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The Bible – God’s Living Word
This past Sunday, I asked my students in “Sunday School” if they have heard the analogy that the Bible is like an onion. A few of them raised their hands while one of them blurted out, “Like it has different layers.”
“Exactly,” I said. I went on to explain how each time you read the Word it can say different things to you. Later that day, I was thinking of an example I could give them of this. My mind went back to a time when the Lord took me deeper into His Word. During one of my Quiet Times, the Lord took me to John 4. God used this passage to teach me several things. I thought it was a good illustration of how one can dig deep (and even deeper) into God’s Word.
John 4 recounts Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at a well. In this passage Jesus sends the Disciples into town to buy food while He spent some time alone with the woman (a social taboo in many ways). A look at this passage will show three different levels of digging into God’s Word.
Level one, which I call “the surface,” is what one can glean simply from reading the passage. On the surface, the passage is simply a conversion story. It recounts how Jesus meets a woman and through conversation leads her into the realization that He was the promised Messiah she’d been looking for. He does this by overcoming her objections and revealing Himself to her by recounting for her his life story—something only God can do.
Level two goes a little deeper. A level two reading reveals this telling to be more than just a conversion story but a lesson on how Christians are to treat non-believers if they intend to win them to Christ. First, Jesus went to where she was. If the saints are to win the lost, they have to go where the lost are. They can’t just sit in a holy huddle waiting for the lost to come to them. That just is not going to happen. Second, Jesus knew of her past and he let her know that he knew of her past, but He did not demean her for it. Jesus understood that sinners will act like sinners. It stuns me when saints are shocked when sinners act like they do. It’s their nature. It’s all they know. How ironic that saints expect sinners to act like saints while saints think it ok to act like sinners.
A level three study of the text reveals to us the heart of God. Jesus, being God, had to go through Samaria the Bible tells us. The Jews normally would go out of their way to avoid this area but Jesus made a beeline through it to meet a woman at a well during the hottest part of the day. This woman would go to that well during this time because no one else was there. At that time, there would be no leering eyes and muttered talk. This woman was looked down on even by the Samaritans. She was, in effect, the lowest of women among the lowest of society among the lowest of people groups, at least according to Jewish thinking. But God went directly to her and met her personally. Likewise, God calls us to go to the unlovely and the unlovable to demonstrate His love and concern. Who around us is considered the unlovely? Who is considered the unlovable? Who would we consider to be not worth our time or not worthy of heaven? What person or people group has God placed on our heart? Jesus went to this woman and this woman, the least of her people, became His first evangelist, introducing her people to Him while the Disciples stood idly by. God said He would take the foolishness of this world to confound the wise and the weakness to confound the strong. He did that with this woman. Like Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, the Disciples, Paul—just to name a few—He used this woman to lead an entire city to the Lord. What Billy Graham or Mother Teresa is in our midst waiting to know of the love of God and of the salvation available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
These are by far not the only applications of this passage. I’m certain that as I study it again, God will lead me to other truths. He may have led you to other trusts while you were reading this post. If so, please share so we can all grow from your insights.
Why does the reading of the Word of God produce so many applications? It does so because it is God’s Word. God is living and dynamic and so is anything He creates, including His Word, which, according to Hebrews 4:12, “is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, NASB.”
My Commentary on First Timothy 1
The epistles to Timothy are among my favorite books in the Bible. In fact, I do not believe enough teaching is done on them in churches perhaps due to the fact that most see them as being written to a pastor who how to conduct his ministry. However, there is a lot of doctrine in these letters. Not to mention, these instructions can be useful to all of us—after all we have a ministry whether paid or not, big or small. We are all charged with the responsibility of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So since I do not hear a lot of teaching on these epistles, I thought I’d do my own.
Timothy 1:1-2
Verses 1 and 2 give us both the author, Paul, and the addressee of the letter, Timothy. Paul, again reaffirming his apostleship and stating he is an apostle “by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.” Paul called Timothy his true son in the faith. Apparently, Timothy was led to Christ by Paul and has been a faithful disciple of Paul ever since.
To his son, Paul, opened his letter with a benediction (or blessing). He pronounced “grace, mercy, and peace” to him which only comes from God our Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord. In this benediction, he reminded Timothy that his real Father was God (who would supply all he needed) and that Jesus Christ was Lord.
1 Timothy 1:3-11
Apparently while Paul was in Ephesus there were those who were preaching other doctrine, doctrine that was contrary to the doctrine Paul had taught them. As a result, when he was called away, he urged Timothy to remain and confront them and give instruction to the congregants not to receive such teaching. These false doctrines included “fables” (untrue accounts) and “endless genealogies” (disputes on lineages of people and possibly of Christ himself). This doctrines lead to disputes that are profitless. They are designed to tear down the body and not build it up. What builds up the body—trusting in God and living in that trust—just as Abraham did.
