Discovering God's Word: 4 Key Questions for Bible Study

One of my passions is helping people understand the Word of God better and seeing the change in them once it all begins to “click." I recently taught a class at church and shared four simple questions to consider when we read the Bible during our morning devotions or at any other time. Understanding what we are reading is essential for knowing God better, as well as understanding ourselves and the world around us. In other words, grasping God’s Word helps us develop a stronger biblical worldview. So, in this short entry, I want to share four questions I use during my study time with the Word of God. I will use 1 John 1:5-10 as an example. I pray that this method of studying proves helpful for you. 

Who is God?

The first question I ask myself when I read a passage is simply, “What does this passage or verse teach me about who God is?” When we look at 1 John 1:1, we see that God is light and that there is absolutely no darkness in him. Throughout the New Testament, we see Paul use this contrast between light, representing good, and darkness, representing evil. Romans 13:12a is a good example: “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” John 3:19 also discusses how people loved darkness, which is evil, and rejected the light, who is Jesus. From 1 John 1:5, we learn that God is the light of truth and goodness in a dark and evil world. We also see that God has no darkness, or evil, within him, because if he did, he couldn’t be the light. This shows that God embodies all that is good and true.

Who Am I?

The next question I ask is, “What does this passage teach me about who I am?” Verses 6-10 say a lot about who we can be, but they also reveal one main truth about who we really are. We see in this passage that we are sinful people (V.8), and we are tempted to say that we are not sinful (V.10). However, we also learn that if we strive to walk in God's truth and goodness, as shown in verse 5, then we have fellowship with God and His church (V.7). But if we keep walking in darkness deliberately, we are deceiving ourselves, lying, and not practicing the truth (V.6). And God knows this about us— that we are sinners in need of help— so He gives us the greatest help we can have: Jesus Christ. Verse 9 gives us hope that if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from those sins. What a hope we have!

What About the World?

The third question I ask is, “What does this passage or verse teach me about the rest of the world and humanity?” Since John is not talking to me directly, even though there are implications about me, as seen above, the main focus of this passage is on all of humanity. The entire world is in a darkened state where sin is running rampant. All we have to do is watch the evening news or walk into the local shopping center to see that sin is widespread and affects everything. Many people claim that sin is not real and that we can live however we want, but this contradicts what John says about God and ourselves. Verse 10 is clear: if we say we have no sin, we make God a liar. It is important to realize that most of humanity is under this deception, but we can offer them hope by helping them understand who God is and that he is faithful to forgive us if we confess our sins.

Change is Possible

The last question I ask is, “How does knowing all of this help me to change and better glorify God in my life?” This question serves as a brief moment of reflection on how we can change our thinking and actions based on the truth of God we just read. In short, we confess our sins and rightly understand the world’s deception, illuminated by God's Word. Evil exists in this world, so we must diligently share God’s truth and goodness with those who may be deceived. God is faithful and good; He is the truth and light of the world through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can reshape our thinking with the truth of God’s Word, and we can change our path by confessing our sins and walking in the forgiveness and newness of life that God offers. 

I hope this helps give you a better understanding of how I walk through a Bible study on my own. Maybe it will provide you with some guidance in your study time and help you better understand who God is, who we are, how the world is, and how we can change. After learning this method, my Bible reading changed, and good spiritual growth and maturity followed. Many blessings to you on your path to knowing God better.