If we want to know God’s will for our lives, we need to go to God’s Word. In His word, He will show us what is good for us, and what will harm us. He will show us what He hates and what He loves.
His Word is food for our soul, the right way of living.
- Jeremiah 15:16 – Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
- Psalm 12:6 – The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
- Psalm 119:162 – I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.
- Psalm 138:2 – I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
- Matthew 4:4 – But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
- 1Thessalonians 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.
THE GOD-BREATHED WORD
2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
- All scripture – From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21
- Is – Italicized words in the King James Version, mean they were added. They were not in the original text.
- Given by inspiration of God – Is one word in Greek. “theopnuestos” = GodBreathed.
- Profitable – Worth something.
- Doctrine – To show us what is the right teaching, and the right way to believe.
- Reproof – This will show us, when we are wrong.
- Correction – This will tell us how to get back to right believing and right way of living.
- Instruction in righteousness – This will teach us the right way to live.
ALL SCRIPTURE GOD BREATHED
God does not breathe, as John 4:24 states, God is a spirit. God uses human characteristics, when speaking and these are called “figures of speech.” And we need to keep this in mind, when reading God’s word, as they are used to emphasize a point.
In 2 Timothy 3:16 the emphasis is on the source of scripture, as to where did it come. It came from God! This same figure is used of the word of God in Matthew 4:4 where is says, “that man should live on every word that comes out of the mouth of God”. Here, a figure of speech is used, to give God a human characteristic.
PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, REPROOF, CORRECTION: INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
The Word of God is profitable to man:
- It tells us how to believe rightly.
- It reproves us when we are wrong.
- It tells us what is right again.
- Corrects us, to get us back to right believing and right way of living.
It is easy to say to someone they are wrong, but most importantly, is to correct and tell someone how to do it right, when they are wrong
Unfortunately, most of us of today, don’t want to hear or be told, when we are wrong, let alone be shown the right way of living. They don’t want reproof or correction or discipline, and that’s why the world is in such a mess. Until we turn back to God, things will not change. God’s ways are always the correct way and for our good. His ways are not there to harm us, but to help us. When we correct our brothers and sisters from God’s words, His instructions, His teachings, we are helping each other to grow in God’s ways.
We also, should show and display this through our actions, and not only by giving out teachings of instructions, in what is the correct way to live and believe. It’s no use teaching, correcting and helping others, and our own actions display the opposite in what we are teaching and correcting others with.
God tells us in James 1:22-25, we must not fool ourselves by just merely listening to it.
James 1:22-25 GW
Do what God’s word says. Don’t merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves. If someone listens to God’s word but doesn’t do what it says, he is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. However, the person who continues to study God’s perfect teachings that make people free and who remains committed to them will be blessed. People like that don’t merely listen and forget; they actually do what God’s teachings say.
God’s Words, God’s teachings help in many ways:
- Right teaching.
- Reproof when we are wrong.
- Correction to get us back on the right track.
- Instruction in righteousness.
- You will be blessed.
Psa 119:72 GW
The teachings that come from your mouth are worth more to me than thousands in gold or silver.