A biblical worldview of the word of God (the Bible) will change your life

A biblical worldview of the word of God (the Bible) will change your life.

In the Old Testament, ‘word’ is used almost 1,000 times.  The Hebrew meaning – to speak, to declare, to command, to promise, to warn. The written Word of God.

In the New Testament,  the Greek word ‘logos’ is used 240 times. Defined as something said, subject or discourse, communication, a conception.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Logos is the written word of God. Rhema is the revealed, or spoken, word of God. Rhema, a command, is used approximately 60 times. The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Eph. 6:17, Here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture. 

Take – is an imperative, meaning a command for doing something.

Sword – the only offensive armour with all other armour being defensive.

Spirit – pneuma, invisible, like the wind, but very powerful – divine God.

God’s Word, living and powerful

“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrows, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:  but all thing are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:12,13

“For with God nothing will be impossible. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word’. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:37, 38

In this passage of scripture, the word ‘nothing’ and the word ‘rhema’ have the same meaning. For Mary to become pregnant without a man was impossible.  

All Scripture is from God

“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for convincing, for correction, for discipline in righteousness, that the man of God should be lifted up, being made fully complete to all good work by God.” II Timothy 3:16, 17. Though written by men, all of Scripture is divinely inspired (literally, God-breathed), and it is our authority and rule for faith and life. What can you do to become a more serious student of God’s Word, the Bible, so that you can be complete and equipped for every good work? If we stay standing on the inside, God will take care of the outside.  If we do what we can do, God will do what we cannot do.

“The Word of God was not given for our information rather for our transformation.” ~ D. L. Moody

Apostasy in the last days.     II Timothy 3

¹“this you must be now for yourself knowing, that in the Last Day violent special times will be present. ²For men shall be loving themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedience to parents, unthankful, unholy. ³Without natural affection, unalterable, false accuser (slanderers) no self-control, fierce, despisers of God. ⁴Traitors, reactionary, are made self-directed pride, lovers of pleasure much more than lovers of God. ⁵Having a form of Godliness, but accepting no responsibility to His miracle power, so then also, from these stay away.”  Lacking miracle power, lacking the Holy Spirit.

58 percent of Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is God. ~ Barna

Does it seem to you that we are living in perilous times?   Look at the world around you, as you read II Timothy,  chapter 3, you probably see evidence of many of the vices described in times such as these, you must stand strong in the truth of God’s Word and have nothing to do with people who seem religious but do not exhibit true godliness or spiritual power.

Just as Paul predicted long ago when he wrote to Timothy we live in an unthankful and ungrateful generation. It seems the more people have, the less they appreciate. As believers, we are in the world, but we must strive not to be like it. The more others around us complain, the more we should express gratitude to God.

The Bible is:

1/3 history – the past

1/3 doctrine – the present

1/3 prophecy – the future

The books of the Bible were written at different times by 40 different authors, all inspired by the Holy Spirit, over a period of approximately 1,500 years. The oldest book of the Bible, according to most scholars, is either Genesis or Job, both thought to have been written by Moses and completed around 1450 BC. The newest book, Revelation, was written around AD90. The books of the Bible were not being written continuously. For example, 400 years elapsed between the completion of the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, and the beginning of the New Testament with Matthew. The ‘400 years of silence’ occurred because the Spirit of God did not inspire any Scripture during that time. Although Matthew’s gospel is placed first in the New Testament, it is believed that the first New Testament book written was actually the epistle of James, written around AD 44.  The entire New Testament was written in about 50 years, from AD 44 to 90 or 95.

It is impossible to know how long it took each author to write his particular book. Scholars believe Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament between 1445 and 1405 BC. Paul’s letter to the New Testament churches, especially the shorter ones such as Philemon, may have been written in one sitting. The same can be said of II John and III John, which are very short letters written to specific individuals.

Each author wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit who ‘breathed out’ Scripture to him. Peter explains this process: “prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” II Peter 1:21;   II Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is inspired (divinely breathed) by God.

Conclusion:

Example of Logos: The Deity of Christ “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.”   John 1:1

Example of Rhema: when a person receives Jesus Christ as Saviour, the Word of God becomes revealed and not just written. “But the Word of the Lord endures forever; now this is the Word which by the gospel was preached to you.” I Peter 1:25

The worst kind of famine

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, not a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord; and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it.” Amos 8:11,12 

There will be a falling away and many Christians will grow cold in the End times;   Matt. 24:9-12; Jude 17-25