Jesus taught his followers that being faithful to his teachings is the core of discipleship.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)  

In order for us to “continue in the Word,” as one version of the Bible translates this, we must read and study it.

It is impossible to be a disciple without making the study of the Scripture a top priority.

But our interaction with the Bible cannot stop here: we must become what James called “doers of the Word.”

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22 (NLT) 

Obedience to Christ’s teachings is the crossroad where the path mere churchgoers follow diverges from the narrow path pursued by true disciples.

One of the worst forms of deception for a nominal Christian is to hear or read teaching from the Bible, agree in principle with it, and fail to do it. It’s called self-deception.

Conversely, Jesus promised that those who do obey his teachings will gain even more understanding of the meaning of what the Bible teaches.

Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. John 7:17 (NLT) 

One of the unique things about the Word of God is that it can only be properly apprehended by those who surrender to it.

Those who remain aloof from it as critics of its content are never able to understand what it means. Only the obedient are granted such access.

Disciples have a reverence for the Bible and its teachings. They believe it contains God’s message to his people, which is still alive and relevant.

The key that unlocks its contents is called revelation.

The Holy Spirit is the author or conduit of revelation. Being the Bible’s behind the scenes author, he alone knows what it really means and he has the power to open hearts and minds to its life changing power. Disciples have the Holy Spirit living within them. He is our personal tutor.

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27 (NLT) 

The Bible is not just a book to read and study. It is a living document, whose author indwells all disciples.

We have been given permanent access to the Holy Spirit, who desires to open our hearts and minds to the truth and help us to live it out.

There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15  All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ John 16:12-15 (NLT) 

Followers of Christ must be taught how to interact with the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This living relationship with God’s Word allows the Bible to conform us to its teachings, rather than our seeking to conform its meaning and commands to our desires.

There are basic principles of interpretation called hermeneutics that can be useful tools as long at they do not become hard and fast rules that eliminate our reliance upon the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not limited to what our human minds can understand. Neither is the Holy Spirit bound by our man-made rules of interpretation. We should make our apprentices aware of general principles of interpretation so they will not “go off the deep end” into error, while insisting that they do not fall into the trap of limiting the Scriptures to rules of hermeneutics.

God speaks to us directly through the Bible via the Holy Spirit. It is alive and powerful.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)