Bible Studies

Colossians 1:9. How necessary it is to press deeply into the Word which reveals God’s will for us. At times the Scriptures are closed to the believers, but it is vital that they are open to us. The secret of an open Bible is in having an open heart toward God. If we do not have that, we will never have an open Bible. How shall we read the Bible? As someone who has his own opinions? No, as children, who are poor in spirit. Pray for light when you read “filled with all knowledge.” You don’t understand it; and perhaps you have a minimal explanation of it. How should we read it? Ask yourself: Am I filled with God’s knowledge? In this way you do not begin by brooding over the Scriptures and judging the Bible, but you let the Bible judge you. Take this Word, translate it into prayer, and God will translate your prayer in your life. God hears prayer.

Psalm 119:162. “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” David did as it is written in verse 16. We will experience the truth that is in the Word, and it will set us free from the lie that is in us. The Word tells us how we are, and how we shall not be. Ps. 32:8; Isa. 1:5-6; Isa. 64:5; Rom. 3:10-19. If God’s Word becomes a great treasure for us, we can read it constantly. In Deuteronomy 11:19-20 we read about those who love God’s Word. When the Word enters our heart, it tells us how we are and how we shall be—then it will cleanse us. God’s Word will then cause you to be in harmony with God no matter where you turn. Then, when you do something for God you will do it because God has said it in His Word. When you put out your hand to do something for Him, you do it because God’s Word—God—constrains you. See everything through God’s Word. Heb. 4:12. You shall have God in mind when you look up and out; then everything will be in its rightful place. Your work will testify of God’s Word. Then that which is small will be small, and that which is great will be great—God’s Word. You shall only do what you are doing because God’s Word says so; and then the work will come and testify to God’s Word. God’s Word is a nice dose of energy. It will preserve you.

When we are to proclaim God’s Word, we must begin at Jerusalem—the innermost circle—in ourselves, in our home. Quite often we speak about the outward things on the way, because we do not see anything for the inner eye. You will speak of what you love, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Fall asleep with God’s Word; wake up with God’s Word; dream about God’s Word. The first thing you get to when you come to a person is the gate. A Word of God is inscribed on it. Right away we begin to speak about God and the Word. You meet God’s Word on the doorposts; you meet God’s Word further into the soul; deep in the heart we find the Word; the entire person is saturated by God’s Word. Jesus Himself is the living Word of God. If we are saturated with the living Word and the written Word, we will be as a garden of God. How can we walk worthy of the Lord if we are not one with the Word? Where do we find the knowledge of God? In His Word! What makes it living? The Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:11. Often you can hear many prayers for power to testify. We live in a time of power. We can testify in many ways. We need power not only to speak, but also power to be silent. If we know when to be silent, we will also know when to speak. In verse 11 it is written about being strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering. We must pray for power so it can be released through patience and longsuffering. Power shall have an effect—all might according to His glorious power with what He has and with Him.

Philippians 1:19. Not according to what we think, unless it is according to the power that works mightily in us. Eph. 3:20. He gives above what we ask or think. If I pray for the highest thing, He will not give according to my ideas and my understanding, but according to His unsearchable riches. Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20. God gives abundantly of all His power. When do we need longsuffering? In all of life’s situations. Jesus also prayed for power (read about His battle in the garden of Gethsemane; also read in Hebrews 5:7). He prayed for power against sin and self-life, as well as in the sufferings. A Christian who does not suffer has fallen away from Christ. Jesus endured patiently; He did not complain about the others. Heb. 12:2. He did not sigh because of His sufferings. Despite the fact that He was afflicted, He did not open His mouth. What is the difference between patience and longsuffering? Patient in your situation; longsuffering with the one who errs. My patience will fail if I am not longsuffering. We must learn from God’s longsuffering with us—we need power to be longsuffering.

