What Makes the Word Come Alive

I have read the Bible for many years.

Only recently has the Word of God really come alive for me.
I have started seeing the Lord at work in the lives of His people in the Old and New Testament, and then to believe that the God in the Book is the God who lives and moves in this world, who wants to live through me as much as live in me.

As long as we approach the Bible with the idea that we need to "do things for God", we are going to miss out on Himself, and all that He is for us, all that he has for us, and that He does for us, that we may in turn love and serve Him and His creation.

Paul outlines this problem in the third chapter of Second Corinthians:

"14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." (2 Corinthiains 3: 14-16)

"Moses" represents the law, the Old Covenant in which the Israelites were placed under "guardianship" before the fulness of time (Galatians 2: 23-25). Under that Covenant, the Israelites had to obey God and commit sacrifices to atone for their sins. Under the New Covenant, in which Jesus is the final sacrifice, there is no further need for the children of men to obey the Lord in order to obtain righteousness, for by Christ's death man is set free from the law of sin and death. Jesus' death pays for all our sins forever, and by His death the Law is fulfilled, as He had promised (Matthew 7: 14).

Now that the Law is fulfilled, the vail is done away in Christ, and so we are called not to obey the rules through our own efforts, but rather we believe on Him whom the Father sent to die for us, and His Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and knowledge.

This same Spirit grants to us righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14: 17), and in this Spirit the Word of God is opened to us.

By walking, by reading by faith, we then see and believe and receive the promises outlined and depicted throughout the Old Testament, because everything is made manifest through His Son Jesus, who lives in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, in whom we have the hope of glory (Colossians 1: 27)

When we rest in the truth that all of our sins are forever forgiven, when we lose the sin conscience which indicts us for not doing enough for the Kingdom of Heaven, we can then rest at east and receive from Him, that we may in turn serve and comfort others.

Believe on Him whom He has sent (John 6: 29), and the Word of God will open to you in all fullness, as you will see Jesus Christ, from beginning to end, just as He showed to the two traveling on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 25-27)