Yesterday we started looking at what the Bible says about itself and we saw that the Bible says it is Precious, Perfect, Powerful and Profitable. Today we proceed … but always remember that the Bible is the Word of God. It is “out breathed” from God. It is the only thing God has left us that is tangible. We are able to have it in our own language and we can “take it up and read it” to know what God says about Himself, His creation and man.
Regarding man, He tells us we are sinners, born so because of Adam’s fall into sin and more, we can’t do anything about our sinful state. We are in a right mess and this mess is so helpless and hopeless that we need someone other than ourselves to redeem us out of this mess and this someone else cannot be human because as humans we are sinners and sinners cannot save sinners.
So this Bible, God’s inspired, inerrant and authoritative Word tells us that God Himself came to this planet to do what we could not do. He came to save us and He came in the person of Jesus Christ, God the Son. He was born of a virgin without the help of a human father. The sin disposition was not transferred to Him because, miraculously, the virgin’s pregnancy was through the agency of God the Holy Spirit. The main thread and story line of the Bible is about this Redeemer and Saviour (Jesus Christ – God the Son). Today we find that …
The Bible Says it is Prophetic
Look at
2Pe 1:19 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Some persuasions have a lot to say about “prophetic words or utterances” these days. They believe the prophetic gift as it was in the Old Testament and the New Testament Book of Acts and mentioned in 1 Corinthians is still available and some church members are gifted with it to “prophecy” over people. However, this gift as it was disappeared as did all the other supernatural gifts in the early part of Acts. There is, though, the Prophetic Word as in the preacher, studying for his sermon, digging into the original languages to understand exactly what the passage says and means and then expounding that passage with a contemporary application. That is equivalent to saying … “thus says the Lord” … and is prophetic.
The Old Testament was extremely prophetic in that it foretold of the coming Messiah, what He would be and what He would do. Virtually all such prophecies have been fulfilled because the Messiah has come. The ones that remain are about His Second Coming, The Day of Judgment when the redeemed will be found not guilty and escorted into Glory and the spiritually dead (the wicked, unrepentant) will be found guilty and caste into eternal hell. Naturally the predicted end of all things as we know it and the ushering in of the new earth and heavens will come about. Yet for today, every preacher is prophetic when he warns believers about holy living, service to God, growth in Christlikeness and the great need to prepare for heaven. The preacher is also prophetic when he calls lost souls to repent and believe because of the coming wrath. When he exposes the consequences of sin and shows hell as it really is, a place of terrible, unbelievable suffering, pain and agony. Then the preacher is prophetic. When the pastor-teacher / preacher is expositional, you may trust and believe what he says as accurate.
The Bible Says it is Pure
Again, one may think of silver going through the purification process to remove (extract) all the dross and impurities. Think of
Ps 12:6 And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.
The initial “furnace experience” does not purify completely.
The process is repeated a few times to insure total purification. The Word of God does not need that process because in its original form, given from the mouth of God through the prophets, it was instantly pure. It contains not flaws. There are not errors or mistakes in the original. True, in translation and in printing, like many other books mistakes or errors creep in … but in the original shape of the Divine Word … is pure … totally pure. This is why it is trustworthy. Paul writes that the elder needs to believe, accept and use God’s message (Word) to teach others and protect the Christian Faith:
Tit 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
The fact that the message is “trustworthy” means it is totally pure. It contains no defilement like the original silver ore that was mined. This means you can trust the Bible. You can believe the Bible. You can hold onto its promises. It is God’s unalterable Word to you.
The Bible Says it is Purifying
So many Christians lose their spiritual way because they either do not use God’s Word daily in a devotional and study way or they use it incorrectly. The incorrect way would often be believing what false prophets / teachers have to say. When what is said does not come true or if what is said is false and trusted … the one believing that “word” will be disappointed or misguided and never achieved spiritual maturity. The one who does not use the Word for him or herself will never experience what the Word can do in their personal life.
Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
As the Word is used properly and intentionally, it purifies the soul. It convicts of sin and creates the desire for holiness.
Dear God, Your Word is amazing. Thank You for giving it to us. Help us to use it properly for our own personal gain to hone and shape us for godly living, for Gospel service and for us to prepare ourselves for glory. Amen.