Monthly Archives: March 2025

JESUS SAID-2

Bible Study, ,

Jesus said…nothing, but what He did not say spoke volumes. Sometimes Jesus didn’t need to say anything. He allowed His actions to speak for Him.

Here is an excellent example.

John 8:3-6 NIV
[3] “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group [4] and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5] In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” [6] They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.”

Why did Jesus let His finger speak for Him?

Many are the interpretations of His action, most speculation but few with understanding.

Jesus knew that His audience of religious leaders would recognise, immediately, what He meant because, as men thoroughly familiar with every word of the Tanach which they could recite by heart, they knew that He was quoting from Jeremiah 17:13.

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

Jesus had just offered His people the “living water” of the Spirit to which the high priest’s action pointed. To complete the Festival of Tabernacles, the high priest performed the ritual of pouring water on the ground. Jesus cried out, in response,

John 7:37-39 NIV
[37] “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

The “water” He offered would not disappear into the dry ground as did the water poured out by the high priest. Instead, the “water” He offered would continue to flow and quench the thirst of anyone who drank it.

The Pharisees has so repudiated His words that they had sent soldiers to arrest Him. The soldiers returned empty-handed, to the wrath of the religious leaders.

John 7:45-48 NIV
[45] “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. [47] “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. [48] “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?”

On the strength of the rejection of the religious leaders, Jesus wrote His indictment in the dust. What did He write? He wrote their names! His prophetic action meant that, since they had rejected Yahweh, the fountain of living water, they would be obliterated from the earth, like their names written in the dust.

His second indictment! How did He know their names? Only He, the Son of God, could know their names without ever being introduced!

Isaiah 43:1 NLT
[1]”But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

Jesus knew much more than Jack, John, or James. He knew them, deep in their wicked hearts. So convicted were they when they realised what He was doing that they slunk away in disgrace without another word.

John 8:7-9 NLT
[7]” They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” [8] Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. [9] When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.”

Case dismissed! Not only had Jesus exposed their hypocrisy once again but He had also driven away the woman’s accusers. He was free to forgive, to show mercy, and to send her away a new person.

JESUS SAID – 1

Bible Study, ,

Jesus said and did many things that puzzle us…until we understand them in the wider context of His role as a Jewish rabbi. He was trained in the Tanach, and was not only thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures but was also Himself the Word of God in human form.

John 1:14 NIV
[14] “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Who, but Jesus would know and fully understand what the Scriptures meant and what God intended by what was written. His every thought and action were the expressions of the written Word. His clash with His arch enemy, the devil, for example, and His victory over him, rested on these three words, “It is written.”

Matthew 4:4 NIV
[4] Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Let’s examine some of His words and deeds and try, through them, to get to the heart of what He and the Scriptures meant.

L Iet’s consider His relationship to the Father. In John’s presentation of Jesus as the Son of God, he records Jesus’ claim to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man, God and Messiah. These claims would be outrageous if they were not true.

As the Son of God, Jesus linked Himself with David’s prophetic word in Psalm 2.

Psalms 2:7 NIV
[7] “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

Hebrews 1:5 NIV
[5] For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

This statement has nothing to do with human procreation but rather the expression of relationship. In ancient Hebrew, the word “son”, meant “one who continued the house”, that is, one who perpetuated the life, character, and standards of that household in the next generation.

Hebrews 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. [6] But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

A son had a specific role in a Hebrew household. The eldest son stood in the place of and represented the father in all family matters. He took responsibility for all his “second born” siblings’ actions, hence Reuben’s attempt, as Jacob’s eldest son, to rescue Joseph from the pit into which his brothers had thrown him because he would be held accountable.

Genesis 37:21-22 NIV
[21] “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. [22] “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.”

A firstborn son’s role was to submit to and obey his father and to learn the father’s trade so that he would carry on the father’s business in the next generation. For example, Jesus found James and John working with their father, Zebedee in the fishing business.

Now let’s examine Jesus’ words…

Matthew 5:17-18 NIV
[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

As God’s Son, Jesus was committed to absolute obedience to every detail of God’s covenant with Israel, not only in letter but in spirit. When Jesus said that He came to “fulfill” the law, He meant that He would complete God’s instructions by obeying the law perfectly according to God’s intention, including His attitude and motive.

His perfect interpretation of and obedience to the law clashed with the religious leaders’ interpretation and brought their wrath down on Him because He exposed their hypocrisy. They claimed to be righteous because they obeyed every commandment to the letter but…the pride of their own self-righteousness obliterated all their claims.

