When the Bible talks about renewing the mind, it speaks of much more than memorizing or quoting Scripture. Memorizing and quoting Scripture are valuable and important. But, the place where Scripture is to be hidden is in the heart, not the head.
When Scripture is hidden in the heart, it will result in Christ like thinking and living. Thinking like God and reflecting the heart of Jesus is the goal of bible study and Scripture memorization. If Scripture memorization is nothing more than an intellectual exercise, it will only become fuel for theological debating and eventually form a religious, social and mental “cast system” in the church as is seen in Luke 18 and Acts 4.13.
Intellectual pride only puffs up. Intellectual pride points fingers and is judgmental. A renewed mind stems from a renewed heart that causes a person to think like Jesus instead of thinking like a Pharisee.
When Jesus talked with the two disciples on the road of Emmaus, their hearts burned within them. I doubt very much that Jesus gave them a 3 point sermon with the intention of stimulating them intellectually. The faith of Christ is not a faith of the mind, but a faith of the heart. With the heart Man believes and is saved. With the heart Man obeys the truth and becomes more like Jesus. Loving God and others with the heart sums up the teaching of Scripture according to Jesus.
If the study of Scripture does not produce a living and deeper encounter with Jesus Christ, we have missed the point. If you know more Scripture than you know Him, you have missed the point, my friend. Authentic Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.
It has been said that the purpose of bible study is to know what we believe and why. I believe that is true, but not the goal. If our bible study only results in the ability to articulate our theological persuasions instead of knowing Jesus along with an ever increasing desire, passion and love for Him, we have sorely missed the point.
Search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they testify of Me. When we get to heaven and behold the glory of God and Jesus Christ, we will realize beyond a shadow of a doubt that knowing Him was what all of our bible Study was meant to be all about. Selah
