Bible readings: 2Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:18-20; Matthew 24:35.
In these times relativism prevails, which is that all points of view are equally valid, especially in the realm of faith, morals and lifestyles. People say “live and let live” and one word often mentioned as being of great value is the word “tolerance” because all truth is supposedly personal. But what does God think about this? 2Tim 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: v17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
The Bible is divided into two Testaments, the Old Testament which has 39 books and the New Testament which had 27 books. What 2 Tim 3:16 says is that the source of the Bible is God.
“All Scripture” means every part of those writings. This verse does not convey the idea that the authors were breathed into by God but that the Scriptures were brought into being by the very breath of God. Here it says that the Scriptures are inspired but 2Peter c1 it says that the writers were inspired to write God’s Word. So, the origin of Scripture is God, not man. In a miraculous way, God communicated His Word to men and led them to write it down for permanent preservation.
Why say is profitable? Because our sinful nature inside us does not like the truth and might decide that certain things were not profitable and so not worth reading or obeying. However, God says that it is all profitable. What is it profitable for: Doctrine: The teaching about what God wants us to know, believe and often enjoy. Reproof: The thought of conviction of what is wrong. Correction: The straightening out of things in our lives. Instruction in righteousness: Educating us as to what pleases God. With the doctrine the Word of God tells us what is right. With reproof it tells us what is not right. With correction it tells us how to get right. With instruction in righteousness it tells us how to keep right.’
2Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. v21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Here Peter is dealing with how the prophetic Scriptures came into existence. It speaks of the origin of the prophetic word, and not with the way that people interpret it after it has been given. When the prophets wrote, they did not give their own private or personal interpretation of events or their own conclusions. This refers to the original way in which God’s Word was written and not to people’s subsequent interpretations about it. It shows that the determination to write God’s word did not come from man. It was not produced by man’s will, imagination or speculation. The initiative to write God’s Word did not come from man at all.
Where did it come from? First the prophets were believers in God and lived holy lives. Holiness is what is pure and so separated from sin and consecrated to God. These men of God spake as they were moved by the Spirit. “Moved”, means “borne along” and is used in Acts 27:15&17 when the ship was moved by the wind. These men were subject the Holy Spirit’s revelation and direction to write the very words that He wanted written. At the same time, He did not destroy the individuality nor the style of the writers. Consequently, the writing of the Bible was 95% of God and 5% of men and so it is trustworthy.
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (repeated in Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33). In other words, it is easier for the whole universe to break up than it is for the words of God and the Lord Jesus to not be fulfilled. 1Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful” and so whatever happens God and the Lord Jesus will keep their promises. Therefore, believers in Christ have a stronger foundation for their faith than they have for their feet.
However, there are those who say that the Bible is full of mistakes. Let me ask you a question. Would God, Who created the universe, Who is holy and loves us far more deeply than we can understand, actually write a book that could be genuinely mocked and ridiculed by men? Of course not. As the Bible is inspired by God it does not have any genuine mistakes. If we think that there are mistakes in the Bible then that is because we do not know all the facts or have misunderstand the verse or the context in which a verse is written.
For example, 2Kings 24:8 says, “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.” But 2Chronicles 36:9 says, “Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.” So, people say here is a classic mistake which shows how unreliable the Bible is. That is incorrect. Let us further read 2Kings 24:15 “And he {Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon v8} carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.” Why does God record that Nebuchadnezzar took away king Jehoiachin and the king’s mother? The reason would be because she was still a big political figure in Israel. So, what would have happened? When Jehoiachin was eight years old, his father, called Jehoiakim, died and so Jehoiachin would have been crowned because of the death of His father. But, at eight years old, he was too young to reign and so his mother would have temporarily reigned as Princess Regent until Jehoiachin reached the age of eighteen years old. Then he would have been crowned king in his own right. So, when it is thought about, there is a reasonable explanation for the two dates concerning his becoming king. Consequently, there are no genuine mistakes in the Bible. Just because someone does not know the answer to a supposed problem, it does not mean that there is no answer to that problem.
There is also another big problem that people have with the Bible and that is about the creation or evolution difference. Now I am not a scientist but there are websites in the world where there are genuine scientists who are genuine Christians who can answer the scientific problems with evolution or creation. We must always remember that scientists speak from a limited knowledge but concerning God Who inspired the Bible it is said of Him in Psalm 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite”. God’s understanding is without limits. Also, Matthew 19:4 says, “And he {Jesus v1} answered and said unto them, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female.”” So, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, believed in creation. Since the Lord Jesus believed in creation then so can we.