Matthew 23:23-24 NIV
[23] “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [24] You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Jesus obeyed God’s law to the letter, not because of pride but because He loved the Father! His passion was to do the Father’s will. As David prophesied,

Psalms 40:6-8 NIV
[6]”Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [7] Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

Jesus also claimed to be the Son of Man. What did He mean? Was this only a reference to His humanity or did He mean something more?

Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
[13] “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Daniel’s vision, he saw a human figure approaching God and acting as someone much more than just a man. He was receiving the rewards that imply deity…authority, glory, and sovereign power, the worship of all nations, and an eternal kingdom. These descriptions fit only one person, Jesus, God’s Messiah.

Jesus’ death on the cross as a blasphemer was a travesty of justice because His accusers ignored the evidence. They condemned Him because He did not meet their standards rather than the standards of God’s law. Although they had no answer to His question,

John 8:46 NIV
[46] “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

… the Sanhedrin still condemned Him to death for answering the high priest’s question …

Mark 14:61-62 NIV
[61]… “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” [62] “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

What an indictment against Himself! Son of God, Son of Man! Jesus deliberately and clearly stated both claims so that His resurrection would vindicate Him. The very purpose for His coming! He was saying, in His reply, “I am both God’s Son, and God’s Messiah,” in perfect fulfilment of God’s Word… and for that they killed Him.

Was He “guilty” of the claim He made? What was the final proof of His “guilt”?

Romans 1:4 NIV
[4] “… and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We can conclude, then, that Jesus’ claim to fulfill the law was both accurate and accomplished. He was crucified as a blasphemer and law-breaker, but the Father raised Him from the dead, vindicating Him as Son of God and Son of Man because He spoke the truth. Nothing He ever said or did contradicted His intention…

17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Acts 2:23-24 NIV
[23] “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [24] But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Jesus died as a sinner but death could not hold Him. He has the right to accredt His own righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.

GOD’S WORD – A PERSON

Apologetics, ,

There are so many things we can learn from God’s Word about His Word and what His Word does and reveals that it would take a lifetime and more to discover every facet. To cut a very long story short, let’s examine just one more claim that wraps up every part of this book’s remarkable nature and its power to transform lives as a divine/human book.

The Bible has been described as “the manifestation of God in another form”. If this is true, then we must realise that God and His Word are inseparable. He is both who He is and what He says.

However, even more amazing is that this Book, this Word came here as a person, God’s Word living as a human on this earth.

This truth can be, for us, just a philosophical idea or a life-changing reality, depending on how we receive it. If we regard what John wrote about the Word being a Person as an application of the Greek philosophical idea of the “logos” rather than God speaking to us by His Son, we will miss the whole point of what John was saying.

Again, let the Bible speak for itself.

Genesis 1:1 NIV
[1] “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Hidden in this Hebrew sentence are the latters “aleph tov”, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Although untranslatable, Jesus revealed their significance in the last chapter of Revelation.

Revelation 22:13 NIV
[13] “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

“He (the Word) was with God in the beginning.”

Genesis 1:3 NIV
[3] “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

John unpacks Jesus’ role in creation…

John 1:1-3 NIV
[1] “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

… and in the world…

John 1:4-5 NIV
[4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Can you see how, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John understood that the Jesus who came from the Father is God and that He was the agent through whom creation happened and through whom God speaks.

Our limited human minds grapple with this revelation but, like all God’s truth, we must receive it by faith or reject it according to our attitude to revealed truth.

Point one, then…Jesus is God in human form and He is the one who partnered with the Father to create the universe, God’s spoken word through whom the universe came into being.

Point two, Jesus is the incarnation of God’s final message to the world. Throughout the history of Israel under the Old Covenant, God spoke to His people through His prophets. However, His message was completed in the life and death of His own Son.

Hebrews 1:1, 3 NIV
[1] “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
[2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Jesus not only spoke God’s Word, He came as the God’s Word itself. In other words, what Jesus did and said was not in His personal capacity as God in human form but rather as God’s Word doing and speaking. He could nevar speak or act outside of His unity with the Father because He was the Father’s voice to the world.

Consider His words…

John 12:47-50 NIV
[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. [50] I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Jesus, the Word, is the standard by which God will judge humanity.

Whatever Jesus said was the Father speaking! It’s that simple! Hence, as a man, Jesus had all authority because He was God’s message to earth.

