What does God say about the Bible, Part 1?
Jn 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He told us His Word existed from the beginning, even before time. Jn 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Is Jesus God’s Word, which became flesh?
2 Tim 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Does His Word provide us with all we need to know to live a life filled with good works? Has the Bible proven trustworthy, or have we discovered errors within it? History has shown that every time we fallible humans identify what we believe to be an error; science, experience, or a better understanding of the context of the verses have stepped in to correct our mistake. God has told us, in Ps 19, everything He has created speaks to us daily, confirming His creation, if we would only pay attention. Consider the miracle of our created bodies, each with its own uniquely designed DNA. Once we thought only our fingerprints were unique, the discovery of DNA serves as further evidence science is still trying to understand what God has created.
Matt 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Do we need the Word of God to live the life He has seen for us? Jer 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” He sees our potential before He creates us; however He gives us the free will to live that potential, or not. How are our lives affected when we ignore His Word, and is His Word personalized for each of us? Did Jesus give us an example of this, Mk 10:21, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Jesus told this man what he personally needed to do; this message is not for all of us, but for those of us who need to hear it. Many of us have ignored or misunderstood our personal message. Can we each find the advice God has for us in His Word? Is this why we cannot use it to condemn others? Is this why He asks us not to judge others? Matt 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” When we are busy judging others, we miss the message intended for us. This why it is so easy for us to condemn people for their impatience when we need to deal with our own impatience. Is this why He tells us, Matt 7:3, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
1 Thes 2:13, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” Does the Word of God work in each of us willing to reason with it? And, does it transform us from created beings into believers who will dwell with God for all eternity? It does, if we truly believe it is the Word of God, Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God is telling us we must first believe, otherwise, we will not understand our personal message, which leads us to Him.
Heb 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Is His Word more powerful than anything a man can create? Does it penetrate to the very core of our conscious? Will His Word help us overcome any obstacle we face in this life?
Rom 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Does His Word bring us the hope we need to endure all this life can bring? Do we need to have patience enough to read His Word with a desire to understand it? Ps 119:9-10, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.” How would this world be different if we honestly desired to live our lives according to His Word? Josh 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Will goodness and success follow when we are careful to do all He has told us?
Ps 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Does His Word provide a light that will lead us on the path to Him? Prov 4:26-27, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Has God not asked us to think about the path we have chosen, to make sure it is the one leading to Him? Are we to use the time He has given us to correct our own errant ways, without misusing His Word to try to correct other people? When we are on the path to Him, would we be better prepared to help others find their way to Him?
Matt 22:36-40, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” What happens when we love God and our neighbors? How will this change our lives and the lives of our neighbors? Gal 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Can all that God asks of us be summed up in one word, love?
Does God not ask us to keep His Word pure? Can adding to it or removing parts of it ever be the right thing? Deut 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” From Deuteronomy to Revelation, He has asked us to keep His Word pure, for our sakes, not His. He knows we will not be able to find our way to Him when we follow anything other than His undefiled Word.
So, why have so many tried to change what God has told us? Where is His church, the undivided one, which follows His undefiled Word? Gal 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Preaching any version of the gospel, other than the one Jesus gave us, divides His church, Mk 3:24-25, “And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand,” and He does not approve of divisions within His church.
He gave us His Word, protected it for thousands of years, and warns us not to change it. This is one of the reasons He had to come and clarify His Truth, pointing out the history shown in the Old Testament was man’s attempts to add burdens to His people. He came to free us from those burdens, Matt 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” His yoke is one of love, Jn 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” We only need to read the eyewitness accounts of how Jesus loved, to know that His love does not include the many ordinances the Jewish people added to His original Ten Commandments.
He asks us to keep His Word pure. So, when He returns to collect His bride, His church, it will be pure and undefiled by this world, Rev 21:1-3, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Those of us who have lied and changed His Word will not be part of His family, Rev 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” There can be no other way. For only those who love Him, and His Word, will be fit to live together for all eternity within a family totally in love with each other, which leads to the elimination of the pain and suffering of this world, Rev 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” The solution is for all of us to come to His Word and reason with it for ourselves; this is the only way we will receive our personalized message from Him.
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