Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
The Bible is God’s Authoritative Word.
We often hear today the idea that because times have changed the Bible does not fit our day. The truth is just the opposite. We need the authority of God’s word today. When God speaks, He does not mumble. The Bible is not a book of “helpful hints for happy living.” It speaks with authority. What the Bible says, God says. Obedience is not optional for us as believers.
The Bible is God’s reliable Word. You can trust God’s Word. All of it is faithful, righteous, and true and it doesn’t change with the times. Scripture is reliable because it comes to us from God who understands our needs and who graciously has revealed how we should live.
The Bible is God’s powerful Word. The Word brings us into a living relationship with the living God. We don’t study the Bible to become Bible scholars. We study the Bible to seek God Himself. The Word gives us stability in trials. The Word gives us direction in life. In the complex world in which we live, we desperately need God’s wisdom for making sound decisions.
To benefit from the Word, we must be diligent in three responsibilities:
We must spend time and effort learning God’s Word. With the busy lives we all lead, it takes discipline. We must make it a priority to learn the Word.
We must obey God’s Word. Knowledge without obedience is useless. James encourages us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers.
We must love God’s Word. Love is the motive for obedience. We are to love God’s Word because it reveals the God of love to us.