Jesus told His disciples clearly that His life, as the embodiment of the Torah, God’s instructions to His people, was not to do away with His law but to fulfil every detail in the way the Father intended.

Matthew 5:17-18 NIV
[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

It was only because Jesus lived in perfect obedience to the whole law, fulfilling every detail, that He could be the perfect sacrifice to atone for all humanity’s failure to achieve God’s perfect standard of righteousness.

In view of all we have considered concerning the Bible and what it has to say about itself, those who refuse to take it at face value and believe what is written must carry the burden and the consequences of their unbelief. Those who put their faith in what is written and live by its instructions will experience all the benefits and blessing of what God has promised because God has spoken His final Word in Jesus and has nothing more to say. To reject the Bible, then, is to reject Jesus because He is the Word in human form.

GOD’S WORD – INERRANT, INFALLIBLE, AND ETERNAL

Apologetics, ,

We must not ignore the Bible’s claims that it is inerrant, infallible, and eternal. However, we must remember that, when we refer to the Bible as perfect, we are speaking of its perfection in its original text. As much as we trust most translations, only the original can be considered to be faultless.

  1. Scripture claims to be pure, that is, unmixed with anything that is not true.

Psalms 12:6 NIV
[6] “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 NIV
[5] “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. [6] Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

There are serious consequences for those who add, subtract, or alter God’s Word in any way. For example…

Revelation 22:18-19 NLT
[18]” And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. [19] And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.”

Since God and His Word are one and, since Jesus is the embodiment of God’s Word, it stands to reason that the Bible is without fault.

  1. The Word of God is eternal. Again the Bible speaks for itself…

Psalms 119:89 NIV
[89]”Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”

Matthew 24:35 NLT
[35] “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

Jess Himself is the guarantor of all God’s promises.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NLT
[19] “For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. [20] For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

  1. The third in this trio of guarantees is that God’s Word is infallible. What God promised, He did. What God threatened, He did. When God made promises yet to be fulfilled, we can be sure that He will keep his Word. Unlike humans whose promises are often, as my mother used to say, “…Like pie crusts, made to be broken,” God cannot lie and He does not speak lightly or make extravagant promises He cannot keep.

The angel Gabriel, bringing God’s message of the child she was to bear, assured Mary…

Luke 1:37 NLT
[37] For the word of God will never fail.”

We can be sure of every word God has spoken, even those words of judgment coming on those who refuse to believe His Word, those who trouble His people, and those who defy Him by their wickedness.

Psalms 37:9-10 NLT
[9] “For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. [10] Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone.”

2 Thessalonians 1:5-9 NLT
[5] “And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. [6] In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you. [7] And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, [8] in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. [9] They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.”

Although we are not to rejoice over the downfall of the wicked, God has given us the reassurance that He will take revenge on those who have caused us pain and harm. We can safely leave all judgment to Him because His Word will never fail.

Romans 12:19 NLT
[19] “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.”

Most encouraging for us is the truth that God’s infallible Word will be the standard by which He judges.

John 12:48-49 NLT
[48]”But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. [49] I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.”

Who Jesus is, then, God’s Word sent to us to reveal the Father by His life…

John 1:14 NLT
[14]” So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

… Is the final standard by which God will vindicate or judge all people.

John 12:46-48 NIV
[46]” I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. [47] If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”

After Israel’s tortuous journey through a treacherous wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Bible gives us this comforting conclusion…

Joshua 21:45 NLT
[45] “Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

And again…

Joshua 23:14-16 NLT
[14] “Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! [15] But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you. [16] If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

As impossible as many of God’s prophecies and promises seem to be, since God is God, nothing is impossible for Him.

GOD’S WORD – ITS POWER – 2

Apologetics, ,

Although the topic of the power of God’s Word is too big to deal with adequately here, I would like to summarise by examining four aspects that impact us.

  1. The power to scrutinise

Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV
[12] “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. [13] 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.”

We have only briefly touched on this point, so let me enlarge on it a little.

Imagine reading a murder mystery which describes in detail the thoughts and motives of the murderer. Does what this person thinks impact us in any way? Are we motivated to kill because we read this book or does this story prompt us to react in horror to what the murderer had done? In the main, reading fiction leaves us unmoved. It’s just a story.

Even biographies of prominent characters cannot change us. We might admire their courage, be impressed by their achievements, or even disgusted by bad behaviour but…we carry on with our lives as they are. Who they are and what they did doesn’t affect what is inside us.

