Everything I have been saying so far leads to a practical conclusion, and it is this. If discipleship involves obedience to Jesus Christ, as it certainly does, and if Jesus exercises His Lordship over us so that we can obey Him through the Bible, as we have seen to be the case, then there can be no real discipleship apart from Bible study. The study of the Bible is no option for Christians. It cannot even be a minor, occasional, or “vacation time” pursuit. It must be the most essential ingredient in the believer’s spiritual life.
Several years ago, when I was in northern California, I turned on the radio and heard part of an unusual religious program. It was called “Have You Had a Spiritual Experience?” and was conducted like a call-in talk show. A phone number was given, and listeners were invited to describe their “spiritual experience” over the air.