Why Bible Study is Important for New Believers

Bible Study Will Ward Off Deception

As a new believer, do you feel inspired to read and study the Word? Has Bible study become a part of your life yet?  If not, would you consider it? Let me give you 15 reasons that support the idea that Bible study is important.

As a note, the phrase “the Word” refers to “the Bible”, also known as “the Scriptures,” and we use these terms interchangeably.

Study the Word means to study the Bible. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that the whole Bible was written by the inspiration of God. It is used for our correction, our instruction, and it proves the reality of our faith, 2 Timothy 3:16.

The Greek word for “reproof” or “testing” also connects with the familiar verse in Hebrews 11:1 that says Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I like to say it as “the evidence of things not YET seen,” but they will be soon. 

When you study the Bible, you will see the connection between verses, like the one above. This is also known as Bible context, or scripture supporting scripture.

Table of Contents

Why Should You Study the Word?

You know, as I think of all the reasons why you should study the Word, they all boil down to one thing:

to grow closer to God. 

Think about your closest friend, you can’t get to know her better if you don’t spend time with her, right? Every time you get together with her, you have an opportunity to share adventures. If you spend time together in prayer, you get to know her heart and how passionate she is for God. This draws you closer and builds your bond stronger. 

So, like girlfriend time, you need time with God, too. You cannot physically see Him with your natural eyes, but you can “see” Him through the pages of your Bible. And if you have a friend who needs to study the Word, you’ll tell her, too, right?

As you study the Word, you learn the nature of God, His character and attributes, and His unfailing love for mankind. You learn that He is trustworthy and that you can trust Him.

The writer of Hebrews wrote that the Word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. Its truth goes deep in our thoughts and desires and exposes us for who we really are, Hebrews 4:12. In short, the Word is life-changing. 

Jesus says in John 8:31-32 that if you abide in Him and He abides or lives in you, you will know His truth, and it will set you free. 

Having regular time to study the Word will teach you these truths, and it will draw you into agreement with the Word as it changes you from the inside out.

15 Reasons Why Bible Study is Important

I’ve narrowed down all the reasons why Bible study is important to these 15 truths and am sharing them here.

1 – The Bible is Your Instruction Manual

When a husband and wife are expecting a baby, they may do the research to find out how to care for their new baby.

They will discover the best baby crib to buy, how to make their home a safe environment, or even how to make homemade baby food or change diapers. They look for instructions on how to raise this new child who will soon join them. 

It’s a similar thing with believers. We need instructions on how we should behave, and the Bible helps with that. It is the Christian’s Manual for everything we need. 

2 – To Read What God Says

Like any student, it is important to do the research for yourself to learn what it says. This way, if someone should attempt to tell you it says something contrary, you will recognize it and be able to refute what is being said as God’s Word. 

Paul, in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:16), tells us that all Scripture is given by God and that it is beneficial for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. This verse could be a good topic for a Bible study or even a sermon!

Not only is Scripture given by God, but it is also complete. It doesn’t need anything added to it nor taken away from it. 

3 – To Know the Will of God

When you begin a regular time of Bible study, you will soon discover that God has a plan for mankind and He has a plan for you. 

Time spent in the study of the Word will reveal the will of God in your life. 

You will learn that it is God’s plan for you to

• live a holy life. 
• be healthy and whole.
• live in liberty and freedom instead of under the curse and law of sin. 
• live an abundant life through Christ Jesus.

There are so many other biblical truths that God wants you to know about His will for you. You’ll find them as you study the Word for yourself.

4 – To Know Salvation

As you study the Bible, you may not have a full and clear understanding of salvation. How will you learn that? Though you may know that Jesus died for your sins, do you really understand why He did that? 

As you study the Word, you will learn about the Old Covenant and understand why there had to be a New Covenant, a better one. (Hebrews 8:8; 8:13; 12:24)

Once you understand what salvation is, you will be able to share with others your personal experience and gently emphasize all that Jesus provided for those who believe through His death on the cross.

