The Value of the Bible

Introduction

One day a minister was visiting one of his members. The lady of the house was trying to impress him about how devout she was by pointing out the large Bible on the bookshelf and talking in a very reverential way of it as "the Word of God". Her young son interrupted the conversation, "Well, if that’s God’s book we better send it back to him because we never read it!"

Is this how we treat God’s word? If we have something valuable, we do not allow it to be neglected. We find ways to use it. The Bible is our most valuable possession.

Faithfulness requires filling our minds with God’s word ().

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

We “hide” God’s word in our heart ready for application ().

Psalm 119:10–11 ESV

10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Instruction

The Bible helps us defeat temptation ()

In , Jesus faced three temptations from the three sources of sin.

The lust of the flesh (vv. 3-4)- Jesus has fasted for 40 days. Satan tempted him to use his abilities for selfish reasons.

“If you are the Son of God”- Satan knew this to be true.

He is tempting him to prove it.

The lust of eyes (vv. 5-8)- note that Satan showed him this in a “moment of time” (v. 5). Satan desires for us to give a moment of time for an eternity.

The pride of life (vv. 9-12)- Satan uses to tempt Jesus to put the veracity of God’s word to the test.

In all three temptations, Jesus responded with biblical citations:

In v. 4, he quoted the second half of

Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV

3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

In v. 8, he quoted .

Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV

13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

In v. 12, he quoted .

Deuteronomy 6:16 ESV

16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.

Having defeated Satan and his attempts, the adversary left Jesus until an “opportune time” (v. 13).

Application: God strengthens us so we can stand against the “schemes” of Satan by equipping us with God’s Word (; ).

The Bible teaches us about salvation.

Consider some basic biblical principles about salvation.

Humanity struggles with sin ().

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Humanity needs a Savior and God provided through Jesus Christ (, )

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

God offers a plan of salvation for all people. This plan is the same for every person regardless of age, gender, citizenship, social class, etc.

Romans 10:17 ESV

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

John 8:24 ESV

24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

Acts 3:19 ESV

19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

1 Peter 3:21 ESV

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The Bible teaches us about God and his nature

One verse which encapsulates God’s character well is .

Exodus 34:6–7 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Yes, we can learn some principles about God but without the Bible we would not know about his love for each of us.

Invitation

The Bible is God’s revealed will for you and me. In its pages, we learn:

How to deal with temptation

How to deal with sin.

The nature of God we serve.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.