Here is the remainder of the newsletter. It amazed me that four devotions were able to have a whole newsletter on their own.
God’s Word
- We should read God’s Word because the words themselves come from God. God is Sovereign God. He is Creator of us and all there is. He didn’t have to write to us directly, but He did. The revelations are from God Himself. The fact that the 66 books — written by 35-40 people from 1445 BC to 96 AD (not counting Job) — are interconnected shows the single Author. Men may be writing on the scrolls, but the words are God’s, given to the human writers through inspiration. The inspiration allows the author of the books to write in their voice. But every word that is in it was specifically put in by God Himself. When we start seeking God in His Word, the Holy Spirit starts interpreting Scriptures for us. We grow our faith by growing closer to Him (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- Inspire. Influence. Either way, it shows God is in control either way. But I also think that both are appropriate. If the conduit of the words is the Holy Spirit, He is both inspired and influenced by God Himself (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures).
- Inspiration is the way in which the words are presented. Revelation are the words and ideas themselves (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures).
- We should read God’s Word because Jesus constantly taught out of the Old Testament. We can’t focus only a few verses, chapters, or even books of God’s Word. We have to read the Bible through. That is the only way we will know all of Who God is. The Old Testament foreshadows the New, and the New Testament fulfills the Old while both prophesy the future. Because of that, we must give them the weight they are due (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- We should read God’s Word because it is a record of Jesus’ ministry. Some seem to think that we find Jesus only in the New Testament. True, that is where He actually speaks words and He is mentioned by name. Jesus is, however, throughout the Old Testament. All God’s Word leads us to our Savior. It is all about Jesus. We were given enough to prove that Jesus was God’s Son. The signs and wonders that Jesus did show He was no ordinary Man. His resurrection proved that He was God (Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- We should read God’s Word because it leads us to salvation. We were given enough to prove that salvation can be gained only through ABCDing. Scriptures tell us exactly how to search for God and be granted access to a loving, forgiving God. We have to receive God’s Word as He intended — the path to our salvation. When we receive it in faith, we must respond. We need to receive God’s Word acknowledging the authority He has – that we don’t. After we reverently receive it, we have to obey it. We have to submit to His authority (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures, Why Do We Search the Scriptures?; How We Read God’s Word; How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We should read God’s Word because it equips us with direction specifically from God. Reading God’s Word isn’t just about knowing about God’s laws. It is about doing them. Following God’s laws isn’t just about doing the do’s and not doing the don’ts. It is about our gaining God’s character to become more like Him (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- Through His Word, God disseminates basic knowledge about Him to us. We should read God’s Word because it gives us a written record of the standards by which God is going to judge us. Every person can have access to it. It tells us what we need to do to be a true disciple. We search God’s Word so that we can use them as the standard to become holy. He did this so we would have a written record of Who He is and what is expected of us (Why Do We Search the Scriptures?; The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We should read God’s Word because it shows us how we gain eternal life. We have to be careful with John 5: 39. We should not interpret it to mean that reading only and knowing of what the gospel says gives us eternal life. Eternal life is only given when we have taken what we know to be from reading God’s Word and ABCDing (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures).
- What we have steer clear of just reading to read. Yes, it is our duty to read God’s Word, but we have to have more of a motivation than that. We have to want to read it. We have to see the value of reading it. We gain knowledge and conviction by searching God’s Word. This means more than only reading it. The psalmist said we should meditate on God’s Word. In other words, we should focus on it. We are to receive God’s Word in our hearts as He intends it so that it can transform us (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; How We Read God’s Word).
- How we receive God’s Word is not just about how we read it. It is also about how we secure it in our hearts. When we see with the eyes of our hearts, we have faith in God. We can only accept God’s Word by faith. To me, that also means we have to open ourselves up to a different way of thinking. If we are going to read God’s Word and only interpret it based on our opinions, we aren’t making God the priority. We are not open to growing and changing (How We Read God’s Word; Why Do We Search the Scriptures?; How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- However, God’s Word is not an exhaustive record. If we would have gotten a biography, wouldn’t that be more about what Jesus did? Wouldn’t most people want to hear more about the miracles and healings? But Jesus was more interested in providing a gospel. To Him, His message was more important than He was (Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- We search God’s Word so that we can understand what God is revealing to us. We have to read God’s Word with the eye of growing in His grace and knowledge. We’ve got to get it down to the heart level (How We Search God’s Word to Grow; How We Read God’s Word).
