IV. Learning From the Word of God
A. The Bible offers guidelines for every area of your daily life.
However, to effectively use it, you must constantly read and study it. The Bible is unique in that it cannot be truly understood by someone who is not a child of God. Read 1 Corinthians 2:12–16.

B. On the other hand, we who are the children of God have been given a helper to dwell within. He will guide us into the truth if we will follow scriptural guidelines. The Bible tells us:
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:16–17). “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).

C. The scriptural guidelines mentioned in point B above refer to a principle of Bible study taught in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:9–10). It is important to learn all that the Bible has to say on a subject before forming a doctrinal position. Many people have not followed the biblical principals for formulating doctrine and have ended up forming or joining dangerous cults. The Word of God must never be handled so carelessly or half-heartedly.

D. For these reasons you can see that it is very important for every Christian to read the Bible from cover to cover, over and over. In this way he can become competent to interpret what he reads. However, lest you become discouraged, the next section will show you a few study aids that will let you take advantage of the study time that others have put in.