5 – To Recognize God’s Voice

When you study the Word, you will begin to recognize how God speaks to you. You will learn the sound of His voice (John 10:16, 27) and learn Biblical truth as He speaks to you. 

For example, He does not speak lies. Satan is the deceiver and father of lies, John 8:44.

God only speaks the truth as He cannot and does not lie. Every word He speaks is Truth itself, John 14:6.

Read these posts by Kelly R Baker for 8 Characteristics of God’s Voice that will help you “hear” Him. And this post, How to Hear God’s Voice.

So, when you hear something contrary to His Word, you will recognize that it is not from Him and therefore you can refuse to receive it. 

Jesus said in John 10:27 that His sheep will recognize His voice. Just like an infant knows the voice of his mother, you will know the voice of Jesus as you spend time with Him every day. And when you know God’s voice, you will be able to recognize when it isn’t Him speaking to you.

6 – To Recognize False Teaching

Just as you learn to recognize God’s voice and His truth, you need to recognize false teachings. 

There is so much false doctrine in the world that sounds good but is not. The subtlety of the enemy will attempt to deceive believers (Matthew 24:4-8) who do not know what the Word actually says. 

That’s why it is so important to study the Bible…to distinguish truth from error. In recognizing truth, you prevent yourself from worshipping a false god. 

7 – The Bible is God’s Written Word to You 

In it, you learn who He is, His attributes and nature, what He has done for you, and how you should respond. 

As you study the Word, you will understand His plan for you and that He thought of you and predestined you from before the foundation of the earth, Ephesians 1:4. Isn’t that comforting to know that God planned you a long time ago and that you are special to Him? (Psalm 139:1-18)

The Bible is God speaking to you directly, which is why Bible study is important.

8 – For Your Spiritual Growth

The Bible is not only good to read for historical facts, but it is also for your personal edification or spiritual growth. 

If you do not study the Word, how will you know how you ought to live your life? How will you know how to respond in various situations?

As you study the Word, it becomes a “lamp to your feet and light to your path,” Psalm 119:105. It guides you in your day-to-day living.

And if you really want to get excited about God’s Word, you should write it out! Yep, that’s what I said. Take it one book at a time to make it manageable. Handwriting the Word will boost your faith and walk in the Lord!

9 – To Develop a Relationship with God

Just like you spend time with your friends, you need to spend time with God so you can develop a relationship with Him. This comes from time spent studying the Word. 

There is a Biblical account of Jesus visiting with His friends, and Mary sat at His feet, hanging on to every word He spoke. Mary’s sister, Martha, wasn’t too impressed because she needed Mary’s help in getting the meal prepared for everyone. 

Jesus’ response to Martha was that Mary had chosen the better thing to do, and He wouldn’t be sending her to help with preparations. You can read it here, Luke 10:38-42. 

So, it’s a good thing to learn about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Spending time in Bible study along with prayer will go a long way in developing a relationship with God. 

He is your friend, someone you can talk with every day, all day long, Proverbs 17:17; 18:24.

10 – To Defend Your Faith

Peter reminds the believers that when we are accused or judged, we are to be ready to defend our faith in a gentle and respectful way. (1 Peter 3:14-16)

So, to give a good defense, you will need to know what it is that you believe and be able to articulate it. When you spend time studying the Word, your defense becomes strong as you will know it and believe it.

Paul taught Timothy a similar thing when he told Timothy to be ready to preach the Word, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, 2 Timothy 4:2.

How can you be ready to reprove or exhort if you are not found in studying the Word?

11 – For Your Correction

Timothy writes that all Scripture is given for … correction, 2 Timothy 3:16. 

As parents, we correct our children when they are in error. Whether it is helping with the mistakes they made on a test, or the mistakes they made in wrong choices when they disobeyed you. 

It’s the same for you with the Bible. As you study the Word, you learn the correct way to behave and what your speech should be like. 