True doctrine is to unify not divide. Division comes when people attempt to put their own spin on what God has said. But when we listen to the Spirit to understand the true meaning of the word, we will be unified. Just as it is written in Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6, ESV).”
So what is the purpose of the law and doctrine: love. Many don’t believe that but love is the essence of the Christian faith. Mainly because we do no demonstrate it but Jesus said that the demonstration of our love for one another will be the way we show that we are His disciples. We are to manifest love that comes from a “pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” When we abide in Christ, His love is manifested in and through us. Unfortunately, many church members do not demonstrate love but selfishness, self-righteousness, and jealousy. Those who manifest these behaviors are like those Paul talks about who have strayed from the faith and turned aside to things that do not edify the Body or glory Christ.
Paul said they want to be teachers of the law but they don’t understand what they teach or affirm. When I think about the churches in America, I am reminded of this statement. Many of the largest churches in America are led by people who do not teach God’s Word of repentance and salvation but a social gospel (I’m Ok, you’re OK) or a prosperity gospel (where God’s favor equals material blessings). These take scriptures out of context and do not hold the Law of God in any esteem. Instead they esteem the goodness of man and the value of worthless, earthly things. However, the Law of God was not done away with just because Christ came.
Christ came to fulfill the Law but those who are apart from Christ are still under the Law. Only those who have accepted Christ as Savior have been forgiven and are not under the Law (John 3:16-17, Romans 3:19, Galatians 4:4-5). And those who are under the Law, whether they recognize the Law or not, will be judged by the Law (Romans 2:12).
So what does Paul say about the Law and doctrine? It is good if it is properly applied. The Law is our schoolmaster. It sets the boundaries of how far we can go. To those who keep the Law, the Law means nothing. Think of a person who never drives. Does a speed limit sign mean anything to him or her? The Law is only a bully to those who refuse to keep it—the rebel, the sinner, whom Paul name: “those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching”.
Being a Disciple
It is said that a wise person is a lifelong learner. If there is an area that this is true, it is in the Christian life. We are to be lifelong learners of the Word. We should always be prepared to hear what our Heavenly Father has to say to us. How does He speak to us? Primarily, He speaks to us through His Word—the Holy Bible.
For many the Holy Bible is a book gathering dust on a shelf. What a treasure God has given us that we often neglect! God is living and His Word is living that is one reason why every time we read it, we get something new from it. When we approach God’s Word, we should come with the attitude that we are about to have an encounter with our Father, the living God.
When we open us the pages of that Book, God speaks to us. As we read and meditate on what we read, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding. As Jesus said, “[The Spirit] will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).” Once we have an understanding of the Word, we are to put it into practice. This is living righteously.
As we learn and apply the Word of God, our minds begin to change. This is because our minds are being renewed according to knowledge (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10).A change of heart leads to a change of mind. A change of mind leads to a change of behavior.
The problem with self-help and motivational media is that they seek to change only the mind, thus changing the behavior. However, unless there is a heart change, any behavioral change is temporary at best. Now, this is not say that some self-help media do intend to change the heart leading to behavioral change, but only God can change the heart. Once the heart is changed, the behavior changes.
When we study the word and allows the Holy Spirit to put the Word in our hearts, it then become a part of us, inseparable. When this happens, we cannot help but to do it.
Reception is hearing the Word, reading the Word—what does it say.
Comprehension is understanding the Word—what does it mean.
Application is doing the Word—how do I live it.
True Hidden Treasure
God’s Word
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”– Psalm 119-11
These words, penned by King David, give great evidence why he was called a man after God’s own heart. This is exactly what God wants. He wants us to treasure His Word, His Law. This was what He was trying to tell the Israelites in the Book of Exodus when He told them to bind it around your forehead and to put it on your doorposts. Though the Israelites took it literally, they missed the spiritual implications of the instruction.
What does it mean to “hide” His Word in [y]our heart? Usually when we think of hiding something, we think of putting it away for safety reasons or to protect it from prying eyes. Yet, when David said that he had hidden God’s Word in his heart, he was meaning just the opposite. He hid God Word in order that people may see that he possessed it!
Perhaps a better phrasing would be, “Your Word I have stored in my heart that I might not sin against You.” God does not want us to hide His word under or behind something. He wants us to live it so it will everyone will see. Psalm 1:2 says that the righteous person delights in the Word of God and meditates on it day and night. Why? To memorize it? No. Teachers will tell you that people who memorize things just for the purpose of memorizing them, do not really learn them and soon forgets what he memorized. On the contrary, we meditate not to memorize but internalize.
When David said he had hidden God word in his heart, he was saying that he had internalized it. He had digested it. He had made it a part of himself. It could be considered that he was saying that he had made God’s Word so much a part of him (his heart) that you could not tell it from him; thus it was ‘hidden’. They were so much alike that they were essentially blended together. One could not tell where the Word ended and David’s heart began.
