God Hath Spoken - II

"God Hath Spoken"

Part Two

Let us consider how we are affected by a strong conviction that "God hath spoken" and what effect that has upon our behavior.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Must Not Neglect What He Said––
Hebrews 2:1–4 "We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won't drift away. The message spoken by angels proved to be true, and all who disobeyed or rejected it were punished as they deserved. So if we refuse this great way of being saved, how can we hope to escape? The Lord himself was the first to tell about it, and people who heard the message proved to us that it was true. God himself showed that his message was true by working all kinds of powerful miracles and wonders. He also gave his Holy Spirit to anyone he chose to."

"Dust on the Bible is indicative of a drought in the soul."
The Bible is still the best selling book of all time. More copies of it sold in more languages than any other book. However, it is probably the least read book that is owned. Most know very little of what it actually says, and less of what requires for salvation. If you truly believe the Bible to be the Word of the One True God you will read and study it with a willing enthusiasm.
Psalms 119:97 "I deeply love your Law! I think about it all day.," 131 "I honestly want to know everything you teach."
You will make time for the consideration of it.
Psalms 63:6 "I think about you before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night."; 119:147–148 "Even before sunrise, I pray for your help, and I put my hope in what you have said. I lie awake at night, thinking of your promises."
You will make opportunity to be instructed therein by those who know it best.
Isaiah 2:3 "Many people will come and say, "Let's go to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple." The LORD will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him."
Micah 4:2 "People of many nations will come and say, "Let's go up to the mountain of the LORD God of Jacob and worship in his temple." The LORD will teach us his Law from Jerusalem, and we will obey him."
It is an unconvincing affirmation that leads to so little real study and inquiry into the pages of what is "the mind of Christ." There should be in all of us an insatiable yearning to commune with our God; a yearning that can only be satisfied by hearing Him speak to us.

Since "God Hath Spoken," I Should Expect to Understand Him––
Acts 17:11 "The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true."
The nobility of the Bereans lay in their unwillingness to accept anything without proving it by the Scriptures. Their confidence was in God, His word and their ability to understand it for themselves.
1 John 4:1 "Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world,"
There are so many that rely upon a preacher, family member or close friend to "tell" them what the Bible says or what they should believe.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Must Tell Others––
What if…
I knew how to cure cancer? I had discovered a map that led to riches beyond belief?
I found the way to feed the whole world? You would expect me to share this good news with you and everyone we met, even strangers and enemies. Once God has spoken to you the greatest news that has ever been heard is now in your possession.
Examples of those to whom God had spoken:
The Samaritan woman, John 4
The demoniac, Mark 5:18–20
Witnesses to the healing of the deaf and dumb man, Mark 7:31–36
Andrew and Philip, John 1
If we truly believe God has spoken, we cannot be silent with those around us.

Since "God Hath Spoken" I Expect Him to Enforce His Word––
It is unbelievable that one should believe the Bible is God’s Word and then live a life contrary to its principles.
"I believe the Bible, but…"
"I know the Bible says this, but I think…"
"I know it’s not in the Bible, but I feel…"
"The Bible might not allow this, but we like…"
The God whom we serve is the God revealed in the Bible. He is the God who took Adam out of the Garden of Eden for one sin. He is the God who rejected Cain’s offering. He is the God who destroyed the world with a flood. He is the God who destroyed Egypt with the plagues. He is the God who left Israel strewn in heaps in the wilderness. He is the God that consumed Nadab and Abihu with fire. He is the God who opened the earth to swallow Dathan and Abiram. He is the God who struck Uzza dead. He is the God that smote Uzziah with leprosy. He is the God that drove Nebuchadnezzar like a mad man into the fields.
Judgment is according to the Word of God:
John 12:48 "But everyone who rejects me and my teachings will be judged on the last day by what I have said."
Romans 2:6 "God will reward each of us for what we have done.", 16 "when God appoints Jesus Christ to judge everyone's secret thoughts, just as my message says."
Revelation 20:12 "I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done."

CONCLUSION:

There Is No Salvation Apart from God’s Word––
Do you believe that God has spoken and the Bible is His Word? If so how has that transformed your life? How does that truth direct your conduct?

Belief that "God Hath Spoken" Will––
Motivate genuine interest for study and meditation.
Cause you to seek your own understanding and not to rely upon others. Lead you to tell others what you have learned. Give rise to an expectation of judgment according to His word.

Please address all questions to jnlnewsted@nts-online.net

Note:
The basic outline for this lesson was taken from a 66 page lesson book written by Jeff Asher. I have edited, adding and deleting as necessary for clarity by converting the outline to textual form. All scripture verses added are from the Contemporary English Version for ease of readability. (JMN)

God Hath Spoken

"God Hath Spoken"
Part One

Hebrews 1:1, 2
"Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son."

There Is No Faith in God or Salvation from Sin Apart from His Word––
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ." (Romans 10:17). If we are not willing to read or listen with an open mind how are we to learn and obtain a knowledge of God? How is our faith to come about? Without faith it is impossible to please God, "But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him." (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, without the Word of God we cannot please God.

