NEW CHRISTIANS-Discipleship Basics-The Word of God-Part I-by David Nelson

Posted: 2007-01-04 19:55:00

Part I

Scripture verses referenced in this study:

John 1:1
Col. 2:3
I Cor. 1:30-31
II Tim. 3:16
Matt. 4
Deut. 8
Rev. 12

The Word of God is very precious to God.  It says in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  God even calls himself the Word.  Jesus called himself the truth.  He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the light.”  In Col. 2:3 it says, “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ.”  In I Cor. 1:30-31, it says, “He is the source of our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption.  Therefore, it is written, Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.”  The Lord is the source of our righteousness.  He is the source of our wisdom.  All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ.  Without Him, we may have a worldly wisdom but to God it is foolishness.  God will show us the truths, the precious treasures, jewels, and truths that he has hid in him that are actually he, himself.  Jesus is the word of God who was with God and who is God.  Jesus is the truth.  When we are receiving the word from God, we are actually receiving of his nature and who he is.  As we learn this word and receive this word, and walk in this word, we will become more like God.  This teaching on the word of God is very powerful and precious. 

II Tim. 3:16 says, “All scriptures are inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  When it says, “all scriptures”—that means the writings.  God has decided to put his truth into writing.  Now, much of his truth also comes through just Spirit inspiration—that we can receive through a revelation in our mind, heart, or our Spirit.  He wrote down so much of his truth in the word of God, the Bible, that we can check any revelation that we have against the truth of the Bible, for he has given us a complete, full record of his truth.  The Bible, the writings of God, are inspired by God, that means they are God-breathed.  God breathed these writings.  I don’t care whether it is Moses or Isaiah, Matthew, Peter or Paul, whoever is writing the scriptures, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.  This means the Holy Spirit breathed these truths into these men and then these men breathed out these truths and wrote them down.  That is what the word “scriptures” means, it means “writings.”  They were breathed by God.  They are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness; that the man or woman of God may be complete, equipped, for every good work.  The word of God is our tool to be fully equipped for every good work.  The word of God is our armor, our weapons, everything for us to be totally equipped for every good work.  Some people get very spiritual when they talk about healing or casting out demons or they talk about doing miracles, or speaking in tongues, or whatever.  What I want you to know is that if you want to be fully equipped for every good work, which would include healing, casting out of demons, doing miracles, raising the dead, speaking in tongues, whatever, you must know the word.  Then, you will be fully equipped to do every good work.  How are you going to cast out a demon if you do not know the word?  Yes, you may be able to do it as a young Christian or you may be able to do it as an ignorant Christian but God puts no premium on ignorance and he wants you to be intelligent in the word so that when a spirit comes to you and brings some lie or twist of the truth, you know how to answer him with the word. 

Jesus used the word as a weapon.  It is called, in the Scripture, the sword of the Spirit.  In Matt. 4, when Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness, when Satan came to tempt him, I tell you with all my desire, he answered Satan every time with the word and I don’t mean this in a loose, meaningless way.  In Matt. 4:3, when the devil came to Jesus and said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread…” but Jesus answered, “It is written…” (the Scriptures).  God has breathed the Scriptures and Jesus quoted a scripture from Deut. 8, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  So, as Satan came to tempt and twist him and torment him and to sidetrack him and to try to deceive him, Jesus answered Satan with the word.  Jesus lashed back with the sword of the Spirit to conquer this devil with the word of God that would sweep the devil back, drive him back.  The devil could not stand before the word.  Every time the word was given, Satan had no answer, because he has nothing to say, unless he is trying to twist the word in the wrong direction.  But, if we know the word, we can fight Satan.  In Rev. 12, it says the accuser of the brethren, Satan, that liar, has been cast down to earth—he knows he has a short time to work.  He is going to try to deceive Christians and the world, but it says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”  We can overcome Satan by the word of our testimony.  We can overcome him by the sword of the Spirit.  This is very powerful.  It says that the “man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work—equipped to cast out demons, equipped to do miracles of healing, equipped to be sensitive to God and to have that word coursing through our Spirit at all times, so that we are able to be wise in God.