Could this be said about you and God’s Word? Have you made it so much a part of your life that you no longer have to think to do it, it becomes nature? An analogy I often use is that of a cupcake. I love Hostess cupcakes (though the sugar doesn’t love me). In the middle of the cupcake is the cream filling. In the cupcake is sugar, flour, eggs, chocolate, and a host of other things. You can separate out the cream filling and still have the cupcake. You cannot separate out the sugar from the cupcake. To those of memorize the Word of God, the Word is the cream filling. To those who internalize it, the Word is the sugar.
In your life, is the Word cream filling or sugar? If it isn’t sugar, ask God to help you change that. Develop a plan to read and study God’s Word regularly. Don’t just read it; understand what it says and why it says it. Once you understand the purpose for it, applying it becomes easier.
Be transformed!
The Bible–Book of Truth
“If you are not willing to live for Jesus on Earth, don’t expect to live with Jesus in Heaven.” I say this both to those who call themselves Christians and don’t live like it as well as to those who deny Christ and the Bible. Frankly, I don’t understand how people can deny that the Bible is a book of truth instead of a book of fantasy (as I have heard some people say). The problem with Bible haters is that it is not the Bible that they take issue with but its message. The arguments they use to dispute the Bible are only excuses used to cover the fact that they just don’t believe in its message or in the God it reveals.
Why is the Bible considered a book of fantasy? There are those who say it is because it speaks of an invisible God. Revelation 20 tells us that the world won’t follow a visible God either. Therefore, that argument is moot. The disputers also say there are contradictions in the Bible, yet they can’t point out any. What they fail to realize is that the Bible was written over thousands of years by dozens of people. Even if the Bible spoke with “one voice” and there were none of these perceived contradictions, these same disputers would argue that the Bible seems too cohesive, too much of a solo voice for it to have been written by so many people over such a long period of time. So, there no pleasing them either way. These are different books (and letters) written by different people with different voices and different perspectives but the same unified message. In this hub, I hope to show why the Bible is to be a trusted authority.
First, the Bible is a book of wisdom. Psalms 1 tells the reader not to hang with ungodly people because their end is destruction and you don’t want to be caught up in their fate. This sentiment is echoed in the Proverbs. Proverbs 1:15 says, “My son, do not walk in the way with them (sinners), Keep your foot from their path…” Proverbs 6:9-11 describes the plight of the lazy—poverty. “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” Ruth and Esther are both examples of women who placed their faith in God and were rewarded for it. Hannah and Job are examples of what happens when you take your problems to the Lord and leave them there. David and Peter are examples of how men of God can fall, repent, and be restored by God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Second, the Bible is a book of prophecy. There is no other book of any religion that contains prophecy in such detail. God is able to say what is going to happen because He knows the end from the beginning. God revealed to Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, Zachariah, and John the Revelator how it is all going to work out in the end. As we see the words prophesied over two millennia before come to pass, how much more should we believe and receive the Word of God.
Isaiah 66:8 asks, “Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once?” This speaks about the rebirth of the nation of Israel, May 6, 1948. Jesus said the generation that saw this happen would not pass away before they see the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds with power and great glory (Matthew 24:34). In Ezekiel 37, God proclaims how He will cause all His people who are scattered among the nations to return to their land. Ezekiel 38 describes the nations that will side against Israel in the last days. Those nations are Rosh [Russia], Meshech [Moscow], Tubal [Tobolsk], Persia [Iran], Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer [Germany?], and Togarmah [Turkey?]. We can see from the news today that Russia is partnering with Iran to give them nuclear capability with which they will attack Israel. Look at the events that have happened in Libya, Egypt, and Syria. This is not a coincidence.
The Bible has also predicted that in these last days there would be wars and threats of wars, ethnic groups will rise against ethnic groups, there would be earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places. Last year central Arkansas recorded over 700 earthquakes. This week a 5.6 registered earthquake rocked the east coast. Famines and diseases are also becoming commonplace. These signs were recorded two thousand years ago and are coming to pass in our lifetimes. Revelation 11:7-9 describes the martyr of the two witnesses and that the whole world would see their bodies in the street. Fifty years ago this would not have been possible, but now with CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews, along with worldwide affiliates, people can watch breaking news instantly on their televisions, computers, iPads, iPods, and Smartphones.
The Bible is the Word of God. In it, God gives wisdom. God uses the example of the Old Testament Saints to show us both how to live and how not to live. Only in the Bible does God give you His game plan up front. He tells you how it is all going to go down. Its your choice whether you want to believe Him or not. Paul says the Bible is difficult to understand for those who don’t believe because it takes God’s Spirit to reveal its truths to you. Fortunately, you can ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you because it is His desire for you to know and understand Him and His will for your life.
Cyber-Discipleship 