The Bible is the Word of
God. Part Two.
Bible Reading: 2
Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21.
“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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy
men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” 2 Peter 1:21.
1.
SEVEN
SYMBOLS USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE BIBLE.
ONE:
A SWORD.
The Bible is a pointed Word that convicts the hearer: “For the
word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Hebrews 4:12.
TWO:
A HAMMER.
The Bible is powerful and breaks the resistance of the
hearer: “Is not My word like a fire?” says the
Lord, “And like a hammer that
breaks the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah
23:29.
THREE:
SEED.
The Bible is a living Word regenerating the hearer: “Having
been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of
God which lives and abides forever” 1
Peter 1:23.
FOUR:
MIRROR.
The Bible is a faithful Word, revealing the individual to
himself/herself: “For if
anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his
natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately
forgets what kind of man he was.
But he who investigates the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and
is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in
what he does” James 1:23-25.
FIVE:
A FIRE.
The Bible is a burning Word, consuming the dross in the
reader: “Then I said, “I will not make
mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my
heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it
back, and I could not” Jeremiah 20:9.
SIX:
LAMP.
The Bible is an illumination Word, guiding the believer day
by day: “Your word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path” Psalm
119:105.
SEVEN: FOOD.
The Bible is nourishing food, feeding the soul (providing
meat and drink): “For
though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach
you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need
milk and not solid food.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word
of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid
food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason
of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” Hebrews 5:12-14.
So, the “Word of God”
convicts, breaks, regenerates, reveals, consumes, illuminates, and nourishes
the individual.
2. SEVEN REASONS FOR PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD.
We are sent to preach not a new church, an idea, or of men,
but Christ Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible. We insist on preaching the
Bible because it endures for time and eternity. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word
of our God stands forever” Isaiah 40:8.
ONE:
Conviction
of sin comes through the preaching of the Word of God. “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to
them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you,
and heed my words……” “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man
attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through
Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know Him…. Now when they heard this,
they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men
and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts
2:14-37.
TWO:
Faith
comes by hearing of the Word of God. “So, then faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17.
THREE:
Cleansing
comes from the Word of God. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”
2 Corinthians 7:1.
FOUR:
Assurance
comes from the Word of God. “These things I have written to
you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have
eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the
Son of God” 1 John 5:13.
FIVE:
Comfort
comes from the Word of God. “Therefore comfort one another
with these words” 1 Thessalonians 4:18.
SIX:
Truth
comes from the Word of God. “These were more fair-minded than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and
searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” Acts 17:11.
SEVEN:
The New Birth comes from the Word of God. “Having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and
abides forever” 1 Peter 1:23.
End of part two, part three to follow.
