How Precious Is Your Bible? Part 5

Stay with the Bible

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

2 TimOTHY 3:16

If you were to ask me to give you just one reason why you should read the Bible it is surely the above verse. For me it is so vital, as a follower of Jesus.

1. I believe the Bible is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore that puts the Bible in a class of its own.
2. The Holy Spirit is not a thing, an item but a person, part of the divine Godhead. Therefore He is holy, perfect, and above all for me, truthful. 
3. I believe the Holy Spirit to be truthful. Therefore it states all scripture is to be read and obeyed. That is what I must do.

Quote

It is false to say that God simply gave the thoughts to the individual writers and allowed them to express these thoughts in their own words. The truth insisted on in the Scriptures is that the very words originally given by God to men were God-breathed.  

William MacDonald; edited with introductions by Arthur Farstad, Believer’s Bible commentary: Old and New Testaments [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995 by William MacDonald

Notice what four things reading and obeying the word of God will give you.

1. Doctrine: showing us what to believe. In a world that is full of knowledge and theories, and the declaration of truth for some is how you feel, it is imperative followers of Jesus know what and why they believe. The apostle Peter states “always have an answer when people ask you”
2. Reproof: showing us where we go wrong.  ‘Your Word is a lamp unto my feet’ I repeat some truly believe “If it feels good it must be okay”. In this age of relativism the Word of God must be our Highway Code.
3. Correction: guiding us back to the right path. 
4. Instruction: showing us how to live as followers of JESUS.

Let me finish with reminding you what Jesus said, it is so relative to the age in which we live.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. God’s word will endure, it is not the book of the month. It is the Book of Ages! ‘It lives and abides for ever.’ God’s word cannot be destroyed.

Matthew 24:35

God’s Word will last forever. Voltaire, the eighteenth-century critic of Christianity, wrote that within a hundred years the Bible would be obsolete and would have gone out of circulation altogether. Within one hundred years of his death, his own home in Paris had been converted into a Bible depot, publishing Bibles by the hour. God’s Word will last forever.

I leave you with a quote from Warren W. Wiersbe, with the word Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1991 by Warren W. Wiersbe.

Stay with the Bible 

1. Believe God’s Word will save you 
2. Mature you from childhood to adulthood. 
3. Equip you to serve the Lord.

Advice on Reading the Bible

I recommend watching this video clip. It will help you to understand the word of God.