Consequently, the main purpose of the Bible is to reveal God in what quickly became a sinful world. So, the time gap between God creating the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, to Abraham {first mentioned in Genesis c12}, is about 2,000 years. From Abraham, who was the first Jew, to Jesus Christ, Who descended from God the Father in heaven and became a baby is about 2,000 years. Between the Lord Jesus descent to earth and now is about 2,000 years. In the last book of the Bible, the Revelation, it is revealed that there will be the seven-year Tribulation period then in c20, there will be a 1,000-year reign (which Christians call the Millennium), followed by the finishing of time and the destruction of the world. Then in Revelation c21 God will create the eternal state for all those who have repented and believed in His Son for salvation.
God’s Word also records the life and death of Christ mainly in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There were also prophecies of Christ made in the Old Testament, which he perfectly fulfilled, and in the rest of the New Testament there are further revelations and amplifications about Christ.
As God the Father is eternal or everlasting Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” 1John 1:2 “(… and shew {meaning announce} unto you that eternal life {of Christ}, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”
Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, often called the “Son of God”, particularly in John’s Gospel and 1John, is the eternal Son of God.
In addition, John’s Gospel 13:3 says, “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.” So, the Lord Jesus is the chief administrator of all God’s will. He created and maintains all things in the universe. He is able to completely deal with the sin question. 1John 3:5 “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” He is able to keep all those that trust in Him. 1Peter 1:5 “Who {Christians v3} are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation …” Christ will administer God’s plan in the future Ephesians 1:10 “That in the dispensation {or administration} of the fulness of times {i.e. the Millennium} he might gather together in one all things in Christ …”
This shows that God has got total confidence in Christ. Therefore, we can have total confidence in Christ that our past is all forgiven and that He will keep us in this life and will take us to be with Him in heaven.
How can we get this total assurance?
1Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; v4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
First of all, we must believe in God’s message from His Word, the Bible. The apostle Paul is saying that he had previously received this message and because of the amazing effects of this message Paul was able to give it to others.
What was the message? It was the Christ had died for his sins. In other words, Christ had taken upon Himself the punishment or judgment that our sins deserved. God punished or judged Christ while He was on the cross, just outside Jerusalem, for all my sins and all your sins. On the third day Jesus Christ rose from the dead and showed that He had conquered death.
Consequently if I repent, that is change my mind about going on in my sins, and believe or trust in or rely on the Lord Jesus that He took all the punishment that my sins deserved then God will both forgive me of all my sins and save me from His just judgment for all my sins.
Faith takes account of God and His Word, never of self and circumstances.
Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus for your everlasting salvation?
The person who recognises their own sin and by faith alone totally relies on Christ alone has a wonderful thing happen to them. Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”. The apostle Paul is not writing the Ephesian letter to fellow apostles nor to elders nor evangelists but to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul blesses, or praises God the Father, that He has, past tense, blessed every believer, represented by the word “us”, with “every spiritual blessing” or gift. That is an amazing statement that the God of eternity, Who rightly condemns every sin in us, is prepared to bless every believer with “all spiritual blessings” from the moment that they trust in Christ. How do we know that it is from the moment that they trust in Christ?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God says “Whosoever believes … has everlasting life”.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 3:26 Talking to believers, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith …”
2Timothy 3:15 “… the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
So, what are the blessings that we are talking about. We need to divide them into:
1. Relationship Blessings. The relationship blessings come from what God gives to us and are based on Christ alone. E.g. forgiveness of sins, justification (i.e. made righteous in God’s sight), becoming a child of God etc. There are something like 90 of these blessings.
2. Spiritually Practical blessings. E.g. having the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Word and empower us to live for God, making us practically more like Christ.
3. Eternal Blessings. E.g. bodies made like unto Christ’s glorious body and minds made like Christ.
I will in the future, God willing, concentrate on the Relationship Blessings. The reason is that if we know who we are before God will deliver us from fear and increase our joy.
But what is my response going to be to all that God has done for me through Christ?
God wants us to be Christians, which means a follower of Christ, and disciples which one who follows the teaching of another.
How can I be a follower of Christ or a disciple?
