Living Out The Scriptures

THE BIBLE! WHETHER YOU USE LATIN OR GREEK, THE “BIBLE” MEANS “BOOKS” OR “THE BOOKS.” THE BIBLE CONTAINS MANY OTHER BOOKS. THERE ARE 73 BOOKS IF YOU ARE CATHOLIC AND 66 BOOKS IF YOU ARE PROTESTANT. WE HAVE SEEN AS MANY AS 81 BOOKS IN SOME ORTHODOX TRADITIONS.

THE BIBLE, GOD’S WORD REVEALED TO US, WAS WRITTEN BY 40 DIFFERENT AUTHORS OVER 1,500 YEARS. SPANNING THE THREE CONTINENTS OF ASIA, AFRICA, AND EUROPE, THE BIBLE COMES TO US IN HEBREW, GREEK, AND ARAMIC.

THOSE INSPIRED BY GOD TO WRITE THE WORDS OF SUCH A LIFE-GIVING MASTERPIECE, DID SO FROM PRISONS, DUNGEONS, THE WILDERNESS, DURING EXTENSIVE TRAVELS, AND EVEN WHILE IN EXILE. IT TRULY IS, AS STATED IN 2 TIMOTHY 3:16, “ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND IS USEFUL TO TEACH US WHAT IS TRUE AND TO MAKE US REALIZE WHAT IS WRONG IN OUR LIVES. IT CORRECTS US WHEN WE ARE WRONG AND TEACHES US TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.”

THE BIBLE IS EVEN IN THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS AS THE HIGHEST SELLING BOOK OF ALL TIME WITH AN ESTIMATE 5-7 BILLION COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD.

JOHN WESLEY BELIEVED THAT THROUGH SCRIPTURE ONE COMES TO KNOW GOD AND THAT KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE WOULD FORM AND SHAPE ONE'S HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH TOWARD HOLINESS.

WESLEY WROTE IN HIS JOURNAL, ON JUNE 5, 1766, “MY GROUND IS THE BIBLE. YEA, I AM A BIBLE-BIGOT. I FOLLOW IT IN ALL THINGS, BOTH GREAT AND SMALL." THE WORDS OF GOD THAT ARE RECORDED IN THE BIBLE HAVE THE POWER TO STRENGTHEN US SPIRITULLY AND TO NURTURE THE RELATIONSHIP GOD DESIRES TO HAVE WITH US.

ISAIAH 55:10-11, “THE RAIN AND SNOW COME DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS AND STAY ON THE GROUND TO WATER THE EARTH. THEY CAUSE THE GRAIN TO GROW, PRODUCING SEED FOR THE FARMER AND BREAD FOR THE HUNGRY. IT IS THE SAME WITH MY WORD. I SEND IT OUT, AND IT ALWAYS PRODUCES FRUIT. IT WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL I WANT IT TO, AND IT WILL PROSPER EVERYWHERE I SEND IT.”

THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH DOCTRINE ON SCRIPTURE SAYS THIS (P108): “THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WRITTEN WORD, UNIQUELY INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. IT BEARS UNERRING WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST, THE LIVING WORD. AS ATTESTED BY THE EARLY CHURCH AND SUBSEQUENT COUNCILS, IT IS THE TRUSTWORTHY RECORD OF GOD’S REVELATION, COMPLETELY TRUTHFUL IN ALL IT AFFIRMS. IT HAS BEEN FAITHFULLY PRESERVED AND PROVES ITSELF TRUE IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE….THE BIBLE HAS AUTHORITY OVER ALL HUMAN LIFE. IT TEACHES THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD, HIS CREATION, HIS PEOPLE, HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, AND THE DESTINY OF HUMANKIND. IT ALSO TEACHES THE WAY OF SALVATION AND THE LIFE OF FAITH.”

SO, WHY THE LONG INTRODUCTION? WHY DOES THE BIBLE NEED SUCH FANFARE AND EXTENSIVE PROLOGUE? BECAUSE THE BIBLE COMES TO US FROM OUR GOD WHO IS HOLY AND WHOES NAME IS HOLY. THAT MEANS THAT HIS WORD IS ALSO HOLY AND A HOLY EXPRESSION OF HIS WILL AND PURPOSE FOR US AND HIS CREATION.

GOD’S WORD TO US IS SACRED, HOLY, AND SHOULD BE HELD IN GREAT REVERANCE BY EVERY BELIEVER. WE SHOULD CONSUME IT SO THAT IT TRANSFORMS US AND MOLDS US INTO GOD’S IMAGE TO BE THE REFLECTION AND WITNESS OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST.

WHY ALL THE FUSS? WHY THE LONG INTRODUCTION? WE FIND OUR ANSWER IN JAMES 1:22, “DO NOT DECEIVE YOURSELVES BY JUST LISTENING TO HIS WORD; INSTEAD, PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.”THE BIBLE IS OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO US AND TO THE WORLD.

JAMES IS STRESSING THAT A BELIEVER CANNOT DIVORCE THEIR HEARING GOD’S WORD FROM OBEYING IT TO THE FULLEST. IT WILL ALWAYS BE BOTH RECEIVED AND LIVED OUT, TOGETHER, ALWAYS.

GOD’S WORD CAN ONLY GROW IN THE SOIL OF OBEDIENCE. WE RECEIVE IT AND ALLOW IT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY HOLDING IT IN OUR HEART AND MIND SO THAT IT TAKES AFFECT IN OUR LIFE.

ALL THAT WE STUDY FROM GENESIS 1:1 TO REVELATION 22:21 SHOULD EFFECT OUR ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR BECAUSE WE ARE PUTTING GOD’S WORDS INTO ACTION AND LIVING IT OUT IN CHRIST-LIKENESS. JESUS SAID IN LUKE 11:28, “BUT EVEN MORE BLESSED ARE ALL WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.”

BEING RESPONSIBLE AND COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WAYS TO LIVE OUT OUR FAITH. HOW TROUBLED ONE’S SOUL MUST BE TO HEAR GOD’S WORD AND YET HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF EVER LIVING THEM OUT.

SIMPLY PUT: PUT INTO PRACTICE WHAT YOU PROFESS TO BELIEVE! I’VE HEARD IT SAID “IT IS NOT WHAT ONE KNOWS, BUT WHAT ONE DOES THAT COUNTS. TRUE KNOWLEDGE IS THE PRELUDE TO ACTION, AND IT IS OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD THAT COUNTS IN THE END.” THE BIBLE IS LIKE A MIRROR TO REFLECT ANY SINFUL FLAW THAT MAY DETRACT YOU FROM REFLECTING CHRIST TO THE WORLD. WE GLADLY MAKE ANY CORRECTION NECESSARY OUT OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.