SCRIPTURE: GOD’S PROVISION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

The Bible is a very controversial subject in our “post-modern” society.  The only way one would believe the Bible is if they believed the one who wrote it—God, “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”(2Peter 1:21 NASB).  As Christians we accept the Bible as true, because we believe God is true.  Believing the Bible is one thing, and believing it is necessary for our spiritual growth is another.  So is the Bible essential for our sanctification?  The Bible is absolutely essential for our spiritual growth, because it reveal critical truths that cause our hearts to “run” to God and be satisfied with Him.

So just how important is the Bible for our spirituality?  Well the Lord says through the prophet Hosea: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”(Hosea 4:6)  This knowledge that Israel was lacking was knowledge on the word of God.  Lloyd J. Ogilvie writes in his commentary on Hosea 4:6, “We are not destroyed by a lack of education, but rather by a lack of in-depth study of the scriptures” (Ogilvie 1990, 67).  For Israel, their ignorance led to destruction during that time.  In the same way scripture is absolutely essential for us if we hope to stay faithful to God.  To neglect reading God’s word is just as detrimental to our souls as neglecting food to our bodies (Grudem 1994, 118).

The scriptures reveal insight on who we are in relation to God.  This is important because we are called to confess our sins daily and to live Godly lives (Luke 11:1-4, Titus 2:11-12).  It is only the word of God that can penetrate our false image of ourselves and show us the truth.  The author of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword … and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  When we saturate ourselves with God’s word, we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us conviction.  William R. Newell wrote concerning the word of God, “we have known people, suddenly arrested in their deepest being by reading a verse of scripture.  The thoughts, and necessarily, the intents of the heart, they found discerned, and themselves the object of an infinite Intelligence, but yet an Intelligence not like at Sinai, when the glory and power and majesty of God were openly displayed; but in the written word of God, which, being ‘living’ and ‘active’, had pierced them.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”.  In this verse Paul gives us a list of four things that scripture is designed to do, and all these things are necessary for our sanctification.  The scriptures “teach” us what we need to know about salvation, the trinity, eschatology etc.  It is important for us to have the right theology, and know the right doctrines that God has revealed to us in His word.  Jesus said, “True worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth” (John 4:23).  So truth matters if we are to worship God correctly.  The scriptures are profitable for “reproof” as Paul says.  The Bible reveals sin in our lives which leads us to confession and repentance of our sins.  The Bible gives opportunity for us to “correct” our lives, because it shows us how to make our lives right.  Also as Paul says, it is profitable for “training in righteousness”.  That is to say scripture shows us how to keep our lives right.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts them to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).  The very last piece of the armor of God is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17); this is the only offensive piece of the armor.  Since it is the only offensive piece, it is no surprise that Paul chose this, because in Ephesians 6:17 he states that it is “the word of God”.  In the same chapter Paul urges believers to put on the armor of God so that we would “be able to stand firm against the schemes of the Devil” (Ephesians 6:11).  The reason why the word of God is chosen as the offensive weapon is because the Devil is “a liar and the Father of lies” (John 8:44).  The only way to combat lies is with the truth; and the word of God is the only truth that will help us eternally.  When we are thoroughly equipped with the scriptures, we are able to expose the lies of Satan that would lead us into sin, and instead believe the truth of God (Spurgeon 1891).

So it is clear that without God’s word, we would not be able to see our sinfulness, live in a way that is pleasing to God, and we not stand a chance against the schemes of Satan.  There is another aspect of the Bible that most people are sadly unaware of.  It is the fact that God’s word has the ability to bring satisfaction to our soul.  John Piper says in one of his sermons, “I love the Bible the way I love my eyes—not because my eyes are lovely, but because without them I can’t see ‘the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’.  Without the Bible I could not know ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Piper 2004).  Part of growing spiritually is falling more in love with God, and how we do that is by seeing more of the all-satisfying, love and glory of Jesus Christ our savior.  The Bible reveals to us our amazing savior, which brings our hearts joy and satisfaction.  The psalmist proclaims in Psalm 119:103, “How sweet are Your words to my taste!  Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth”.  The psalmist clearly understood that God’s word is a letter of love and grace, and that there are great treasures to be found in it. 

So we should be diligent in reading the scriptures, because it is there that the Holy Spirit can reveal the clearest and ultimately, the most life-changing revelations of our glorious God.  If we neglect God’s word then we neglect our own soul.  There is so much wisdom and truth in the Bible, and in contrast the world has so much lies and foolishness.  Without the Bible we would naturally be swept up in lies and folly. 

REFERENCE LIST

Ogilvie, Lloyd J. 1990. The Communicator’s Commentaries. Dallas, Texas: Word Press.

Newell, William R. 1947. Hebrews verse by verse. Chicago: Moody Press.

Grudem, Wayne. 1994. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.

Spurgeon, C.H. The Sword of the Spirit. 19 April 1891. www.Biblebb.com/files/
            spurgeon/2201.htm (accessed 22 September 2010).

Piper, John. All Scripture is breathed out by God and Profitable. www.desiringgod.org/
            resource-library/sermons/all-scripture-is-breathed-out-by-god-and-profitable
            (accessed 22 September 2010).