Divine Power in the Holy Scriptures

LESSON 6

DIVINE POWER IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

Friends, I want to thank the Lord so much for how far He has brought us. This study will be the last in our series on The Holy Scriptures. In this last study, we will consider the topic: Divine Power in the Sacred Scriptures. It is my prayer that the Lord will use this lesson to encourage us to get back to our Bibles with a new desire to study its contents and apply them in our daily lives. The lesson has been categorised into four sub-sections as follows:

1) WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

The Bible is unlike other books of antiquity. Even though men were engaged in the writing of the Scriptures, the actual Author is the Divine Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). When we go through the Bible, we come to learn that it is characterised by so many wonderful expressions such as:

A) The Word of God

i) "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV).

ii) "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).

The Bible is the written Word of God. It has living characteristics that are similar to Christ, who is actually the living Word of God. It is interesting to learn that the phrase The Word of God which we usually use in reference to the Bible is also utilised in the Bible in reference to Christ (see John 1:1; Revelation 19:11-16). Just as Christ has life in Himself (John 1:4; John 5:26), so does the words of the Bible are actually living words (John 6:63; 2 Timothy 3:16). They are words that are filled with the divine power of the Holy Spirit. That is how come the Bible is able to perform miracles in the lives of people.

B) The Light of God

i) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).

ii) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life" (Proverbs 6:23; see also Psalm 43:3).

The Bible is the light of God for our world. God has given us the Bible to enable us to navigate safely through this dark world of sin. It is interesting to learn that the Bible also refers to Christ as the Light of the world (John 8:12; John 9:5). Just as Christ is the light of the world, so has God given us the Bible to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). In every society where the Bible is treasured, read and applied, the darkness that engulfs the people is shattered through the powerful light rays from the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2).

C) The Bread of Life

i) "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

ii) "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16; see also Job 23:12).

The Bible is the spiritual bread of life. It is the nutritious food for the soul. It is interesting to learn that the Bible also refers to Christ as the Bread of life (John 6:35; John 6:48). Just as Christ is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51), so is the Bible the bread from above that nourishes our soul with spiritual food. The physical food of life can only sustain us for this life. It is only by feeding on the spiritual bread of life that we can prepare our souls for eternal life.

D) The Word of Truth

i) "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17).

ii) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18; see also Ephesians 1:13, 14).

The Bible is the word of truth from God unto mankind. It is the only book that contains the true answers to the three important perplexing questions of life: Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? It is interesting to learn that the Bible also refers to Christ as the Truth. In fact, it was Christ Himself who made the following revolutionary pronouncement: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). Just as Christ is the only Truth that leads us unto the Father, so is the Bible the only Word of Truth that can prepare our hearts for an eternity with God.

E) The Sword of the Spirit

i) "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

ii) "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV).

The Bible is the sword of the Spirit. It is the potent weapon that God has given us to fight the spiritual battle of faith. Christ was victorious over all the temptations that Satan brought His way because of His knowledge and application of the Bible (see Matthew 4:1-11). In our world today where false prophets and false Christs abound on every side, our only safety is in the knowledge that we have gained through a study of the Scriptures for ourselves. And just as Christ was victorious through an application of the Word, so we will also be victorious when we wield boldly the weapon of Scripture against the enemy.

2) THE GREAT LIFE CHANGER

From the gospel of John, we read the following words of Christ: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Just as there is divine power in the spoken words of Christ, so is there divine power in the sacred Scriptures. The Bible is filled with the living words of the Holy Spirit. Words that have power to change the heart condition of people. The Bible changes people from being servants of Satan to children of God. No secular book is able to free people from the chains of sin as the Bible does. I have personally experienced the change that a study of the Bible brings into the life of a person. For some period of time in my Christian life, I struggled with several forms of addictions and sins. I was often discouraged as I fell over and over again into the same kind of negative behaviours.

At a low point in my life, I resorted to self-help and motivational books. These books 'encouraged' my heart, and gave me secular principles which were designed to help me to become a successful person. As I followed this path, I began to pursue a lot of goals that will enable me to be a successful person in life. However, as I got more involved into motivational books, my desire for the Bible dwindled. I wanted more of what the 'experts' had to say than what God Himself had given in His Word. Somehow, I came to substitute the Bible for motivational materials. Even though these books inspired me to want to achieve various goals, they couldn't take away any of my negative behaviours. Worse still, they led me toward a path in life that God had not sanctioned.

As I pursued my 'great' life goals, God sent me a personal message through a sibling of mine who was wrestling with God in prayer over his own petition. The core of the message was two identical Bible passages: i) "3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."

(Proverbs 3:5-7) ii) "37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

(Psalm 37:3-5) After receiving this message from my brother, I went to the house of my local church pastor to find out the meaning of these two passages. The pastor's wife gave me some insights on the passages. Later on, as I tried to figure out what these two passages actually meant, the Holy Spirit helped me to understand clearly the message that the Lord wanted to convey to me personally. From the passage in Proverbs, the Spirit helped me to understand that in following motivational books, I was leaning on human wisdom and understanding. And that for me to be successful, l should acknowledge the Lord, and He shall direct my paths. The passage went on to rebuke me for being wise through cherishing human wisdom above the wisdom of God in His Word. And then there was a command to depart from evil. The second passage in the Psalms, even though similar to the first one, was an encouragement from God unto me. The message in the second passage was simple; if I chose to trust in the Lord and follow His leading, He was going to give me the desires of my heart. And it was His providence that was going to bring all this to pass.

