The Spiritual Discipline of Study: All True Study Begins and Ends with Christ
The discipline of study does not begin with curiosity or academic rigor. It begins with acknowledging the rightful reign of God and the need for His leading in our learning; it begins with submission. When this happens, God gets involved in the studies of the believer to help them move forward in the subject:
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Any serious study begins with accepting that all things — life itself, the covenant of marriage, the meaning of humanity, and even the laws uncovered by science — exist for and find their coherence in Christ.
Paul expresses this profound truth with power and clarity:
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! … For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33, 36)
What is the Pharisee-turned church apostle saying. Only these three things: All things are of Christ; He is their source. All things are through Christ; He is their sustainer. All things are to Christ; He is their goal.
Thus, there are no neutral subjects. Marriage is about Christ (Ephesians 5:31–32). Humanity is about Christ (Colossians 1:16). The natural order of the cosmos itself exists through Christ (John 1:3). To study anything rightly is to study something that exists because of Him, through Him, and for Him. Study, therefore, is not merely intellectual; it is devotional. It begins with trust and an acknowledgement of truth about the relationship between Creation and Christ.
In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.