Jesus suffered joyfully. Jesus could do it because He had the joy—the bride—set before Him. It is essentially a dishonor not to talk back—seen from many people’s point of view. John 12:27. The high point in Jesus’ life was: NO! He said this for my sake. First a question mark, then an exclamation mark. He is looking forward to the joy—the bride. NO! Let all this cleanse my innermost being. Let me not avoid the cross! Let the situations cleanse me! God sends insults, mockings, afflictions, and contradictions so that everything that is in my heart shall be revealed. Be glad that it appears and is judged; your self-life is bared—it is the way of death. We need patience in the fight that is set before us. Heb. 12:1-2. We are made perfect through sufferings. Heb. 2. Jesus consecrated a way so that we could follow Him. He who flees from the cross flees from victory. Oh, that we might have joy in everything! We must see God’s salvation through and in all this. These are the “means” God uses to teach us to suffer patiently. Heb. 5:8. He consecrated a way by suffering, so that we could get rid of our self-life. If there are no sufferings, there is no victory. We should rejoice in the most intense tribulations.

Colossians 1:12. Qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Qualified through sufferings. See Romans 8:17. How are we qualified for it? Through sufferings. Jesus’ joy was the cross. He suffered. If we suffer with Him, we will also receive the inheritance. We mostly suffer impatiently, but we must come to the point that we suffer with patience. There is a way of escape in God in all our difficulties. Rom. 8:18: not worthy to be compared!

Satan hates those who know how to suffer; for those who suffer patiently are cleansed, which will give them a greater inheritance. He sends people into their life to afflict them, but he does not consider that he is actually achieving the opposite of his goal, and as a result they are qualified to inherit together with Jesus. He kills them—but they receive a crown of glory.

Thanking the Father. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul thanked God in his chains. If we want to obtain Jesus’ glory, then we must also suffer with Him. We have been liberated from the power of darkness. What is it? It is the power of Satan. Why was he brought down? Read Isaiah 14:12-15, then verse 11. Why did he fall? What was the beginning of Satan’s power? The answer is in verse 13. Satan is called “son of the morning.” Why? He draws close to the darkness where God is; he stands in the morning light from where light arises and receives light; he desires new light. We do too, but we shall abide in the light. Satan turned away from God and the light; he looked at the stars and he said, “I will be the greatest, I will exalt my throne . . . .” Satan carries out his plan systematically in this world—the one wants to be greater than the other. One wants to have a higher degree than the other and earn more money than the other. They seek honor. God is not a respecter of persons. 1 Timothy 3:1-7. There you can find those who want to draw Satan’s method into God’s kingdom. By exalting your throne you have entered the way on which you will fall; you have come under Satan’s judgment. V. 6. Puffed up—adding something greater to your person than what you are; a worthiness one does not possess. Essentially filled with emptiness. “Exalt my throne . . . .”—the power of darkness. Satan wanted to be the greatest; therefore he fell the deepest. All those who follow Satan will share his fate. But our portion—those who follow God—will be the inheritance of the saints in the light. John 16:7-13 convinces us that Satan has been judged.

Ephesians 2:1-2. Satan works in the sons of disobedience. Adam hid himself; he felt judged together with Satan. (In other words, if we do not believe, we will be judged with the same judgment as Satan, for then he works in us.) We are running together with Satan who is judged. Jesus has liberated us from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13), but if you are bound to a man who is a transgressor—who has been given a life sentence—if you will not let go of him, you will suffer the same punishment as he. Satan has been sentenced. It is vital to break free from him so that we are not condemned together with him. If we do not believe we will suffer the same judgment as Satan. We must be purified. When we see the darkness around us, we must praise God that He has set us free from darkness (not exalting our throne so that we are judged). We have followed Satan for so long that we are completely permeated by the evil. Read Romans 3:10-19—“An open tomb.” What is that? There is a stinking corpse in a tomb. You are an open tomb when you backbite your neighbor. Perhaps you can be quiet and yet think the same, but then you are just a closed tomb. Jesus died so that the old things might be destroyed. We are born again by faith in Jesus’ victory over Satan on the cross. The depth of perdition—the depth of salvation! Prov. 8:22-31; John 3:16. Shall we pass by someone without reaching out a hand to him who is still condemned together with Satan, who is still in darkness? Be along in the work for sinners—the inward and the outward ministry.

It is vital to draw out the spirit that is in man. How did Jesus judge Satan? By disarming principalities and powers and making a public spectacle of them, and triumphing over them through the cross. How important it is to work against Satan by believing God’s Word and the gospel. Heb. 9.