All Scripture

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The whole Bible is God's inspired Word. The Bible is not human ideas about God. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed His person and plan to certain believers who wrote down His message. "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21) The writers wrote down what God wanted them to write. All Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in total control of its writing from beginning to end.

God's Word is entirely authoritative and profitable for our faith and our lives. It's useful for teaching us about Who God is, what God does, what God desires, how to be saved, and all that God wants us to know & apply it to our lives. Doctrine (Scriptural teaching on theological truths) matters. If we are not thinking rightly/Biblically (having sound doctrine), we cannot be living rightly. The Bible is our standard for testing what we hear/are taught. "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11) We are to "measure" what is sung and preached in our churches against the plumb line of God's Word. It's our safeguard against false teaching/false doctrines.

God's Word is useful for rebuking/reproof. The Scripture is the Spirit's tool for convicting us of our wrongdoing. The Scripture exposes all sins, error, and falsehood. "For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

God's Word is useful for correcting those who are in error. It shows us where we go wrong and directs us to the right path. It restores and straightens us to the proper condition.

God's Word is useful for training us in righteousness/Godliness/Christlikeness. It's our source of guidance for how we should live. It trains us to become spiritually mature.

The Scripture's purpose is to thoroughly equip us, servants of God, to do good work...to do God's work in the world for God's glory. 

"Your thoughts are here, my God,
Expressed in words divine,
The utterance of heavenly lips 
In every sacred line." (Bonar)

Prayer: Thank You, Abba Father, for speaking to me through Your Word! Please help me to learn what You want me to learn and to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. Please enable me to continually hide Your Word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. Please equip me for Your kingdom work. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.