According to a survey done in the US, only 11 percent of Americans read the Bible daily, and only 24% believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. Doubting the Bible is 100% God’s word is a dangerous belief that is destroying us. Hosea 4:6 says, my people are destroyed by lack of knowledge. Our source of knowledge today comes from scripture; the knowledge of who God is and who we are is all found in the Bible. We are leaving the greatest source of power and knowledge sitting on our shelf when we should be arming ourselves with its truth daily.
Dangers of Not Acknowledging God’s Word as 100% truth
When we do not acknowledge the Bible as the literal word of God, we leave it open to interpretation and pick and choose the verses that work for us, which leads us to sin and allows an inroad to the devil in our lives. We also do not acknowledge the power scripture holds when we do not recognize it as God’s word. If the Bible is merely a guide and not 100% truth, how can we trust anything written in it? How can one stand on the promises of God if they may or may not be true? The Bible is either God’s word or is of no use to us.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, 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. That verse makes it pretty clear that scripture comes from the mouth of God.
Yes, it went through man, but it came directly from God; men were just the pens that he wrote it through. The verse in Timothy does refer to the Old Testament scriptures. But in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter refers to Paul’s teaching as scripture as well; therefore, the New Testament cannot be discounted as not being the word of God.
If you decide to discount the New Testament, why do you believe in Jesus? The first four books of the New Testament are where we see the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, so if we can not trust the New Testament, then how can we trust what Jesus did for us? If we do not believe all of the Bible, how can we believe any of it? The Bible cannot be flawed and still hold power.
Dangers of Neglecting Scripture
When we neglect the Bible, we leave ourselves unarmed and open to a fatal attack from the devil. Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is alive, active, and sharper than a double-edged sword. The truth is that the Bible is God’s word; we have an active weapon at our disposal.
When God created the world, he spoke it into existence; every intricate part of creation came from his tongue. When we read scripture, we are filling ourselves with the power of God. Speaking scriptures out against the enemy’s attack is not just saying words; it is a sword that cuts through the lies and deception of the devil.
The Bible is also an educational tool that informs us of the character of God, the love of God, and who we are in God. When we know the truth of His character, His Nature, and His Past actions, we can be confident in what He will do. When we know who we are in God, we know our authority and rights that come with being His child; we also know our part to play in receiving His promises.
If we do not read the Bible for ourselves we are not fully equipped to fight. We will have half-truths to stand on instead of the complete truth. There are verses that we know by heart ones we have heard all our lives that we do not know their context. Knowing the context of scripture is important because it can change the meaning. We need to know why God said something and what was going on that made him say it. We also need to know our role in fulfilling the promises that we are standing on; his promises come with stipulations.
In Conclusion
Recognizing the Bible as the literal word of God and studying scripture for ourselves is what empowers us. The Bible is the foundation of our entire belief system; if we do not recognize it as truth, we do not have a firm foundation to stand on. The devil does not want the church to realize how powerful scripture is because if we did, we would have the power to resist him and defeat his schemes. Quit believing the lies of satan and know that all scripture is God-breathed, and spending time in it is how you will gain your victory.
Referenced Verse: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea+4%3A6&version=ESV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%203%3A16-17&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+3%3A16&version=NIV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A12&version=NIV