The amount of time that you spend reading the Bible does not equate into your becoming a more fervent follower of Christ.
There are many learned men who have studied the Holy Book for many years, theologians who are extremely well versed in it, men who have the ability to retain and recall information at will. But those men also know the Quran, the Book of Mormon, the religious practices of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, they know the words, but their hearts have not been transformed by them. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
You meet these people in church, you meet them on the street, some of them you may know personally, they have extensive parts of the Scriptures committed to memory, they can repeat them verbatim, but they do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
I am going to presuppose something here I cannot validate, but I would suggest that since the printing press was invented, in these days when a Bible is readily available to nearly everyone on the planet, whether it be in print, an electronic storage device or the internet, that nearly everyone in hell has read or at least heard a portion of the Scriptures. They are, in a sense like those our Lord spoke of, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matt. 13:15)
The preaching of the cross is not only foolishness to them, it is a complete and total waste of time and energy. They have no ears to hear.
If you have been born-again, then Romans 10:17 stands as a truth, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” But so does Hebrews 5:14, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Unless you make the effort to apply what it is you have read, unless you love the Lord and obey His commandments, unless you act upon what it is you have read in His Holy Word, all that time you spend reading His Word will avail you nothing.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22)
“Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” (Matt. 24:46)
Action follows after knowledge, the Scriptures speak to us about actions, whether it be a life of fervent prayer, feeding the poor, supporting missionary work or cleaning the church. We study to show ourselves approved so that we can obey properly and for the glory of God the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ. Reading the Bible never completed the work that has been set before us, it is the instruction manual for the life of the one who has been crucified with Christ.
Those who are new in Christ drink the milk with great zeal, but how many of them move onto the meat, how many are willing to put the Book down and go out into the world and apply what they have read? It matters little how much of the Book you have memorized, if you have hid much of the Scriptures in your heart, if you do not apply those truths in your daily walk, to others that you meet, even to the way your mind formulates thoughts.
The words of wisdom are meant to be shared, not just read for some emotionally uplifting moments, not to be heard from the pastor and then forgotten until next week.
