Review: Seeking God Thru Jesus
In part 2 of our Seeking God series, we talked about how we come to know God thru learning more about the life, teaching, and character of Jesus. It is through Jesus that we can get to know God, the Father, personally and intimately. And the Bible tells us that: “… in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…” (Colossians 2:9) All the fullness of God lives in Jesus Christ. God has made it possible and accessible to seek Him out and come close to Him through His only Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16). For Jesus also said: “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Strong words that require serious examination!
One of the main ways we seek out God is by getting to know Jesus, the Living Word of God, through the Scriptures, the Written Word of God.
The Word of God on The Word of God
Now we are going to examine some of the things the Bible says about itself. This is so that the seeker of God can have confidence in the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. The goal here is to be eager to read it, to discover God’s will, and apply it to our lives so we can change and become like Jesus!
So, according to the Guinness World Records, the Holy Bible (the Word of God) is the #1 best-selling book of all time, with over 5 billion copies being sold and distributed. Although actual figures are impossible to obtain, this sounds totally feasible because the Bible is more than just a best-seller. In my opinion, these figures affirm the need in every human heart to know that there is something bigger and greater than us that we can rely on, especially in times of need or when our world feels shaken, which undoubtedly will happen at some point in our lives!
So, Here are nine truths that the Bible says about itself…
9 Truths About The Bible
(1) The Bible Is Inspired – 1 Timothy 3-16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
DIVINE INSPIRATION
What does it mean that the All Scripture (the Bible) is “God-breathed” or “inspired“? Well, the original Greek word translated here as “God-breathed” is: θεόπνευστος The English transliteration and phonetic spelling are: theopneustos and (theh-op’-nyoo-stos), [a] respectively. If we break down the word Theopneustos we find that Theo means “God” and “pneustos” means breath. God-Breathed.
In addition, if you look up the meaning of the word inspire, one of the definitions given is: “(of air or another substance) that is breathed in.” (Something that is breathed in). Simply put: Someone inhaled something that someone exhaled! God is “exhaling” His Spirit of revelation to the writers who “inhale” it as inspiration.
When you think of it this way, it creates this visual of a “flow” going from God who “exhales” His breath of words to the authors, who then “breathe in” this flow of divine inspiration. And it doesn’t detract whatsoever from the writer’s own personality or writing style or words. God’s Spirit flows through to the human spirit carrying it along with the Divine inspiration of revelation. It means that everything that is written is exactly what God wants to be revealed and communicated, while the authors are free to express themselves in their writing.
Peter also stated in his letter:
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet. 1:20–21)
OWNER’S MANUAL FOR HUMAN LIFE
Who better than the Creator to inform us of how His creation works best. The Bible is the veritable guide book for life. It teaches what is right behavior and what is wrong. It scolds us when we willingly persist in wrong behavior. It also trains us as we consistently engage in rightful behavior. That behavior then becomes an automatic way of living as we are trained by the Bible thru constant practice. Finally, once we allow ourselves to be thoroughly trained by the Bible’s timeless truths, then we will be fully prepared to do the good works that God has already prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) The Bible is the true owner’s manual for life!
TAKEAWAY: All Scripture is inspired by God, and is to be applied to our lives so that, once we are trained by it, we will be ready for every spiritual challenge.
(2) The Bible Is Relevant – Hebrews 4:12-13
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.
What does it mean that the Bible is relevant? Many times you will hear people say: “The Bible doesn’t apply to my life today! It’s a book written thousands of years ago and is outdated!” Or, “It’s not written by God but by men!” Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s Word is not dead or outdated! It’s alive and active and inspired! It is relevant to our lives today. Because though times change human nature does not and the human heart still deceives itself about the depravity of its condition. (Jeremiah 17:9) For the Bible says that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
In fact, there is more drama and scandal in the pages of scripture than many soap operas out there. There is a picture here of the utter “sinfulness” and “lostness” of the human race. Although life may look very different for us because of technological advances that make our lives so much easier or appear less barbaric today, humans are still basically the same. Time may give us more excuses, but it doesn’t change human nature.
