Chapter 22—Study the Bible for Yourselves
Allow no one to be brains for you, allow no one to do your thinking,
your investigating, and your praying. This is the instruction we need
to take to heart today. Many of you are convinced that the precious
treasure of the kingdom of God and of Jesus Christ is in the Bible which
you hold in your hand. You know that no earthly treasure is attainable
without painstaking effort. Why should you expect to understand
the treasures of the word of God without diligently searching the
Scriptures?
It is proper and right to read the Bible; but your duty does not end
there; for you are to search its pages for yourselves. The knowledge
of God is not to be gained without mental effort, without prayer for
wisdom in order that you may separate from the pure grain of truth the
chaff with which men and Satan have misrepresented the doctrines of
truth. Satan and his confederacy of human agents have endeavored to
mix the chaff of error with the wheat of truth. We should diligently
search for the hidden treasure, and seek wisdom from heaven in order
to separate human inventions from the divine commands. The Holy
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Spirit will aid the seeker for great and precious truths which relate
to the plan of redemption. I would impress upon all the fact that a
casual reading of the Scriptures is not enough. We must search, and
this means the doing of all the word implies. As the miner eagerly
explores the earth to discover its veins of gold, so you are to explore
the word of God for the hidden treasure that Satan has so long sought
to hide from man. The Lord says,“If any man willeth to do his will, he
shall know of the teaching.”
John 7:17
. (R.V.)
The word of God is truth and light, and is to be a lamp unto your
feet, to guide you every step of the way to the gates of the city of
God. It is for this reason that Satan has made such desperate efforts to
obstruct the path that has been cast up for the ransomed of the Lord
to walk in. You are not to take your ideas to the Bible, and make
your opinions a center around which truth is to revolve. You are to lay
aside your ideas at the door of investigation, and with humble, subdued
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