Our lives are living letters from Christ to the world. When we live the Scriptures, we serve God by making His Word come to life in front of others. For example, the Bible says not to gossip. By not gossiping, we become a living letter. Christians can memorize the entire Bible but if they don't live it in public, why bother study it? After all, it's not about how much we know. It's about putting into practice what we presently know.
Sharing the Gospel terrified me whenever I first became a Christian. One scripture echoed through my mind, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Matt. 10:32-34). I thought that if I didn't go door to door passing out bible tracts, Jesus would deny me before the Father. Studying the Bible transformed my life into a living tract.
The Holy Spirit changed my heart as I applied the biblical text to my life. As a new convert, my friends noticed that I had I stopped cussing and drinking. I put more "baggage" out of my life each time I read the Scriptures. Something else happened. My heart began to change from fear of sharing the Gospel to naturally speaking about God to others. Not every single conversation I had centered on God, but many of them did. I couldn't help talking about God.
Studying the Bible creates opportunity for us to serve God. It leads to living the Gospel. We must, however, give people space and respect whatever their choice. God didn't force us to choose Him; neither should we be so aggressive that people turn away in disgust. Do others want what we have? Do we have faith during trials? Do we love the unlovable? Do we guard our tongues from evil? Our lifestyles either lead others to Christ or turn them against Him.
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