How do we deal with the vices and sin of the human soul? The Word of God is relevant and can expose and convict us of sin in our lives. It can cut us. In fact, one of the functions of the Word of God, when it comes into our hearts, is that it penetrates very deep—like a sword through tough, hard layers—and makes judgments or assessments about what is there. It convicts us. But its purpose is to cut out the bad so that we can be healed – just like a surgeon’s scalpel. We just need to allow Him to do it!
And no one can hide from God’s scrutinizing examination of the heart. Everything is open and laid bare before Him. But somewhere someone has posed the question: “What is man that You are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4-5) Humankind is His masterpiece, created in His image! What an unbelievable and unfathomable privilege! He wants us to come close. But first He must purify and cleanse us so that we may come near to a Holy God. One day every person will have to stand before God and give an account for how they lived their life. (Hebrews 9:27)
TAKEAWAY: The Word of God is relevant and can expose and convict us of sin in our lives. It can cut us but its purpose is to cut out the bad so that we can be healed.
(3) The Bible Is Liberating – John 8:31 -32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus stated two truths that result from holding to (obeying) His teaching:
- (1) You show you are really His disciples
- (2) You will know the truth and it will set you free
When Jesus said to the Jews who believed Him …”If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples...” He was referring to having faith that leads to obedience. We hear similar words when Jesus said if you love Me you will obey Me. We understand that it’s not enough to just believe in Jesus for even the demons believe…and shudder! (James 2:19) The true test of genuine faith is obedience to His commands. Paul said that he received “…apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith …” (Romans 1:5) We are not called to just have faith and believe. Our faith is meant to lead us to obedience.
This is the Truth of God’s Word. In fact, to God, Faith and Obedience are the same words, so to speak! We won’t always obey perfectly, and there will no doubt be times of battling to bring our will in line with God’s but the common thread will always be the desire to fight [in prayer] to get to a place of obedience to His Word. So obedience is the sign of a true disciple of Jesus.
These facts are refreshingly liberating though! How so? Because this truth will set you free – truth, and obedience to it – that is. What is the truth that Jesus is talking about, and how does it set you free?
First of all, Jesus also said: “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God (obeys God) will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:17) In other words, Do It! Choose to obey God! Test it out! Live it out and see what happens! It will be obvious what the truth is and that God’s words really are the Truth, the right way to live. In this way, you will KNOW that it’s the truth.
That truth has the power to set me free. Jesus has liberated me out of the prison of sin; I am no longer a slave to sin. Now there is no more condemnation or guilt, no more confusion, no more fear of death or fear of the unknown. I’ve been freed from the lies of the enemy. Jesus came to rescue us and set us free from our bondage to sin and the condemnation that it brings. The Bible says: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)
Father, by your Holy Spirit, free us from under-believing the gospel and over-believing our fears, heart-idols, excuses, and shame. Grant us a greater, fresh sighting of the beauty and love of Jesus. Restore to us the joy of your salvation for us.
Jesus always goes above and beyond: Life to the full; the best wine. God always gives the best. When He sent Jesus He gave His absolute best.
TAKEAWAY: Jesus teaches these Jews that intellectual belief is not enough. He calls them to believe God enough to trust God’s will for their lives. This trust is demonstrated by the decision to live according to Jesus’ teaching. True faith is seen in our obedience, and, consequently, that truth has the power to set us free.
(4) The Bible Evokes Self-Examination – 1 Timothy 4:16
16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
In Jeremiah 17:9, the Bible says: “The heart is deceitful…” How often do we discover that we have led ourselves to believe something of ourselves when those around us see something completely different? While we may find it easy to point out the wrong in others, we so often fail to notice when we ourselves have begun to fall under our own spell of pride, arrogance, or false belief.
One of the most incredible attributes of the Bible is its ability to cause the reader to turn their gaze inward and begin to realize the various ways that their lives are not matching the call of holiness the Bible requires. Whether watching the constant failures of the Israelite people in the Old Testament or encountering the oft-mistaken disciples or Pharisees of the New Testament, the Bible is a Sword that cuts through our hearts and divides the truth from the lies. (Hebrews 4:12) While we may find that the Bible is powerful to destroy the strongholds of the devil, it also cuts open our own hearts to reveal the evils within.