John 8:31 says, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”” People manifest that they are His “disciples” by abiding in His Word. Abiding means remaining in or resting in. So, the Lord Jesus made a distinction between those who are disciples and those who are “disciples indeed”. A disciple is anyone who professes to be a learner, but a “disciple indeed” is one who has definitely committed himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are true believers have this characteristic—they abide in His Word. This means that they continue in the teachings of Christ. They do not turn aside from Him. True faith always has the quality of permanence. They are not saved by abiding in His Word, but they manifest that they are saved by abiding God’s Word.
The first element is the unchanging truth of God’s Word. It has been said: “That is, in the Word of God the Spirit of God has revealed the true nature of the world we live in, the true nature of man and of God, the ultimate consummation of history, the pattern of relationships, and response to God and to life which corresponds with ‘the way things really are.’“
We develop Christlikeness by fellowship with Christ through His Word and weaving prayer into all that you do.
Paul said, “I urge you to imitate me” (1 Corinthians 4:16) and “You became imitators of us and of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
How does a disciple grow in Christ on a daily basis?
A daily quiet time is a private meeting each day between a disciple and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A daily quiet time consists of at least three components.
- Reading the Bible with the intent not just to study but to meet Christ through the written Word.
- Meditating on what we have read so that biblical truth begins to saturate our minds, emotions and wills. Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
- Praying to (communing with) God: praising, thanking and adoring him as well as confessing our sins, asking him to supply our needs and interceding for others.
Why Is It Important?
It pleases the Lord. Even if there were no other consequences, this would be sufficient reason for private daily communion with God. Col 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” It may astonish us to realize that God is seeking people who will do just that: “They are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks” (John 4:23).
How to Begin
1st Remember the principle of self-discipline: do what you should do when you should, the way you should, where you should and for the correct reasons. In other words, self-discipline is the wise use of your personal resources (such as time and energy).
2nd Set aside time in advance for your quiet time. A daily quiet time should take place each day at the time when you are most alert. For the majority of people this will be in the morning, probably before breakfast but for others it will be another time of the day or evening. Though it is not a hard and fast rule, the morning is a preferable time since it begins before the rush of thoughts and activities of the day.
How much time should you spend? This will vary from person to person, but a good plan to follow is to start with at least fifteen minutes a day and developing into at least approximately forty-five minutes. When and for how long, beginning tomorrow, you will meet the Lord Jesus Christ for a daily quiet time.
3rd Plan ahead by going to bed early enough so that you can awaken in a refreshed condition to meet Christ. The battle for the daily quiet time is often lost the night before.
4th Make your quiet time truly a quiet time. This is not always easy, especially if you are sleeping with other siblings in the bedroom. So, find a quiet place to read. Psalm 46:10 speaks to this: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
5th Pray as you start your time with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to control your investment of time and to guide your praising, confessing, thanking, adoring, interceding, petitioning and meditating, as well as to help you get into the Bible. Open your mind and heart to Scripture.
6th Keep a notebook handy. Write down your ideas that you want to remember and questions you can’t answer. Buy a couple or more folders and some dividers so that you put your written thoughts in an orderly fashion which will make them easier to find in the future. Expression deepens impression—and writing is a good mode of expression.
When Problems Arise
1st I know I should have a daily quiet time, but I’ve lost the desire for it. Answer: Ask that the Holy Spirit to awaken within you the desire to read God’s Word. He is the only One Who can accomplish this in you as no one else can help you.
2nd I don’t feel like having a daily quiet time today. Answer: Have your quiet time anyway and honestly admit to Christ that you don’t feel like meeting with Him but that you know it is worth investing your time in this spiritual exercise.
3rd My mind wanders. Answer: Ask that the Holy Spirit to give you strength to set your mind on Christ and his Word. Use your self-discipline to direct your mind so that it will wander less.
4th I miss too many quiet times. Answer: Ask that the Lord will help you to strengthen your desire and to give you power to discipline your use of time.
5th My daily quiet time is a drag. Answer: Pray that the joy of the Lord would be restored to your private meeting with Christ (Psalm 51:12). Try various different approaches e.g. sing a hymn for a change, or try a different type of Bible study.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will enable your new nature to overcome your old nature in this battle.
What place should the Bible have in a disciple’s daily quiet time?
Because the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the uniquely inspired revelation of God and the standard of truth in all matters of faith and practice, a portion of each day should be set aside to read, study and meditate on God’s Word. The Bible is to the spirit what food is to the body.