- We only grow through reading God’s Word. We do that by getting God’s Word to our hearts. How do we accomplish that? We search God’s Word until we get it to the heart level. We have to approach it through meekness. If we don’t accept God’s Word meekly, we — in essence — don’t receive God’s Word. It is an all or nothing deal. It is all about attitude. Attitude is the way we have the mind of Christ. Only God can open our eyes and change our perspectives. Only He can call us to Himself (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We are to be a full-time student of God’s Word. We need that constant expectation that we will be learning something. We need to approach God’s Word with the belief that it contains wonderful things. We have to want to know what it says. Every time we open our Bibles, we should think that God is already there to reveal to us what He wants us to learn. We need to be willing to be taught as we go along in life. Regardless of our age. Regardless of our circumstances and responsibilities at the time. We should always be open to learning from God’s Word (How We Read God’s Word; How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We need to be in God’s Word daily. Oh, we may be reading verses on different topics and experiences. But the theme is all the same. It is all about God loving us enough to send His Son to save us. God’s Word isn’t a Christmas gift of socks or an ugly sweater that we will never wear. It must be something that permeates our life. We have to not only read it but use it daily. We especially use it when Satan is attacking us (How We Read God’s Word).
- We need to continue to search God’s Word throughout our lives. We need to be open to being lifelong learners of God’s Word. We are never going to know and understand it all – none of us (How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We should read God’s Word because it provides us access to God’s power. When we read God’s Word, we see His power. It is evident throughout His Word. One of His greatest displays of power is when God created the universe. He created it with space, time, and matter. God showed His power by taking a family of 70 and turning it into a nation of over two million. Most importantly, God showed His power at raising Jesus from the dead. We can only access this power by ABCDing. Reading God’s Word helps us access God’s power. It is only through His grace do we have the ability to withstand temptation and not sin (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures).
- We have to accept all of God’s Word, even when we don’t understand all of it. We can’t pick and choose what we get behind. We can’t hold back our acceptance to see how it will go. We have to receive all God’s Word and believe in what He is saying the way He says it. We cannot rewrite it to our own opinions (The Real Reasons Why We Search the Scriptures; How We Read God’s Word).
- We aren’t supposed to read God’s Word only so we can have strength when we are tempted. We have to focus on the process of becoming good in God’s eyes. Notice, I didn’t say anything about being a good person. This isn’t about doing the Matthew 25: 35-36 to do list of good deeds and being the social savior of the world. This is about getting our hearts right with God. It is aligning our motives, principles, and feelings with what He has said and Who He is. It is about not sinning. We’re not talking about rote memorization here or even the ability to paraphrase correctly. It is about having the wisdom to discern God’s Will in whatever situation in which we find ourselves. It is about having God’s instructions available to us — not at our fingertips — even closer. They are in our minds (How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- We become grounded in faith by reading and following God’s Word. We need genuine faith, not super huge faith. We get this through God’s Word. We read it, listen to it, study it, meditate on it, and memorize it (How We Search God’s Word to Grow; Why Do We Search the Scriptures?).
- Each of us has to make our own decision to submit our lives to God. We can only do that after we have come to know Him for ourselves. That takes reading His Word (How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
Glossary
Making the Connections
- The letter of the law and the letter of religion are the same thing. We cannot follow the letter of the law in our inward hearts and the spirit of the law with our outward actions.
- We cannot second guess what God intended the law to mean. The law hasn’t evolved into something else to compromise with the world. We have to call a sin a sin, seek God, and delight in His ways. Period (The Letter of Religion).
- The law still shows us our need for grace. It still brings home the fact that we cannot find salvation in ourselves. Salvation only comes through Jesus. We find Jesus throughout God’s Word (How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- Unlike worldview people, we are shooting for God’s conduct and character based on God’s Word and laws. We have to be learning the right things the right way — God’s way. The point here is we have to continue walking with God. From childhood to maturity – from milk baby to steak adult – we have to grow in knowledge and grace. This is another way of saying we have to endure to the end (How We Search God’s Word to Grow).
- God wants us to follow the Spirit of the Law – the Holy Spirit. God has put His Spirit in us. That Spirit is His breath. God’s Word is to be in us just as His breath is. He wants to permeate our being (Why Do We Search the Scriptures?; Religion Doesn’t Make a True Christian).
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.