Divine Power in the Holy Scriptures
Samuel Smith
23 Jan'19
5
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 (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" (
ii) "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (
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
B) The Light of God
i) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (
ii) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life" (
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 (
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" (
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" (
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 (
D) The Word of Truth
i) "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (
ii) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (
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" (
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" (
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" (
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
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" (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:
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."
(
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."
(
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 (
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
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 (seeFriends, 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." (
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." (
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," (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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." (
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? (
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:" (
O) If you desire a better world where there is no sin, sorrow, suffering and death, God's promise to you is this:
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."
(
4) WHY EXCHANGE YOUR INHERITANCE FOR A MESS OF POTTAGE?
From the passage of25:30 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."
(
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 (
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
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!" (
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." (
[Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture passages are from the King James Version of the Bible.]
Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.
Maranatha!
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