Believers in Christ: Better than the Bereans

In the course of my travels, I have run into some of the most unpleasant church people, individuals who swear up and down that they are thoroughly versed in the Scriptures, yet their conduct is simply not becoming of children of light:

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" (Ephesians 5: 8)

Many groups boast in that they read the Scriptures like the Bereans, yet their life was no better that the most bitter of unsaved people.

Let us look again at the conduct and calling of the Bereans:

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

"Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few." (Acts 17: 9-11)

Now, when the Bereans searched the Scriptures, they believed on Him whom God the Father sent (John 6: 29), who died for us, rose from the dead, and now lives through every believer by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we search the Scriptures, we are not looking for knowledge alone:

"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

"But if any man love God, the same is known of him." (1 Corinthians 8: 1-3)

Now, God is love (1 John 4: 16), and it is His love that we need to know:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

This act of love brings Love into our lives (Galatians 5: 22), and then we in turn love:

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 19)

Therefore, when we search the Scriptures, let us not look just to make ourselves proud with knowledge, let us meet and grow in grace of the One who died for us and now lives in us:

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5: 39)