The Apostle Paul, writing to his spiritual son Timothy, called him to seek within the Scriptures daily how to watch his life and his doctrine closely. Not only did Timothy need to ensure that he was living the obedient life of a follower of Jesus, but He also needed to seek the right teachings that the Bible held of God, Jesus, and the Christian life. Paul pleads with Timothy to spend time in God’s Word, reflecting on the Holy Spirit-revealed truths within, to seek how to walk in faithfulness and teach the same to those he pastored.
When we read the Bible, we begin to realize who God has called us to be, and how far we have strayed. Yet the beauty of the Bible is that when we come back time and again, we are made new in Christ and are forgiven. When we commit ourselves to a daily study of God’s Word, we can continue to examine our hearts and grow toward holiness each and every day.
TAKEAWAY: How we live and what we teach are both essential to salvation. Just as an airplane cannot fly with only one wing, but must have both so it is with what you teach and how you live out those beliefs. And the end result of careful attention to life and doctrine is to save ourselves and those who hear us.
(5) The Bible Requires Involvement & Obedience– 2 Timothy 4:2-3
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
It is a woeful reality that far too many Christians believe that faith in God is a one-and-done deal once they become born again and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. While placing your faith in Christ and being born again is enough to receive salvation and an eternity with God, it is not the end of the road for the Christian!
Indeed, from the moment that one encounters God or Jesus, their lives are changed forever. This includes the internal workings of their heart as well as the direction of their future. Rather than seeking their own praise and glory, Christian believers instead join with Jesus in His mission to see His Kingdom made known “on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
In teaching his pupil Timothy how to lead the church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul writes that the believer should “preach the Word; be prepared in and out of season.” This call on Timothy’s life is one we all share as followers of Jesus. We are to be ready to give an account for our faith and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with each individual we meet.
This heavenly involvement in the mission of Jesus Christ may require us to take steps of courageous boldness. We will be faced with moments when we must teach with confidence, rebuke with kindness, and show mercy to those who wish us harm. Yet the stark reality is that those who do not place their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior face an eternity separated from God in punishment. That fact alone should drive every believer to get up, get involved, and seek the lost to bring them to meet the One who has changed our lives forever!
TAKEAWAY: If the Bible is so powerful and helpful, why aren’t more people truly following what it says? The bottom is line, we prefer to live according to our own feelings and desires.
(6) The Bible Demands Loyalty – Matthew 15:1-9
“.…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”
Within the pages of scripture, we see many calls for obedience and commands for loyal action. While a normal history book or secular tome would often seek to teach or admonish the reader with facts and ideas, the Bible is entirely unique in its call upon the reader to respond with action that shows we truly believe and are driven by our faith in Christ alone.
This action not only demands faith, but it demands whole-life obedience with consequences attached. All too often we find that we have deceived ourselves into thinking that we believe what we read while our actions and words prove otherwise. However, though we may deceive ourselves and others, God Himself is not deceived.
In Matthew 15, we see Jesus Christ Himself respond to the scribes and Pharisees through teaching that harkens back to a text that they all would have known well. Jesus reveals the true failures in the hearts of those gathered by reciting God’s Word through Isaiah 29:13, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
In the lives of a follower of Jesus Christ, true obedience is shown when action follows words. How often do we find ourselves shocked when someone fails to be a “person of their word”? Or imagine a soldier who runs from the battlefield when they are commanded to charge forward?
Who they claimed to be, and the promises they may have made ultimately fall short of their actual actions. In our Christian faith, this lack of true integrity may not only cause those who watch us to become confused and lackluster in their own faith but can damage the witness of fellow Christians that we are in community with.
As believers, the Bible calls us to strict and loyal obedience to the Word. This means that we hold firm to the faith that the Bible calls us to profess but to also live out in our lives the commands of Jesus to preach the gospel, make disciples, live lives of holiness, and call forth the same life in others.
When we fail to take seriously the command to obedience laid out in the Bible, we show ourselves to not take God’s Word seriously. It is a terrible thing to realize that God sees through our shallow obedience! Let us not be known as people who honor God with our lips yet live lives that are far from what the Word of God calls us to!
TAKEAWAY: What is another hindrance to following God’s Word? Religious tradition which takes precedence over the Word of God can result in wordly solutions to spiritual issues and make our worship of God empty and pointless.
