The Character of God's Word. Are you taking time to read the Book
A challenge to read the Bible
Joshua 1:8-9 Psalm 119:11
Believers Lack Biblical Understanding: A Barna poll reveals that many born again Americans hold beliefs contrary to Scripture. Among the most disturbing is that 68% think the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves. Other alarming beliefs are; that the Holy Spirit does not exist (53%); that Satan does not exist (47%); that a good person can earn his/her way to heaven (31%); that Jesus Christ died but never had a physical resurrection (30%); and that Jesus Christ committed sins (24%). George Barna notes these results “underscore the magnitude of the challenge facing churches today.”
"This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity."
8 REASONS WHY THE BIBLE IS PRECIOUS, AWESOME AND AMAZING:
1. You will be blessed! If you want to be blessed, live according to God’s Word
2. God’s Word will make you pure! “How can a young man cleanse his way? A great preacher said once, "God’s Word will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from God’s Word."
3. You will see amazing and remarkable things! The Bible is full of miracles, but remember.
4. God’s Word will revive you. It comes from getting God’s Word into your heart!
5. God’s Word reveals His love to us. God’s Word reveals His LOVE to us.
6. God’s Word reveals His faithfulness. God is FAITHFUL! People have tried to destroy and discredit the Bible but to no avail.
7. God’s Word gives wisdom and direction.
8. God’s Word will give you great peace.
People wonder how they can structure their life in the Scripture. How can they discipline them self, to give so much time to the study of the Word of God. We do not spend time because we need to attend to other things that need our attention.
We must understand that the Bible needs to have a value we place on it. It is your view of Scripture that is the basis of everything. Now clearly no culture can survive without applying the truth of Scripture, as no individual can endure without applying the truth of Scripture. Right is not determined by a popularity contest, and it's not determined by a poll, it's determined by what God has said. And God has spoken in the moral and ethical and spiritual realm with very clear terms. No society will survive with a rejection of the Bible as its standard. Our society will continue to crumble into unchecked wickedness at a rapid rate unless there is a return to the Word of God. It's unavoidable.
The Bible claims some amazing things for itself. We will look at seven of them. These are things the Bible claims for itself and this will help you to understand what you're dealing with. You have one book and yet divided into two testaments, the first testament divided into 39 separate books, the second into 27, one called the Old Testament, one called the New Testament. This is not a human book. It was written: Over a 1500 year span (from 1400 B.C to A.D. 100) which is over 40 generations. It has over 40 authors. It was written in different places. IT was written In times of peace and in times of war. It was written By people in different moods. It was written on three continents And in three languages. The Bible is no mere book; It is not the product of the thoughts and imagination of any man’s heart. It is not a wonderful piece of fiction but the established word of God. The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity. It is singularly authored by God and those men who wrote these various books at various times in various places wrote under the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God who was passing on to them the revelation of God from His mind to that pen so that what was produced was the very word of the living God. This is not a human document, this is a supernatural book.
First of all, the Bible claims for itself to be reliable. That is to say that everything that it affirms is totally true. What it says about capital punishment is true. What it says about marriage and divorce is completely true. What it says about worship is absolutely true. What it says about Jesus Christ is true. What it says about the nature of man is absolutely true. What it says about the history of Tyre or Sidon or the history of Babylon or What it says about the future of a coming Babylon, or a beast or an Antichrist is true. What it says about a man named Peter, a man named David, or a man named Paul, a man named Adam who had wife named Eve and they had some children named Cain and Abel and Seth it is true. What it says about a garden is true. Everything it says is absolutely true. It is infallible. What it gives for itself is in PS 19, "The law of the Lord is perfect." It contains no flaw. The prophet said it is like silver tested seven times in a furnace, all that could be imagined to be of dross is burned away and it is absolutely true. Everything it says historically is true. Everything it says prophetically is true. Everything it says spiritually is true. Everything it gives us in terms of direction in life is absolutely true. It is reliable. That is why it has always been called the standard for life for faith and practice.
