When I was a teen, I had newly committed my heart to the Lord and was very excited about my new found faith. My father, ever a cynic at that time, suggested to me that the whole Jesus story was just a fairy tale like Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny. He suggested that the bible was just a book to be enjoyed for relaxation and rest. Being a new believer, his words set me back in my faith and the first question I had to ask myself was: “What do I think about the bible?”
Is the bible just a book filled with words that can be read like any other book?
Or is each word of the bible the inspired Word of God? Is His power breathed into every word?
2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”
Your answers to the above questions, will determine how seriously you take what is said in scripture.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.” Genesis 1:1-5 (NLT)
In Genesis we see that the Spirit of God always acts upon the Word of God. What God said, is what the Spirit brought about! The Spirit is not dependent on our behavior, or great preaching, it merely responds to the Word of God.
If the bible is the inspired Word of God, then every word has power when combined with the Spirit. The Word of God is revealed to us in the bible.
It has power for the following reasons:
- The Word of God provides spiritual nourishment to us. Just as our physical bodies will die without nourishment, so our spirits will die without nourishment. We feed our spirits with the Word of God, the words providing what we need for each of our days here on earth – our daily bread.
Matt 4:1-4 (NLT)“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- God’s Word has the power to convict and cleanse us. When prayerfully reading God’s Word, the Spirit goes to work in our thoughts and motives to reveal to ourselves the condition of our hearts. Heb 4:12-13 (NIV)
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
- God’s Word is our weapon of defense. As I said earlier, the Spirit of God responds to God’s word. The Word has power when we confess it with a believing heart, in difficult situations and in prayer.
Eph 6:12-17(NLT) “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
- God’s Word provides the only way to an eternal life. The Words of God, if believed, brings with them eternal life.
John 6:66-69 (NLT) “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked,“Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
Now looking at each of the four points above…
How would your day-to-day walk change if you believed that the Word of God had THAT power in it?
Selah – think on that! Now look at 2 Tim 3:16 again and consider what this powerful Word could do in your life.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”
Father, help me to never read Your Word and take it lightly. Help me to read it as if the very words from Your mouth, filled with power through the Spirit can change my life completely. Help me to remember the power it has in my own life and in my interaction with the world. Also help me to trust in its power for eternity. I declare that I a familiar with the Word of God, I regularly spend time in the word, equipping myself with knowledge and understanding so that I am correctly trained in right living and right acting.
It you enjoyed this post, also read:
Leave A Comment