(Acts 20:32)…..“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
So many today don’t really know what is in the doctrine of the Bible because they have never bothered to see what God has declared in it. What is sad about that statement is that there are many professing Christians who fall into that very category, whether by choice or by mere ignorance. Many simply shy away from God’s word because they think it’s just a bunch of rules to keep them from enjoying life. Many have also misused the Bible in order to tear people down others, and yet one of its great purposes is to build people up. God gave you His Word for your benefit so that you would know His character, recognize your sinfulness, bring you to repentance, and then build you up and give you things that are His.
Certainly, God’s Word can, and will, correct you. But primarily, if you understand it correctly, the Word will also build you up. Yes, there are passages in the Bible that will not encourage you. They are needful at certain times for certain people who need to be corrected and called to repentance. But for those who love God and are His children, there are words of encouragement to build you up.
Feed on the Word of God’s grace, His favor, His love, His goodness. It will build you up. If what you are feeding on is not encouraging your faith, check to see if it really lines up with the Word. All the Bible is profitable, and we can learn from it. So when digging into God’s word, concentrate on what God is saying to you, as His child: a member of the Body of Christ. The message God has for us, the church, so be encourged because He has so much to show you.