Understanding

This is a true saying: The issue in bible understanding is not that you try to understand a passage so that you might believe it, but rather that you believe the passage, exactly as it says it, so that you might understand it.

You should be a believer before you try to study the bible. To be a believer means to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Christ died for our sins. All of them. He was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.

When you trust Christ as your Saviour God sees the death of Christ on the cross as being your death. So as far as God is concerned you have already been brought up for judgment for your sins, you were found guilty, and Jesus Christ took your place in death on the cross. Then when he was raised from the dead it is proof of your justification.

 Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, people he had never met before, they were already saved. They had already trusted Christ as their Saviour. Notice:

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

So the Ephesians were already believers and now Paul writes the letter to give them understanding.

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Ephesians 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And he goes on to write the letter to give them understanding of who they are in Christ and what they have in Christ.

True bible understanding is for saved people, not lost people. The only way a lost person could understand scripture is that a saved person explain it to them. A person led of the Holy Spirit can understand the words of the Spirit written in the bible by just taking them at face value and believing it.

So the way to gain understanding is simply to take the bible at face value and BELIEVE IT.