That God Hath Spoken Is Evident––
It is reasonable to believe that the God who created would communicate with His creation, "He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, Even he that teacheth man knowledge? Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity." (Psalms 94:9–11). The God that made us rational thinking beings is Himself a Rational Thinking Being, necessarily of superior thought guided by infinite wisdom. He made speech, hearing and thought. He made us in His image, "God said, "Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures." (Genesis 1:26). He must have intended to communicate with us and give us instruction, "Our God, be kind and bless us! Be pleased and smile. Then everyone on earth will learn to follow you, and all nations will see your power to save us." (Psalms 67:1, 2). Just as a parent is able to communicate with an infant child, so God has made himself known unto us. He is not beyond our comprehension provided He makes the revelation of Himself known, which He has, "They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse." (Romans 1:19–22)
"God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us," (Acts 17:27). He is not hard to find. Any revelation that God would make would be so conceived and designed as to make it possible for His creation to gradually come to know and understand, "They will always be my most prized possession and my source of joy." (Psalms 119:111). With God caring so much would He create us and then leave us ignorant of Him?

The Bible Is the Means by which God Has Spoken––
The Holy Scriptures make the claim to be the only revelation of the one true God, "Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son."; "Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds." (Hebrews 1:1, 2; 2 Timothy 3:15–17). The evidence supporting this claim is overwhelming. The unity of the Book exemplifies its claim. The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 men over a 1500 year span, with a harmonious thread and essential agreement characteristic of a single Mind, "We do use wisdom when speaking to people who are mature in their faith. But it isn't the wisdom of this world or of its rulers, who will soon disappear. We speak of God's hidden and mysterious wisdom that God decided to use for our glory long before the world began. The rulers of this world didn't know anything about this wisdom. If they had known about it, they would not have nailed the glorious Lord to a cross. But it is just as the Scriptures say, "What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!" God's Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God's Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God's mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think. That's also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us. Every word we speak was taught to us by God's Spirit, not by human wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us teach spiritual things to spiritual people."; "All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts. But you need to realize that no one alone can understand any of the prophecies in the Scriptures. The prophets did not think these things up on their own, but they were guided by the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 2:6–13; 2 Peter 1:19–21).

The character of the Book verifies its origin.
It is not the kind of book a man would write if he could, or could write if he would. It reveals the weaknesses of its heroes and condemns their sins and shortcomings. It presents a morality that none, but one, have lived up to, but which all have admitted is excellent.
The knowledge revealed in the Book certifies its supernatural character.
Undeniable accuracy in matters of history, geography and contemporaneous culture (e.g. the Hittites, Pilate, writing). No statements of fact that can be demonstrated to be out of harmony with established and knowable principles of physics, earth science and
mathematics (e.g., the ark properly proportioned for sailing, circle of the earth in Isaiah 40:22, one blood (common ancestory) in Acts 17:26). Biblical prophecy obviously revealed and written years, and in some cases centuries, before the events transpired establish the supernatural superintendence given to its authors (Daniel’s visions, Isaiah’s reference to Cyrus, the prophecies concerning Christ).

As Noted Before, Conviction Determines Conduct––
The unbeliever, the atheist or agnostic, does not order his conduct to please God, "The wicked brag about their deepest desires. Those greedy people hate and curse you, LORD. The wicked are too proud to turn to you or even think about you. They are always successful, though they can't understand your teachings, and they keep sneering at their enemies. In their hearts they say, "Nothing can hurt us! We'll always be happy and free from trouble." They curse and tell lies, and all they talk about is how to be cruel or how to do wrong. They hide outside villages, waiting to strike and murder some innocent victim. They are hungry lions hiding in the bushes, hoping to catch some helpless passerby. They trap the poor in nets and drag them away. They crouch down and wait to grab a victim. They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold." (Psalms 10:3–11). Neither does the fallen Christian, "My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God." ; "We see that those people did not enter the place of rest because they did not have faith." (Hebrews 3:12, 19). All unbelief and apostasy begins with doubting the Word of God.
"I’ll take the words of Christ, but I’m not so sure about those Apostles."
"There are many things the Bible which just cannot be true, like that fish story and the tale of making a man out of dust."
"When science, reason and experience contradict the Bible we cannot ignore the preponderance of evidence that necessitates we conclude differently."
Numerous times in the Scriptures we are warned that men can and will lead us astray if we are not diligent to test the things were are taught. Our confidence is in the word not men ("Friends, I have used Apollos and myself as examples to teach you the meaning of the saying, "Follow the rules." I want you to stop saying that one of us is better than the other." 1 Corinthians 4:6; "But you must make them be quiet. They are after money, and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not.", Titus 1:11; "Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message. Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God. That sort of talk is like a sore that won't heal. And Hymenaeus and Philetus have been talking this way" 2 Timothy 2:15–17). God has not placed His word in the keeping of special handlers, a clergy, who have a supernatural gift of understanding, "Christ Jesus made me his prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me his mysterious ways. As you read the letter, you will also find out how well I really do understand the mystery about Christ." (Ephesians 3:1–4). Note that the readers were to read the letter, the whole congregation, not just the hierarchy. We are commanded to understand, "Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do." (Ephesians 5:17). We are told that we can know and do the truth, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32). We can not only know, but also do the will of the Father in Heaven, "Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in."; "Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock." (Matthew 7:21, 24).

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year

Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
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