What the Bible does
- Evangelist Steve Livingston
- Dec 31, 2017
- 7 min read
Updated: May 24, 2021
Psalm 119:140- Thy Word is very pure: therefore thy servants love it.
The inspired Word of God is perfect and complete in every way, or the Bibles testimony of itself, is false.I need it to personally guide my pathways. No person can ever live the fruitful and faithful Christian life outside of the Word Of God.
David said in Psalm 12:6- The Words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Beloved, scripture is absolutely pure- there is no worldly opinion within it, nor can you find the Words of God anywhere else.
John 17:17- Jesus said in speaking to the Father, Sanctify them through thy truth- thy Word is truth.
The greek word for truth is in this verse of scripture is Alethia. It is a noun which means the thing is what it says it is. The Bible as we have it is the complete self disclosure of God, and all that is consistent within Him, and His holy being. Truth does not belong to what is popular or culturally relevant. Truth is not what we perceive it to be. Truth is whatever God says it is. Sin is whatever God says it is.
Salvation is whatever God says it is. Heaven and hell are whatever God says they are, and regardless of education or social standing, we must come to the realization in our own personal life that God reveals Himself and His will through His Word. Romans 3:4-Let God be true and every man a liar.
So the question I have for you today, which lies at the basis of all of the spiritual warfare, is how do you view the Word of God?
Many of us today, and even those in the ministry, do not really believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Word of God. Heaven help us that those who take this stand should ever teach a Sunday school class or enter the pulpit again. Now within the Bible, the word of God is given a few distinct traits, that if we look at properly and apply to our lives, I believe it could revolutionize your walk with God.
Firstly we see the Bible is pictured as a sword.
Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in it’s sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him of with whom we have to do.
Now to truly grasp what the Bible is and does, we cant just rattle of verse of scripture and expect to gleam from them. So we are going to dissect them piece by piece in order to get a more complete understanding of them.
Now the bible is pictured as a sword, yet in these two aforementioned verses we see that it is divine because it is of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-All scripture is given by inspiration of God- and is profitable for doctrine-for reproof-for correction-for instruction in righteousness. The Bible is God breathed. The same breath of life God gave Adam to make him a living soul, God used to give us His Word. This is in no way a dead book. John 6:63-The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
The great theologian Martin Luther once said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me, it has feet and runs after me, it has hands and lays hold of me.” Hebrews 4:12-13 also teaches us that the bible is alive. It is an active and powerful force that is to awaken the slumbering believer and stagnant church into repentance and revival. The Bible is supposed to energize us, never drag us down.
The Bible is never tired. The Bible is never listless and flat. The Bible is always at work. The Bible is supposed to energize the preacher and empower the pulpit and excite the person in the pew.
We also see how the Bible is sharp. No matter where the Bible is opened, it’s all cutting edge!!! Notice how in our two verses that the bible is two-edged.
The Bible cuts both ways. The Bible convicts and converts. The Bible hardens and softens. The Bible has the ability save or damn a person. Not a single, solitary verse of scripture can be considered dull and blunt.
Yet all across our nation, preachers think that they know better than the almighty word of God. It is complete wickedness to enter the pulpit without the Word of God in hand. It should be your daily manna…stained with tears and worn from years of use. Its purpose isn’t to entertain, but to cut to the very soul of a persons innermost being. The bible is our divinely empowered weapon.
We should also take notice of what the Bible does in these two verses….piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
Yes my friend, the Bible will reveal to us exactly what and who we are and what we are. You cannot escape the reality of your life when you open up and let scripture have its way with you. Isn’t it a sad commentary that many of us live lives opposite of what the Bible commands because we won’t read the Bible. Why won’t we read it? Because it convicts us…yet God gave it to us that we grow to be more like Him.
On a side note, a believer has absolutely no right to get angry with the preacher when he stands upon the authority of scripture. We need to let it tear down the facade, and allow it to cut through every false hope and ideal, and tear away every excuse we try to make.
A mere human message can only entertain, inspire and challenge you. Yet the sword of the spirit plunges into your deepest darkest places and reveals to you what it is you need to make right, and how you get it right. The Bible is also a discerner.
Firstly, it discerns and judges your thoughts. It critiques what you dwell upon and reveals to you what it is you ought to be dwelling upon. Perhaps that’s the biggest reason why we fail to study Gods Word as we should. Every battle a believer faces has it’s foothold within the mind. Romans 12:1-2- I beseach you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye except your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Notice that the only way you can conform to the image of God is by the renewing of your mind. There is no set of legalistic issues or sacramental rights that can help you. It’s all about renewing your mind. Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. The only way to be transformed into having the mind of Christ, is to be completely engrossed in the book that is all about Him.
Secondly we see how the Word of God discerns the intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12-13 So then how do we reply to those who say that intentions aren’t evil if we don’t act upon them? It’s not the acting out of the intentions that leads to evil per se. It is the dwelling upon them that destroys the life and mindset of the believer. It doesn’t matter what it is you set out to do. If it isn’t of God, then why put your focus upon it?
Philippians 4: 8 Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.
We learn how to live the Christ centered life by dwelling upon the things of God. The Bible is a revealer. Hebrews 4:13……neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. The word manifest comes from Greek word phaneros, which means to reveal that thing which is hidden.
There is no attitude not revealed by the Word of God. There is not one hidden desire revealed by the Word of God. There is not one single emotion or plot or scheme that we can hide from an almighty God. Likewise, when we enter into His presence through His Word, all that is secretly hidden within our hearts and minds will be revealed. That’s how it’s easy to tell whether or not somebody is actually reading and studying the Bible with a desire to mature as a believer. Their life can’t help but change.
We also see that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The Word of god strips you of all your sin and shame and covers you with the absolute perfect grace of God. But it doesn’t have any affect if you aren’t willing to let it do its work in you. We are foolish to believe that we aren’t opened to the eyes of God. What makes the Bible so powerful is that when a person is truly exposed, they begin to see themselves as God sees them. The incorruptible Word of God cuts into our soul and puts to death the old life and gives us the directions and power to live the new life.
I want to show you something powerful that I’m afraid is seriously overlooked today in many of our churches Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were completely pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do. The aforementioned verse of scripture was spoken into response to Peter preaching a spirit filled, Bible saturated sermon. He preached quoting and using Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, and Psalm 110:1.The apostle used used passage after passage to literally stab the hearts of those in attendance. And when they were under the conviction of the Holy Spirit by the power of the preached Word of God, they cried out desiring to make a decision for Christ. What then say you and I? We have no reason before us to not conform to the image of Gods Son if we have been given His Word.
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