All Scripture

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

This is most likely Paul’s last letter, written to Timothy who he regarded as like a son to him. Paul wrote to encourage, warn, and to effectively give his final instructions.

What a couple of verses Paul has left us with!

"All Scripture is God-breathed…" - If that is true then this is the most important book in the world ever! No wonder it is by far the most popular book in history. "All Scripture" means Genesis to Revelation – all 66 books. Now I am not sure about you, but I find some of the Bible deeply challenging in its content and I am left wondering why it is there, particularly parts of the Old Testament. Yet God has given every word for our benefit.

"God-breathed" means that He gives it life. We talk about it being the book of life. The Living God breathes life into the words as we read them. Not only did he inspire all forty of the original authors, he also speaks to us today through the words they were given to record. When we read the Bible, God breathes life (by His Spirit) into us. As we eat and drink to gain nourishment and feed our bodies, so His Word feeds us spiritually. Without it, we are in danger of spiritual starvation. Knowing it and feeding on it regularly is vital for a healthy spiritual life. Yes, God speaks in other ways, but He speaks most regularly through His Word.

"…and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…" – We all need teaching when it comes to spiritual things. You can never get to the end of God or know it all, answer all the questions. We must keep on learning; we need teaching as we so quickly forget what we have been told; we forget His promises and what He has said.

We need rebuking. The bible pulls us up short and highlights our weaknesses. It is God’s way of refining us. No-one likes being rebuked, but we need His Word to stop us in our tracks if needed.

We need correcting. It is so easy for wrong ideas and teaching to permeate into our lives if we are not standing on what the Bible actually says. There are plenty of people out there who want to discredit and water down biblical truth. Truth remains truth – the Bible is true! It stands up to scrutiny and many, many people have died for its truth, rather than deny it. Many still do so today.

We need training in righteousness. It doesn’t come naturally! Try keeping all of the Sermon on the Mount for just one week, even one day, and you’ll find we need training! To be righteous is to have a right standing with God. Of course, that only comes through knowing and trusting in Jesus – only He is truly righteous. We are however called to live lives that are increasingly reflecting His character and values. The Christian life is not a destination or simply a ticket to heaven, it is a journey of growth, sometimes painful, in right living. We want to live the right way because it is the only right response to God’s saving grace.

"…so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." – This is God’s purpose for us right now in this life. We are not called to be "sitters" in church or passengers in His kingdom. We all have a purpose, a calling, a task He has for us to do, right now. One thing we always discover when we truly seek His will for our lives is that we will always find we are fully equipped for any task that He gives us. Usually we feel inadequate and that the task is beyond us. That is because He wants to remind us to trust Him for what we lack!

So how is our bible feeding going? It is more than just stacking up reading time! A good meal should be enjoyed leisurely not gobbled down without tasting it (… as my wife says!). Reading without reflection is just reading words and "ticking the boxes". Instead, we should prioritise quality time in our lives to prayerfully read His Word, expecting Him to speak to us through it.

There are many in our world today who would give just about anything to have a bible, because where they live they are hard or impossible to come by, certainly legally. If like me you have a stack of versions of the bible at home, a few commentaries, let alone internet access, perhaps it is time we took His Word a little more seriously and get back to taking regular spiritual meals…

The question is … are we hungry for it?

Have a blessed week!