A Literary Life

1 TIMOTHY 4:16, “WATCH YOUR LIFE AND DOCTRINE CLOSELY. PERSERVERE IN THEM, BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF AND YOUR HEARERS.” THE BIBLE TEACHES GOD’S TRUTH.

TEACHING THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD ALSO PRODUCES THE HEALTHY PROCESS OF REBUKING AND CORRECTING. PAUL STATES HERE THAT WE MUST USE THE BIBLE TO EXPOSE ERRORS OF NOT ONLY FALSE TEACHINGS, BUT AS A WAY TO CORRECT SPIRITUAL, ETHICAL, AND MORAL BEHAVIOR THAT HAS FALLEN INTO ERROR.

JAMES 5:19-20, “MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, IF ANY OF YOU SHOULD BE LED AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, LET SOMEONE TURN HIM BACK AGAIN. THAT PERSON SHOULD KNOW THAT IF HE TURNS A SINNER FROM THE WRONG WAY, HE WILL SAVE THE SINNER’S SOUL FROM DEATH AND MANY SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN.”

REBUKE AND CORRECT! WE ARE COMMANDED TO CONFRONT AND CORRECT ALL INACCURACIES OF SCRIPTURE WHETHER IT IS IN WRITTEN FORM OR BEING LIVED OUT BY A FELLOW BELIEVER.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, THE BIBLE CAN BE OUR SOURCE OF TRAINING TO INCREASE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GOD WANTS US TO LIVE OUR LIVES TO HIS GLORY. IT IS THIS TRAINING AND PREPARATION THAT WILL HOPEFULLY MINIMIZE THE NEED FOR US TO BE “REBUKED” AND “CORRECTED.”

PSALM 119:9,11,16,101,105, “HOW CAN A YOUNG PERSON STAY PURE? BY OBEYING YOUR WORD. I HAVE HIDDEN YOUR WORD IN MY HEART, THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU. I WILL DELIGHT IN YOUR DECREES AND NOT FORGET YOUR WORD. I HAVE REFUSED TO WALK ON ANY EVIL PATH, SO THAT I MAY REMAIN OBEDIENT TO YOUR WORD. YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO GUIDE MY FEETAND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.”

CHRISTIANS SHOULD DIG DEEP INTO THE WORD OF GOD. BIBLE STUDY GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH BIBLE READING. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD IS NOT USEFUL UNLESS IT BROADENS, DEEPENS, AND STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH AND LEADS US TO DO GOOD.

THE BIBLE IS GOD’S PERSONAL MESSAGE TO US. THE BIBLE IS NOT “JUST” A RECORD OF THE PAST – THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS AND THEN OF THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.

INSTEAD, EVERY STORY, EVERY PROPHECY, EVERY TEACHING, EVERY ADMONITION, AND EVERY COMMAND POINTS BEYOND TO THE AUTHOR, GOD, WHO CAME TO US IN JESUS CHRIST. GOD CONFRONTS US IN THE PAGES OF HIS WORD – TELLING US HOW MUCH HE LOVES US, HOW WE CAN BECOME HIS CHILDREN, AND HOW WE SHOULD LIVE TO PLEASE HIM.

AGAIN, WE ARE TALKING EVERY WORD…GENESIS 1:1 TO REVELATION 22:21! THE WHOLE BIBLE IS GOD’S INSPIRED WORD. BECAUSE IT IS INSPIRED AND TRUSTWORTHY, WE SHOULD READ IT, STUDY IT, AND APPLY IT TO OUR LIVES.

THE BIBLE IS OUR STANDARD FOR TESTING EVERYTHING ELSE THAT CLAMS TO BE TRUE. IT IS OUR SAFEGUARD AGAINST FALSE TEACHING AND OUR SOURCE OF GUIDANCE FOR HOW WE SHOULD LIVE OUR LIVES AND LIVE IN OUR WORLD.

THE BIBLE IS OUR ONLY SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE SAVED. IN HIS WORD, GOD WANTS TO SHOW YOU WHAT IS TRUE. HE WANTS TO EQUIP YOU AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FULLY DEVOTED AND OBEDIENT TO HIM.

IT IS MY PRAYER AS YOU LEAVE HERE TODAY THAT THE BIBLE HAS TAKEN ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING FOR YOU. MY PRAYER IS THAT YOU WILL TREASURE EVERY COPY IN YOUR POSSESSION SO THAT IT BECOMES YOUR SOURCE OF DEVELOPING “A LITERARY LIFE” OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY, VICTORY, WITNESS AND FAITH.