Two, The Bible is flawless. Now we're moving away from the content that it affirms to the specific words. To say it is sound means that the Bible in its original message that is written by the inspired writer was without error. Now you've got to know that's a challenge, to write anything without error is a challenge. When the Word of God was written it was written without error as the Spirit of God directed it. Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.” You know, the scribes in the early years at the time of Ezra and before were so devoted to not putting an error in the Scriptures that they would copy the Scriptures with such care it's just beyond belief. Some scribes would write one letter, take a bath, change their clothes, get a new pen, write another letter, take a bath, change their clothes, get a pen and write another letter. They didn't get a lot done but what they got done was correct. There was care to this close of the faultless text and its keeping. That's why the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is so important because we had scrolls say from the eight or ninth century A.D. The originals don't exist anymore, or if they do we don't know where they are. So copies were made and copies were made. People would say, "Well surely there are many, many changes, many, many mistakes that have come in." Then we found the Dead Sea Scrolls. They confirmed the current text that is being used for the translations of the Bible. The Bible is flawless because were the originals were by the control of the Holy Spirit as well as the careful carefulness of the scribes had preserved that Scripture through all those centuries. In its origins it is flawless, and that's why it says also in PR 30:6 you're not to add to it lest you be reproved and found a liar. In Revelation it tells us not to add anything to it or we shall be given the plagues that are written in this book, you're not to take anything away from it or your name will be taken out of the Book of Life. This is a flawless Scripture.
Thirdly, it is unchangeable. It says all that God wanted to inspire. From Genesis to Revelation, all 66 books, sums it up. DT 4:2, “Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you from the Lord your God. Just obey them.” Jude 1:3 “God gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy people.” The Bible is complete. Nothing needs to be added. When John wrote Revelation in 96 A.D. on the island of Patmos what was God revealing it to him, it had been 30 years after most of the completion of the New Testament and this was the final, this was the end, this was the last bit of revelation called the book of Revelation to close out the canon of Scripture which had begun with Genesis. It is finished and complete. Everything necessary for life and godliness and spiritual knowledge is there. This is a complete Scripture and it does not need Science and Health and Key to the Scriptures. We do not need the Book of Mormon and the Doctrines and the Covenants. This is the complete Word of God; there is no more inspired revelation beyond this. This is God's once-for-all-delivered-to-the-saints faith. All Scripture is inspired by God. According to 2 Tim. 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 straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 PT 1:20 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God.
It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. It is reliable, flawless and unchangeable.
Fourth, it is authoritative. That is to say that when it speaks you better listen. It is not a book of ideas. It is not a book to be put alongside other books. It is not a book to be compared with the writings of Confucius or Buddha or Muhammad or somebody else. It is not a book to be compared with other religious reflection or writings or put beside Aristotle and Plato, or the writings of some other philosopher. It alone is authoritative. IS 1:2 says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." You better listen, God has spoken. PS 119:89, "Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven." Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven. This is an authoritative book. It comes as a command to obey.
Fifthly, it is adequate. It is all God wanted to say. It is all God said by way of revelation through inspiration. And it is all we need. 2 TIM 3:16, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for instruction, for correction, for reproof, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." It is sufficient. Nothing more is needed for spiritual life than this Book. We can use other books help us to understand it, but all spiritual truth necessary for life and godliness is found in this book. The Bible does not want for human wisdom to jump start it. It is sufficient that the man of God may be perfect, completely furnished for all good works.
Sixth, it is profitable. In other words, it is powerful and effective for life. It means that it will influence lives. It accomplishes divine purpose. Isaiah 55:11, 12, "So shall My Word be that goes forth. It shall not return unto Me void but shall accomplish what I please." The word never returns useless, it always accomplishes the purpose for which God sends it. Throughout Scripture God says I will accomplish all My good purpose. Who is going to stop Me? Who is going to prevent Me from fulfilling My Word? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away but Your Word will not pass away." Jesus came even Himself to say I have come to fulfill the Word, not to set it aside. It is effective. Wherever it goes it penetrate powerfully. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow as a discerner the thoughts and intents of the heart. It just penetrates the heart. It cuts deep. It is effective. To some it is a saver of life to life, to others a saver of death to death. But it comes with power; it achieves God's purpose sometimes for grace and sometimes for judgment. What God says will come to pass. His Word will always be fulfilled.
