Oh, how I dreaded tests in school! Especially pop quizzes that took me by surprise. If the subject at hand was one that did not grab my interest, what I was instructed usually went in one ear and out the other. I would read the assignment and the information it gave fell into a dark hole somewhere in my brain. Retaining certain data was definitely not my forte, so much so that when it came to the testing stage, I often panicked and would frantically try to recall the correct answers. I did well in school, graduating with honors, but it was accomplished with music, literature, and the arts, not math, science, or any of the others that stressed my intellect.
As I opened my Bible this morning to 2Corinthians 13:5-11, it reminded me of the responsibility we have to study God’s Word and how crucial it is to retain it. The Bible is not full of secular, humanist theories. It is intended to instruct us about Jesus Christ, why He came, and what to expect as we spiritually mature. In other words, it is a text book that contains within it all that is necessary to understand God’s plan for mankind. From beginning to end, the Bible speaks of the science of creation, the establishment of governments, and the history of warfare. It broadly lays out what is essential to maintain civil societies and even speaks of the arts, music, industry, trade and commerce. Not one subject is missing from its time-honored pages, for within it lays the wisdom of God.
The apostle, Paul, encourages Christians to be vigilant in their study of the Scriptures. He exhorts us to read it every day and apply it to our lives. The Bible is our only source of knowledge for understanding salvation. It is also the only instruction manual available to us that clearly defines and outlines what it means to claim our Christian title and, most importantly, to live it. There are far too many professors of faith in Jesus Christ today who continually and wantonly fail to do their homework or, worse yet, search out other sources that mislead them.
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (v5)
We should give ourselves pop quizzes from time to time. We are no longer school children who put off reading our assignments because we would rather do something else. We are now children of God and are under His tutelage. There is an eternal wealth of knowledge waiting at our fingertips if we will only take the time to study it and then apply it to our lives. There is no greater advanced degree than what can be achieved through God’s Word.
One day in our future, there will be a final examination. Our departure from this world will bring one last pop quiz that will reveal how much we learned and applied while we were here. The most vital question we can ask ourselves before that happens will be whether or not we will stand the test. We will not be graded on the curve. Each of us will receive what we deserve.
I am not willing to fail my final exam. I have enrolled in the most prestigious university and have sought out the best teachers who are divinely equipped to instruct me from the greatest textbook in history - and I am studying for an “A+”. How about you?
Matthew 5:6