Stories of fiction have no power to impact us. No one, for example, unless they already have plans to kill, would be influenced to go out and commit the same terrible deed. We choose our genres for entertainment, enlightenment perhaps, Information, education, or whatever purpose we have in mind but, in the end, everything we read does not dig deep into the core of our being as do the words of Scripture…

…yet, in an inexplicable way, the Bible opens up what is in the depth of our hearts and moves us towards a response. We identify closely with passages in the Word that tell us what’s wrong inside and that appeal to us for action. We do what is tells us and discover its power to change us.

How does this happen? Consider these words of David…

Psalms 19:12-14 NLT
[12] “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. [13] Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. [14] May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Here we have the secret to the power of the Word to scrutinise us…the partnership of God the Holy Spirit and the Word. It’s the Spirit who uses the words of the Word of God to expose what is in us.

Jesus said…

John 6:63 NLT
[63]”The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

We enter into this partnership with God when we, in honesty, pray the prayer of David, on the strength of God’s perfect knowledge…

Psalms 139:23, 24 NLT
[23]”Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
[24] Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

  1. The power to save
    God’s Word not only has the power to reveal what is in our hearts, it also has the power to save us from the devastation and destruction that sin does in us.

Why do we need saving? Every human is born with the capacity to self-destruct. Left to ourselves, our old human nature with its bent towards stubborn rebellion and disobedience, will take us to eternal separation from God, called hell.

We all have an unpayable debt to God and for that we must die unless God intervenes to rescue us. He did, by sending His Son to pay our debt. The Bible not only reveals what He did, it also works the miracle of new birth in our hearts. When we learn of God’s salvation through Jesus, believe the truth of what He has done, and receive His forgiveness of our sin by faith, that Word does a miracle in our hearts, giving us a brand new start by transforming us into new people.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
[17] “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

God’s Word is a seed that grows in us to produce a new person.

1 Peter 1:23 NIV
[23] “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

How does this happen? Paul tells us…

Romans 10:17 NIV
[17] “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

So, by faith in the message about Jesus, which we receive through hearing or reading the Bible, our sin is forgiven, we are reconciled to God, we start a new life of trust and obedience to Jesus, and we are on a new path to the Father in heaven.

  1. The power to settle
    God’s Word has the power to settle us. What do I mean?

Before we believe in Jesus and become new people, we are unsettled inside… restless, insecure, anxious, and afraid. We have nothing to hold onto that steadies us through difficult times. Our lives make no sense, have no meaning or purpose, and we feel like tiny vessels on a very stormy sea. We don’t know where we came from and we don’t know where we are going.

Everything changes when we return to our Creator. Our union with Jesus gives us direction, meaning, and purpose, and answers the questions no one in the world can answer. The Bible is the truth about God and us, and our place and purpose in the world. Without the truth it provides, we have no authoritative source to guide us and keep us on track to our destination. Again, it’s David who provides an insight into this aspect of Scripture.

Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

No other book than the Bible can give us clear directions on how to live. When we follow God’s instructions, He confirms His truth by the peace in our hearts.

Psalms 19:9-11 NLT
[9] “Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. [10] They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. [11] They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.”

4.The power to sanctify

The fourth great work of God’s Word relates to the deep-cleaning that it does inside us. The Bible calls it “sanctification”. To sanctify means “to make sacred” or “to set apart from sin to God”.

Jesus prayed…

John 17:17 NIV
[17] “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Our natural bent towards self-gratification remains in us despite our new lives in Christ. The discipline and training we experience as believers in Jesus is to subdue our old nature by learning to follow Jesus and to be led by His Spirit in us. Again, through the partnership of the Holy Spirit and the Word, we learn to do what is right by saying no to our sinful desires and trusting the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to obey Him.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
[12] “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. [14] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

This great work of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit continues throughout our lives. As long as we are in these human bodies, we will be tempted and we will occasionally fall into sin but, said John, we will no longer practise sin as a way of life. Why?

1 John 3:9 NLT
[9] “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life (seed) is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”

We have already learned that we are born again by the seed of God’s Word. This “seed” is now in us, growing and producing the new life of God in us.

These four great functions of God’s Word do a deep work of exposing our sin, and changing and cleansing us on the inside so that we are aceptable to God, righteous before Him, members of His forever family and being changed into the image of Jesus.

God does all this work inside us through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Our role is to follow His leading, believe and obey His Word, and rest in the work He is doing in us to perfect us for our eternal life with Him.

Philippians 2:12-13 NIV
[12] “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”