20 October 2025

God's Word Works

How do you view the Bible?  Do you see it as God's word or do you believe it contains God's word?  There is a tremendous divide between these contrary views which on the surface seem similar.  One views the Bible as the inerrant, absolute word of God without flaw, spoken by the God who does not change.  God speaks truly of what was, is and is to come, and we are to humble ourselves to be challenged and changed by God.  The other view allows man to assume God's place and make judgments of God's word according to his own limited understanding and agenda.  This person can pick out what they feel is relevant to them, reject the relevance of other passages, and even change God's word to affirm their views.

I read an article recently about a "progressive" push in writing devotionals and story Bibles aimed at children that affirm progressive values--which is actually a clear departure from the true word of God.  It is ironic to me people would write stories from the Bible (they don't actually believe are true) to affirm and validate their theology--as if their words could do anyone good.  People desperately need to hear the truth of God's word like someone who suffers from a life-threatening bacterial infection needs antibiotics.  A sugary elixir may taste sweet and delicious, but it has no power to heal.  "Progressive" agendas cannot give eternal life, and they cannot change a person for good or grant rest to our souls.

See the benefit of God's word received as God's word in 1 Thessalonians 2:13:  "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." Those who read the Bible as a bunch of stories that may or may not be true, written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit we accept or reject on the basis of what God spoke through them, God's word will not have the personal impact God intends.  Rather than affirming what we believe, the word of God effectively works in believers according to God's purposes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  If only some of the Scripture is inspired, only some of it is profitable.  Are those who reject the word of God as eternal truth ones to be teaching it?  Those who believe the Bible merely contains the word of God will remain spiritually stunted and deceived.

The whole Bible is God's word and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.  All of these purposes work to give understanding of God, to correct our sinfulness and guide us because we naturally are lost, foolish, selfish and have a debased mind.  Left to our own thoughts and devices we were dead in sins and heading for eternal destruction in hell, deserving wrath and judgment for our wickedness.  We were thinking wrong, doing wrong and saying wrong, being ignorant of God and His holiness.  Having been born again by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps us to heed God's word written in the whole Bible.  God's desire is to renew and wash our minds in the water of His word, cleansing us of our own ideas so our lives will reflect the life of Christ to a progressive world that is rushing further from God to ruin.

God's word that teaches us of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the redemption by the death and resurrection of Jesus who loves us, is the word that guides us to live in the way that pleases God today.  We were empty before Christ:  now having been filled with the Holy Spirit are we so foolish to imagine we know better than God by adding or taking away from His word?  May the working of God's word within us be effective and make us complete as God intends as we submit to Him.  Hebrews 13:20-21 says, "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."  Without the word of God teaching, reproving, correcting and guiding us, no story we can tell or book people write can profit at all.

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