What is Scripture? (2)

What is Scripture?

1. Scripture bears the mark of Divine Holiness.

Scripture is Learned (from those who give it)

Scripture is believed (from those who believe it)

Scripture is known (from those who know it)

2. Scripture has the power to lead us to Salvation.

One of the ways we come to trust the message is by the power it has to change lives.

(1) We know who we 1st heard it from.

(2) We know how we became familiar with it.

(3) We know when we became wise for Salvation. ( “Do not lean on your own understanding)

3. Scripture is God Breathed.

This is one of the most important statements in the Bible. “All Scripture is God-breathed” — inspired, we usually say. Not like we might say a beautiful musical performance was “inspired,” but breathed out by God so as to make the Scripture God’s own words.

The Bible is the very words of God.

“We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the infallible Word of God, verbally inspired by God, and without error in the original manuscripts.”

The term “verbally inspired” and the reference to the “original manuscripts” both flow from the focus of on the very writings themselves.

At the Journey Church this morning you are holding in your hands the very words of God. Have you ever been half amazed as you should be? The creator of the Universe has breathed out a book! We have access to knowledge that is unshakably true and infinitely valuable — infinitely. Do you treasure, love, read, meditate, memorize, and study this book in accord with its infinite worth?

The Hebrew ruach means “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit.” The corresponding Greek word is pneuma. Both words are commonly used in passages referring to the Holy Spirit. The word’s first use in the Bible appears in the second verse: “The Spirit of God [Ruach Elohim] was hovering over the waters” (). In :17ruach is translated “breath of life.” uses ruach to describe the “wind” God sent over the earth to recede the Flood waters. Altogether, the word ruach is found almost 400 times in the Old Testament.

God’s Ruach is the source of life. The Ruach of God is the One who gives life to all creation. We could say that God’s Ruach has created every other (non-divine) ruach that exists. All living creatures owe the breath of life to the Creative Spirit of God. Moses states this truth explicitly: “God . . . gives breath [ruach] to all living things” (). Job understood this truth as well: “As long as I have life within me, the breath [ruach] of God in my nostrils” (). Later, Elihu tells Job, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” ().

The Bible has one voice

The most foundational reason that we gather each and every Sunday as a church is that the resounding voice from this pulpit each and every Sunday stays exactly the same. No matter who is behind the pulpit the fact that we continue in the God Breathed, inherent, word of God. It has been our Salvation and our treasure.

4. Scripture is Profitable

for TEACHING

for REPROOF (REBUKING)

for CORRECTING

For TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS