Many people can read the Bible and get a surface or superficial understanding of the text. But the true knowledge of the text comes to the believer who confesses Jesus as Lord, receives the Holy Spirit, and lives as though Jesus was in charge of his life. See 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
The believer who reads, ponders, and applies the word of God will gain more in-depth comprehension than the one who does not have the Holy Spirit and who does not follow Jesus as the Son of God. See John 14:20-24. God will reveal Himself in a relational way to those who by the Spirit take hold of the instruction in the Word and apply it appropriately in faith by God’s grace. Then God will reveal Himself to that person. Believers learn and grow by doing, not just reading.
The plan of God is that we be conformed to the image of His Son. See Romans 8:29. Jesus was a servant of the Father, doing His will. The maturing believer’s life will conform to that pattern; he will develop a servant attitude toward the Lord from the heart as the Spirit reveals his flaws and he repents of them and takes up healthy biblical patterns.
Most people will agree that the beatitudes are an ideal way to live, but will not see any way to get there, and will be too busy to try. But those beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12 are understood by the maturing believers who are learning the lessons of the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus was a learned Pharisee in Israel. See John 3:1-21. But he had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Everything Jesus said was accurate truth, but being born again, knowing the movement of the Holy Spirit changing the direction of the life, believing in a Savior who was lifted up on a cross and finding salvation and not condemnation–this Nicodemus could not comprehend. He was merely religious, not spiritual.
The Samaritan woman at the well did not understand Jesus at first (John 4:1-26). The Jews did not understand how Jesus could freely break the Sabbath in John 5:16-30. The crowd could not understand Jesus’ reference to Himself as the Bread of Life in John 6:22-40. People could not agree over who Jesus really was in John 7:25-31, 40-44. The Pharisees could not understand Jesus’ words against them in John 8:37-47. They were merely religious, not spiritual.
Many church-goers will never grasp the promises of God for themselves because they are not living the way of faith and obedience, the life of Abraham. They are not reading the Word of God themselves, and end up living not for the kingdom of God, but for themselves and the world. They live for what they can see, not for the unseen and eternal. See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Jesus came to set up the kingdom of God when He came. He was its King. Those who pursue the life of the kingdom will find the Bible full of instruction. Those who don’t will find the Bible irrelevant.
