay in the Bible. Keith was encouraged read 15 minutes in the New Testament in the morning. 15 minutes in the Old Testament in the evening. In doing so he would have gone through the Bible in a year. The more time you spend reading the word. The more you will know it. And it will change your life. Certainly Keith Danils is living proof changed by the word.

It is has been my observation that the saint God uses is one who spends extended time n the word. Keith Daniels, Art Katz, Denny Kenniston, Charles Spurgeon, George Mueller, Whitfield, the Wesleys, Edwards. These and and others God has used have been men who knew the word.

Hopefully the desire of every saint is to be used effectively for Christ. To do so one needs to be in the word. God grant that we would be as Spurgeon and Bunyon. That we would be Biblene.

Bearmaster.

Good post and thread, my brother. Indeed if the Old Covenant saints were commanded and exhorted to be in the word. How much more should we be even in the New Covenant. And because of the urgency of the hour we need to be saturating our minds and hearts with the truth of Jesus.

Bearmaster.

So why would we ever think that it would be legalistic to tell someone to read their Bible daily

There is nothing legalistic about urging anyone to read their bible, thats not it at all. It's saying things like, "If you don't read your bible daily, your going to hell". Or if "If you don't read your bible daily, you won't get close to God".

I know people that read their bible daily and they were no closer to God than the drunk down the street. When I look at these people I wonder why they do not have the mercy and faith along with their judgmental spirit. Why? Because as much as they read their bible daily, to them it's something that they think they "have" to do to please God. And this is where people have gotten into trouble. And it's here that bible reading has become legalistic.

Faith comes by HEARING and HEARING by the word of God. It doesn't say, faith cometh by READING and READING by the word of God.

The use of the word WORD here does not mean what is printed on ink and paper, it's the Logo's speaking to the heart of man which ignites faith. Some people hear an actual voice, while most hear it in their spirit.

The word "Hearing" means to pay heed and obey to what your hearing.

If someone is listening to a sermon but they do not pay heed to it they did not hear it. They were deaf during the whole message.

If a marriage counsellor is telling the husband to humble himself, but then he refuses, it's as if he never heard the advice. If he changes his mind and does it, he has finally heard it and obeyed. Romans 10:8 The Logo's is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Logo's of faith, which we preach;

This is what it means when Jesus said of the Pharisees when they would shut their eyes and close their ears. They heard the voice of Jesus speaking but they would not allow it to sink down into their ears so the Logo's could change their heart and save them.

Reading the bible for the sake of duty will only frustrate the believer. Reading the bible with a desire to know God and a desire to love Him and walk with Him through obedience, now that is a true worshipper. John 4:23

Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

When I was 15 years old, I found a bible that was stuffed in some boxes in a closet as I was snooping around and thought I'd read it. It looked interesting and being a brought up in the Church for some time and baptized in a local Pentecostal church I felt it was time to know the person that I had no clue was. There was a desire to read this bible, I had no idea where it came from, but it was there. So I started to read it and I will say this that I am not a book reader. I do not pick up a book and read it from cover to cover unless it's something quite remarkable. I get bored easily especially if there are no pictures in the book. But surprisingly, this New Testament seems to come alive to me, and I couldn't put it down. I went through it and wept and as soon as I finished Revelation, I started back with Matthew and read it again. I was mesmerized by the content and I knew that I had fallen head over heels with Jesus Christ.

After that I was reading the bible periodically until the Lord showed me that I should read the KJV. I picked up this bible one day and started reading the Old Testament and I felt this overwhelming authority from it and I knew that God was telling me that I should use this from now on. To this day I cannot read the elementary (goodnews) bible again.

The desire to read the Old Testament increased and then finally it waned to periodical reading, "Here a little, there a little". I have come to learn in my walk with God that to whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more, Luke 12:48

This is why I personally do not read the bible often because I do not want to know more than I already know now. I can barely make do with what has been given to me already, more will only make things worse. I find the "here a little, there a little" precept to be much more beneficial than to have all knowledge and have no charity to carry out the work.