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-53-
God Hath Spoken
It Feeds
Consider I Peter chapter 2, verses 2 and 3. "As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." Peter is not addressing this to every Tom, Dick and Harry: he is addressing this to those people who know that the Lord is gracious.
If a person knows that God is gracious, then like a newborn babe, he will cry out to be fed, for "as newborn babes" he will desire the sincere milk of the Word that he may grow thereby. The Word of God feeds the soul of man. Only the sincere milk of the word is able to satisfy the soul. This is the reason the worship of non Christian religions leaves the soul of man empty and unsatisfied. We spend much time feeding our bodies; we ought to spend as much time feeding our souls.
It Directs
Turn again to Psalm 119, and this time note verse 105. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." The Word of God directs. Truly, this ought to be our attitude toward the Scriptures, that whether we read them, or whether we hear them, we ought to come before them and say with the youthful Samuel, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth."
It Edifies
In the book of Acts, chapter 20, note verse 32. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Note the antecedents here: the apostle Paul does not only commend the Christian community to God, but to the "Word of his grace." He is not only talking about God here, but about God as He is manifested through the Scriptures.
The Word of God builds. The Hebrew word for "son" is "ben." The Hebrew word for "daughter" is "bath." The Hebrew word for "house" is "beth." All come from the same Hebrew root word "banah" meaning "to build." In a similar way, as a son or a daughter must be "built," so spiritually, the Word of God is given to us to build us up, i.e. to edify us.
It Cleanses
Consider Psalm 119, verse 9. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." The Word of God cleanses. If a young person wants to cleanse his mind and his actions, how can it be effected? "By taking heed thereto according to thy word." The answer lies in obedience, but if the Scriptures contain error, we might err by obeying them.
The Word of God is profitable to men because it is timeless; it is priceless, offering them understanding, blessing, happiness, and peace. It is powerful, producing faith, the new birth, and even offering protection from sin. It is necessary because it feeds and builds a man, and as it gives direction to him, it cleanses his way.
The Word of God is authoritative because it is in and of itself "God breathed." It is necessary for the temporal and eternal happiness of man, and for this reason, the Lord committed godly revelation to writing. How sad for them who cannot read, but oh! how wonderful that we live in a day when we can purchase cassette tapes, and listen to the Word of God!
The Word of God is perspicuous, i.e. it is clear, simple, comprehensive, and self interpreting, and for this reason alone, the psalmist can say, the Scriptures are "a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." And, the Word of God is sufficient: it is able to carry us through life, and through the waters of death. It is able to give us an inheritance that is incorruptible, and undefiled, and one that fades not away.
Conclusion
Reader, beware of everyone who would take a penknife to God's Word and dismiss its relevance for our day, or who would make it only the opinion of the penman. Beware of the person who is an allegorical interpreter, who refuses to accept "Thus saith the Lord," but who appeals to his imagination to invent mysteries only to dream up his own solutions. Beware of the mesmerized memorizer who has memorized vast portions of God's Word, but who does not understand the sense of what he reads.
Beware of the historical enthusiast who thinks that God's Word is simply a book to develop his mind. Certainly we ought to be knowledgeable of God's Word, but it is a spiritual book. It is a guide God has given to cleanse us, and to bring us to faith. We must beware of empty emotionalism when we come to the Word of Godan emotionalism that does not effect any lasting godliness. Godliness is the crux of true religion; so we must beware of indifference that allows us to ignore the Word of God for days, weeks, or even for months.
The Word of God is profitable to men. But, reader, since the Bible is the Word of God, "Take heed how ye hear."