In the process of time, the Lord helped me to see clearly through the satanic agenda of motivational books. Their purpose is to deceive people to exchange the Scriptures for human wisdom. My dear friend, if you are into motivational books, the Lord expects you to set them aside today and come back to the Scriptures. As the Scriptures solidly declare, it is by beholding that we become changed (2 Corinthians 3:18). It may interest you to know that as I shifted my focus from motivational books to the Bible, the Lord began to work on my heart. And in the Scriptures, I finally found the strength to completely overcome the negative behaviours that have plagued my life for a long time. I have come to experience the following words of Scripture in my own life; "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11).

Friends, the Bible is the great life changer. People who have opened the Word of God, and humbly allowed the Word to pass through them have never remained the same (see John 15:3). Alcoholics and drug users have been set free from the chains of addiction. Porn addicts and masturbators have found the strength to break off the heavy load of lustful sin. People in amorous relationships have found the strength to break off from their partners in sin. People with killer tempers have become gentle and patient. People with vulgar and blasphemous tongues have found themselves uttering wholesome words which praise the Lord. People who were crippled by worry and anxiety have become strong through the blessed promises of Scripture. In the hearts of many who have committed to the Bible, a life of hopelessness has given way to a life of purpose and meaning, and the fear of death has been replaced with the blessed hope of the resurrection morning at Christ's second coming.

3) BLESSED ASSURANCES / PROMISES

Besides being the great life changer, the Bible is also filled with numerous blessed assurances or promises that have served as anchors for God's people in various parts of the world. As we travel from this dark world of sin to the heavenly Canaan, these blessed promises are designed by the Spirit to strengthen and cheer us on along the way. It is encouraging to learn about how God has given His Word that not a single one of His promises to us will fail (see Joshua 21:43-45). The great apostle to the Gentiles testifies of God's promises through Christ to His children with the following words: "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20, NKJV).<

Friends, God's promises through Christ unto us are Yes and Amen. What this means is that we can trust in them 100 % of the time. I have outlined below some few of the blessed promises that are contained in the Bible:

A) If you desire forgiveness for a sin you have committed, God's promise to you is this: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9; see also Isaiah 1:18)

B) If you are being crushed by a heavy load of guilt for your past sins that you have already confessed to God and forsaken, God's promise to you is this: "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12; see also Micah 7:18, 19)

C) If you desire strength to overcome sinful temptations, God's promise to you is this: "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy," (Jude 1:24; see alsoPhilippians 4:13)

D) If you feel God has deserted you, His promise to you is this: "... I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20)

E) If you are discouraged and depressed, God's promise to you is this: "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)

F) If you are in deep stress and anxiety, God's promise to you is this: "6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6, 7)

G) If you are seeking for peace in your life, God's promise to you is this: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

H) If you are perplexed about what the future holds for your life, God's promise to you is this: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11)

I) If you are in a a situation where you are unsure of the next step to take, God's promise to you is this: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalm 37:23)

J) If you desire wisdom for education, business or leadership, God's promise to you is this: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

K) If you desire daily protection for yourself and family, God's promise to you is this: "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91:11; see also Psalm 34:7)

L) If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, God's promise to you is this: "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2; see also Psalm 23:4)

M) If you do not know where the next meal will come from, God's promise to you is this: "25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (Matthew 6:25, 26; see also Philippians 4:19)

N) If you are saddened by the death of a close relative or friend, God's promise to you is this: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" (1 Thessalonians 4:16; see also Psalm 116:15; John 11:25; John 6:40)

O) If you desire a better world where there is no sin, sorrow, suffering and death, God's promise to you is this: "21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

(Revelation 21:1-4; see also 2 Peter 3:13) Friends, these are just few of the promises of God in His Word. In fact, the Bible provides a promise for every situation that the people of God are likely to encounter in their spiritual journey to the heavenly Canaan. We will do ourselves a lot of good if we can memorise these promises and review them in our minds for strength whenever the need arises. There is no other inspirational book that can encourage your heart in the journey of life like the Bible.

4) WHY EXCHANGE YOUR INHERITANCE FOR A MESS OF POTTAGE?

From the passage of Genesis 25, we read the sad story of how Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob: "25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

(Genesis 25:29-34) In reviewing this account, the apostle Paul wrote the following concerning Esau: "16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears" (Hebrews 12:16, 17).

Friends, just like Esau, many of God's people today are selling their heavenly inheritance for a mess of pottage. Instead of spending time to study the Word of God so that they will be prepared for the terrible time of trouble that is just ahead, many are now wasting their time on the entertainment of the world such as secular music, movies, series, telenovelas, games and competitive sports such as football. Satan's knows very well that he has but a short time (Revelation 12:12). And it is his shrewd plan to keep all those he can control firmly glued to the entertainment screens of the world until probation is closed in the courts of heaven, and the dreaded words are pronounced upon the wicked: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still" (Revelation 22:11).

Sad and hopeless will be the cases of all who will fail to make a preparation today for the hour of probation. Though they will seek the approval of God with bitter tears just as Esau did, they will not obtain it. For these had failed to make the necessary preparation for heaven by substituting the great heavenly inheritance for the pleasures of this world. As Christ leaves the heavenly sanctuary, the door of mercy is shut by the omnipotent One Himself, and none will be able to change their eternal destiny (see Revelation 15:8; Revelation 22:11, 12). Beloved, if you are trading the Word of God for the passing pleasures of sin, or even the seemingly good pursuits of life, the time to repent is NOW!

As you make a U-turn and decide to study the Bible, you may not have the desire to enjoy its contents as you have been enjoying the cinema or other idols you were holding onto. However, you don't have to give up. As you pray and keep studying the Bible, the Holy Spirit will begin to change the desires of your heart. Little by little, your craving for the lustful pleasures of the world will be substituted with the noble themes of Scripture until the Scriptures become your delight. You will then be able to share in the experience of the psalmist by saying: "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103; see also Job 23:12).

Exhortation: "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." (Isaiah 55:2)

[Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture passages are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

Powered by White Throne Ministries