Finally, it governs. It is reliable, flawless, unchangeable, authoritative, adequate, profitable and governs people. It is the Word of God that separates men and women. It is the Word of God that becomes the dividing line between those who are in the Kingdom of God and those who are out of it. It is the Word of God that decides between the saved and the lost. It is the Word of God that decides between those who will go to heaven and those who will spend eternity in hell. It is the Word of God that separates those who are God's children from those who are Satan's children. The Word of God is the determining factor. JN 8:47. "He that is of God hears God's words. You therefore hear them not because you are not of God." Indifference to the Bible is a dead giveaway. Uncertainty toward scriptural truth is a dead giveaway that one does not belong to God. If you belong to God you hear God's Word. Jesus put it this way, "My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me." It is natural for a human being to seek oxygen. It is natural for a new creation in Christ to seek truth, the truth of God. A person may claim to be a Christian but if they have no interest in Scripture you have a right to question the claim because attitude toward the Word of God is a settled reality. This is God's Word. In the Old Testament alone there are over 2,000 claims made by the Scripture that say this is the Word of God. And the New Testament adds to that, this is God's Word. As such, it is the determining factor. If you hear God's Word, you belong to Him. If you don't hear His Word, you don't belong to Him.
In fact, if you can't understand the Bible, its a lost book to you, its a maze and a fog, then you're a natural man who understands not the things of God because they're spiritually discerned. But if the Word of God enlightens your heart and opens your mind and brings joy to your heart and takes your plainness and turns it into wisdom, then the Spirit is alive in you, you belong to God and you're hearing His Word. We're dealing with a supernatural document that is absolutely true in all that it affirms, that is inerrant in every word, that is complete, that is nothing is missing, you don't need anything beyond this to have the inspired revelation of God, it is authoritative, that is it speaks as commands, it is sufficient, it contains everything you need for all issues of spiritual life. It is effective, that is to say wherever it is unleashed it comes with power and impact and it always accomplishes what God wants it to accomplish. And finally, it is the determining matter when it comes to where you belong or in what kingdom you exist. God's people listen to His Word. You can do a little heart examination on where you are with that regard.
Summing up just those things, Joshua 1:8, one of the great Old Testament passages that exalts the Scripture, says, "This book of the law...referring to Scripture...shall not depart from your mouth, Because you shall meditate on it day and night." Now whatever you're thinking about all day and thinking about all night will show up in your conversation. So he's saying you ought to be full of the Word of God. It is the dominant thing in your life. It will become the controlling thing in your talk. You meditate on it, you talk about it and pretty soon you begin to live it out. Then you will have success. But you need to obey what it says.
There's no explanation of the Bible other than that God wrote it. Nothing else explains its scientific truth. Nothing else explains its prophetic truth. Nothing else explains its spiritual and penetrating truth and its ability to transform lives. Nothing else explains its miracles which are from front to back in this book and verified by eyewitnesses. And nothing else can explain Christ. This vast, profound, remarkable Book could not be the illusion of any human imagination, let alone the collective imaginations of over forty different writers all over the place. This is God's Word. It is alive, it is powerful. And until you come to grips with what this document is, you're never going to be able to give to it the diligence that is required to learn all that is written in it so you can make your way prosperous and have good success.
Two of our greatest presidents said some pretty important statements about the Bible. George Washington said, “It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible.” President Ronald Reagan said, “Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today, if only we would read and believe.
I shall live this day as if it is my last.
And if it is not, I shall fall to my knees
and give THANKS! Dennis