(7) The Bible Expects You To Take Responsibility For Your Own Faith – Acts 17:10-12
… 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true….
As the Apostle Paul traveled from city to city to preach the gospel and plant churches, he encountered a variety of people. Some heard his message of hope with great rejoicing, while others scoffed at Paul’s boldness to proclaim Jesus as the One True Way to God. Then there were those who not only heard and received Paul’s message, but they then began to eagerly seek to grow in their faith and share the gospel message even after Paul had moved on.
It is these believers – such as those who lived in Berea – who truly understand what the call to obedience and faithfulness means. While some will choose to believe and then leave the rest up to pastors, teachers, or other Christians to take care of, those who read the Bible will see that all are called to take complete ownership of their faith journey.
Jesus Himself teaches that there are those who, like seed strewn on a variety of soils, will not only receive the Word of God joyfully but will grow exponentially and produce fruit far more than many may have expected. (Matthew 13) These believers are those who take ownership of their faith and seek to learn how they can grow closer to God by learning and applying the teaching of Jesus in the Bible.
Yet, the Bible not only calls us to respond in faith, but it also commands us to learn, grow, and act in faithfulness. When we take responsibility for our own faith, we will not leave our spiritual growth or service to the Church up to others. Instead, we will invest the time and resources necessary to ensure that we steward our faith in such a way that we produce fruit and encourage others to do the same.
TAKEAWAY: We are ultimately responsible for what we believe. Religious leaders can be wrong so we cannot be lazy. Review in greater depth the lessons and sermons that you hear to be sure about what you are being taught. Re you willing to take personal responsibility for what the Bible says?
(8) The Bible Inspires Awe & Devotion – Psalm 1; Psalm 19:7-11
- 7 The law of the Lord is perfect,….
- 10 They are more precious than gold,
- than much pure gold;
- they are sweeter than honey,
- than honey from the honeycomb.
- 11 By them your servant is warned;
- in keeping them there is great reward.
As we read the beautiful words of the Bible, we will be drawn to a place of true devotion and awe before the God of scripture.
When we read the Psalms, we see the author – commonly believed to be King David – singing powerful praise to God that recounts His mighty acts and worships His worth. What a blessing it is that we have the words of the Bible to show us who God is and how good it is to live lives that are consumed by praise and worship!
As we journey through the Bible, we will begin to see the pages of scripture break open our hard hearts and bring us to our knees in thankfulness and adoration. From sweeping details of how God knit together every massive star and tiny blade of grass to the healing words of Jesus Christ as He offers “Living Water that never runs dry” (John 7:37-39), the Bible should lead us to a place of devotion and awe that never ends.
This worship is what brings us back to the Bible day after day, as a living Book that changes our lives each time we visit the truths hidden within the pages.
TAKEAWAY: The Bible is more than just words on a page. We need to develop a thirst and devotion to the Word of God. How eager are you to regularly meditate on the Scriptures?
(9) The Bible Calls for Humility & Reverence – Isaiah 66:1-2
1 “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
It can be easy to fool ourselves into believing that we are more than we truly are.
In the book of the Prophet Isaiah, God reveals the prideful and arrogant hearts of the Israelites and calls them to humble repentance before Him. Being the followers of the Creator of the Universe, the powerful acts that God worked on behalf of the Israelites to deliver them from their oppressors should have caused them to bow in worship forevermore. Instead, though they may have worshipped God for a moment, times of peace caused them to begin to feel as though they themselves had the power of God themselves! Soon, the people of Israel began to live as though God was nothing more than a genie in the sky whom they could call upon when they needed His aid.
A humble and contrite heart is a requirement for following God faithfully. Indeed, Jesus Himself taught in Matthew 5 that those who are meek would inherit the Kingdom of God – not those who trusted in their own power. Across the pages of Scripture, we read of a God who is loving, kind, and merciful – yet He is holy and worthy of adoration and reverence. We would do well to remind ourselves that God is our King – not the other way around!
Our attitudes should be one of humility, reverence, and awe for God’s word. Are you willing to live by the Bible, taking God at His word in your relationship with Him? Are willing to trust God’s word above your own feelings, religious traditions, or religious leaders? Will you seek to understand God’s will and ways through His inspired Word?
[a] Bible Hub
