The Bible: What It Does

Article 1: The Holy Scriptures

1-1  The Holy Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the inspired,1 infallible Word of God,2 a divine revelation, the original writings of which were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit.3 They are the supreme and final authority of faith and conduct.4 1-2  Inspiration is a special act of the Holy Spirit3 by which He guided the writers of the Scriptures so that their words would convey the thoughts He wished conveyed, would bear a proper relationship to the thoughts of the other inspired books, and would be kept free from error of fact, doctrine, and judgment.5 1-3  The Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God, are composed of all 66 books of the Old Testament and New Testament.

Review: What the Bible Is

Special/Supernatural Revelation

Inspired

Inerrant

Infallible

The Bible: What It Does

It saves

The Problem

People have no concern to please God.

1 Thessalonians 4:4–5 ESV

that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

People know God but reject God.

Romans 1:21 ESV

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

People’s consciences give witness to the will of God by sometimes doing what His law requires without recognizing that they will stand before Jesus to be judged on the last day.

Romans 2:15–16 ESV

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

People’s hearts are callous towards God.

Ephesians 4:18 ESV

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

People love what God hates, hate what God loves and hate God.

Romans 8:7 ESV

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

The Answer

God uses His Word to bring clarity to the offense of our sin.

Romans 3:20 ESV

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

God uses His Word to bring clarity to salvation

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

God uses His Word to move His people to faith in Jesus for salvation.

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

God uses His Word to save His people.

James 1:18 ESV

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It sanctifies

The Word of God fuels our pursuit of holiness.

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Word of God nourishes our souls.

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The Word of God creates in us new affections

1 Thessalonians 1:5–6 ESV

because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

The Word of God sustains us in our suffering.

1 Thessalonians 2:13–16 ESV

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

The Word of God strengthens us to resist sin.

Psalm 119:11 ESV

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.