The best way to avoid making errors is to know what God would say about the decisions you make. The Bible is full of God’s will and commands, and when you study it, you will be able to make wise decisions. 

God doesn’t want you to fail, but He also won’t give you Biblical knowledge through absorption. You need to take the time to study the Bible. This is why Bible study is important.

12 – For Your Righteousness

God has a standard of righteousness that has never changed. Part of that righteousness is for believers to live a holy life. 

Since God has given a simple command to ‘be holy as I am holy,‘ Leviticus 11:44, we need to learn how to live in righteousness. Studying your Bible will help with that.

As you continue to study the Bible, you learn how to live holy and right before God. The Bible is your guide to righteousness, and when you are closely connected with God, you will be less likely to live any other way.

13 – To Serve Others

As you study the Bible, you will learn how to treat other people and how to serve them. 

Jesus was all about serving others. He demonstrated this when He multiplied the fish and bread to feed thousands of people on two separate occasions. 

He served others when He demonstrated the value of washing the feet of guests (a cultural custom). Not that you’re going to do that, but it’s about serving others. Even when He healed the sick and cast out demons, He was serving them.

Jesus was a servant to everyone.

Paul wrote to the Galatian believers to serve one another in love, Galatians 5:13.

Do you already have a heart for serving others? If so, that’s great! If not, what small thing can you do this week to show Christian love to others?

14 – To Renew Your Mind

Paul wrote to the believers who lived in Rome, and he reminded them of the importance of not thinking or being like the world. To change their old pattern, they needed to renew their mind, renew their thoughts so “they could prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God,” Romans 12:1-2.

The mind is the battlefield where the enemy tries to defeat you. To be a conqueror, you need to renew your mind through reading and studying the Word of God. 

One tip is to read the Bible out loud, as Paul said that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10:17. So, read it out loud to grow your faith and renew your mind at the same time!

15 – To Live a Transformed Life

What does that mean, to live a transformed life? Well, basically, it means to put into practice the truth that you’ve been learning from the Word of God. Romans 12:1-2 tells us not to be conformed to this world but rather to be transformed by renewing your mind, which is the truth you have been learning.

When you renew your mind, your life changes. Others will see that something is different with you and will want to know what it is. This is your opportunity to share what Jesus has done for you.

Every time you study the Word, look for a life application from the text that you can put into practice. Maybe you’re reading about godly conduct, and there’s a list of “dos and don’ts” that you can apply.

The more often you apply the life applications from the Bible, the more you will notice that your life has been transformed from what it used to be to being more Christ-like. And that’s a great goal!

Bonus Reason – To Know The Word

I’ll keep this brief, as this is the bonus reason to study the Bible. It is to know the Word and not be misled by misinterpretations. At one time or another, you may be faced with inaccurate scriptures taught to you, whether through a pastor, bible teacher, a conference speaker, or even a non-fiction book.

Misquoted, misused, and inaccurate Scripture interpretations are common, so it is important to know the Word to avoid deception.

Wrap Up of Why Bible Study is Important

The Bible is a best-selling book. Almost everyone has heard of it, and practically everyone owns a Bible, if not two Bibles.

This isn’t enough, though, just hearing that there is a Bible. The Bible is a book that needs to be read. But more than that, it needs to be studied. And then it needs to be applied in your life.

I’ve read many books over the years, but the one I remember the most is the book that I’ve studied: the Bible. 

When we study the Bible, it’s like finding gold nuggets between the pages. The more you study, the more nuggets you will find. The more you find, the more you become like Christ as you live your life pleasing unto God. 

In Him We Live,
~ Cindy

~ Posts Related to This Topic ~

• 5 Practical Tips for a Successful Bible Study
• 3 Great Reasons to Study Your Bible
• Understanding Salvation for New Believers
• 6 Vital Steps for the New Believer
• How Walking in the Truth Will Change Your Life
• 7 Steps to Be Holy and Blameless Before God