INTRODUCTION: ONE OF THE MOST FRUSTRATING THINGS IN THE WORLD FOR ME IS TO TRAVEL TO UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY WITHOUT A ROAD MAP. THROUGH THE YEARS, THE LORD HAS BLESSED ME TO TRAVEL THIS WORLD EXTENSIVELY, SOME BY PLANE BUT MOSTLY BY AUTOMOBILE. A LOT OF THE PLACES THAT I HAVE TRAVELED, I HAD NEVER BEEN BEFORE, AND I SHIVER AT THE THOUGHT OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED IF I DID NOT HAVE A ROAD MAP. THANK GOD FOR TRIPLE A WHO PROVIDES A TRIP TICKET THAT MAPS OUT THE BEST ROUTE, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE CONSTRUCTION AREAS. AND MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT IT IS PROFITABLE TO HAVE A ROAD MAP FOR THOSE PLACES THAT ARE FAMILIAR BECAUSE SOMETIMES, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE FAMILIAR, YOU CAN STILL GET LOST AND HUNG UP IN CONSTRUCTION.
WELL MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, THIS CHRISTIAN JOURNEY AS WELL AS LIFE REQUIRES A ROAD MAP, FOR MANY OF US DO NOT KNOW WHERE IT IS THAT WE ARE GOING, THEN MANY OF US TRAVELING BUT WE ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. GOD HAS PROVIDED A ROADMAP THAT IS DESIGNED TO GET YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION, SOMETIMES AROUND CONSTRUCTION, SOMETIMES THROUGH CONSTRUCTION. YOU SEE GOD HAS HIS OWN TRIPLE A PLAN: HIS ABILITY, HIS ASSURRENCE, AND HIS AWARENESS. SO IF YOU NEED TO KNOW JUST WHICH DIRECTION YOU SHOULD BE TRAVELING IN, CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
I. THE TEXT
PAUL WRITES THIS LETTER TO HIS SON IN THE MINISTRY TO ALERT HIM TO THE FACT THAT MEN WILL GROW MORE AND MORE WICKED AS TIME PROGRESSES. HE REMINDS HIM OF HIS OWN SUFFERINGS, AND STATES THAT CHRISTIANS ARE GOING TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST’S SAKE.
FINALLY HE ENCOURAGES HIM TO BE SOUND IN THE FAITH BY THE CONTINUAL STUDY OF GOD’S WORD.
AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME IN THE STUDY OF GOD’S WORD. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE STUDY OUR BIBLES. IT’S ONE THING TO READ THE BIBLE, BUT IT’S ANOTHER THING TO STUDY THE BIBLE. THE WORD BIBLE COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD BIBLIA, DIMINUTIVE OF THE WORD BIBLOS WHICH MEANS BOOK. MANY SOLUTIONS TO LIFES PROBLEMS CAN BE RESOLVED IF WE WOULD JUST CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
THE BIBLE IS NOT A BOOK OF FAIRY TALES, NOR IS IT A COLLECTION OF FABRICATED FOLLY PENNED BY MEN. PAUL SAYS THAT ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPARATION OF GOD, MEANING ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED. THE BIBLE IS THE AUTHORATATIVE WORD OF GOD WITHOUT ERROR. THE BIBLE IS GOD TAKING THE UNKNOWN, AND REVEALING IT THUS, MAKING IT KNOWN. THE BIBLE IS GOD ILLUMINATING, ELUCIDATING, AND PUNCTUATING HIS WILL TO MAN. THE BIBLE IS GOD DICTATING TO MEN WHOM HE CHOSE TO REVEAL HIS PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO MEN. SO IF LIFE HAS YOU IN A TRAFFIC JAM, DON’T PANIC, JUST CHECK OUT THE BOOK.
II. WHAT THE BIBLE IS GOOD FOR
MANY HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE BIBLE GOOD FOR. FIRST, PAUL SAYS THAT IT IS PROFITABLE, USEFUL, TO YOUR ADVANTAGE FOR DOCTRINE. THE BIBLE IS A TEACHING TOOL TO SHOW MEN AND WOMAN HOW TO LEAD GODLY LIVES, TITUS 2:12 “TEACHING US THAT, DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS, WE SHOULD LIVE SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY, IN THIS PRESENT WORLD.” JESUS INSTRUCTS US TO LEARN OF HIM, WE CAN ONLY LEARN OF HIM BY STUDYING GOD’S WORD.
SECOND, PAUL SAYS THE BIBLE IS FOR REPROOF, FOR TESTING. WHEN PROBLEMS OCCUR IN OUR LIVES WE CAN TEST THEM BY THE SCRIPTURES. WE CAN ALSO TEST THE
GOODNESS OF GOD BY THE SCRIPTURES, MALACHI 3:10 TEACHES, “AND PROVE ME NOW HEREWITH, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IF I WILL NOT OPEN YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING, THAT THERE SHALL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT.” YOU CAN TEST THE REASON FOR YOUR JOY IN THE LORD.
THIRD, PAUL TEACHES THAT THE BIBLE IS GOOD FOR CORRECTION OF OTHERS AS WELL AS ONESSELF. IN OTHER WORDS THE BIBLE FUNCTIONS AS A MIRROR THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE OURSELVES AS WE ARE AND MAKE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU GOTTEN DRESSED, AND THEN LOOKED INTO THE MIRROR ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THERE WERE SOME CORRECTIONS THAT YOU NEEDED TO MAKE. THE BIBLE DOES JUST THAT.
FINALLY, THE BOOK IS GOOD FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE PSALMIST EXCLAIMS IN PSALMS 5:8, “ LEAD ME, O LORD IN THY RIGHTEOUSNESS.” LEAD ME IN THE RIGHT WAY.
III. CONCLUSION
NOT ONLY IS THE BIBLE GOOD AND PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, REPROOF, CORRECTION, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT IS ALSO PROFITABLE IN TEACHING US TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT ALSO TEACHES US TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO DO US WRONG-CHEK OUT THE BOOK; IT ALSO TEACHES US TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES-CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT ALSO POINTS THE HOPELESS TO HOPE-CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT POINTS THE CONFUSED TO PERFECT PEACE-CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT POINT’S THE BLIND TO THE LIGHT-CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT POINT’S SINNERS TO THE WAY OF SALVATION-CHECK OUT THE BOOK; IT POINT’S TO THE CROSS OF CALVARY.
