The Word of God First Principles – The Word of God Let’s get God involved by beginning with a prayer.

 

  1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 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.

 

  1. All Scripture is inspired by God.
  2. It is to be applied to our lives.

 

  1. Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living 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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

  1. The Word is relevant.
  2. The Word cuts (hurts).
  3. Learn that it is good to be “cut,” because a scalpel (God’s Word) “cuts” the cancer (sin) out! It is not cutting you to hurt you, it is cutting you to save you like a surgeon.

 

  1. 2 Peter 1:20-21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

 

  1. There is no private interpretation of the Bible.
  2. The Holy Spirit inspired the men who wrote the books of the Bible (2 Sam 23:2, Zech 7:12, Isaiah 48:16, Matt 22:43, Mark 12:36, Acts 4:25, Acts 1:16).

 

  1. John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

  1. Intellectual belief is not enough – nor can we go by our feelings.
  2. Everyone must hold on to and follow the teachings of Jesus to be a true disciple.
  3. Sincerity does not equal truth.
  4. Religious people can be wrong.

 

  1. Matthew 15:1-9 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”

 

  1. Do not go by traditions or creeds.
  2. Worship by traditions – which contradicts the Word of God – is worship in vain. If you follow traditions you do 5 things: 1) Nullify the word of God. 2) Become a hypocrite. 3) Pay lip service. 4) Your heart is far from God 5) Worship in vain as an individual and on a church scale.

 

  1. 1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

 

  1. Watch your life and doctrine closely – they are inseparable.
  2. Which is more important, life or doctrine? Neither – an airplane with only one wing cannot fly.
  3. Why is it so important to learn and to teach and to live the right doctrine? To save yourself and those who hear you.

 

  1. Acts 17:10-12 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

 

  1. Must check what religious leaders say.
  2. Your challenge: Read and study the Bible every day! (This verse is repeated from the seeking God study because getting a personal relationship with God is so pivotal)

 

  1. James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

 

  1. The Word of God is a mirror.
  2. Do not forget what you see – “do what it says!”

 

  1. John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

 

  1. Why study the Bible? The Word will judge us! So what will your decision be today? Will you live by the Bible or you feelings, traditions, desires, etc.?