Tuesday: Safeguarded by the Word
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 16th of April 2024
Compare John 17:15-17 and Acts 20:32. What insights do Jesus and the apostle Paul give us regarding protection from the deceptions of Satan?
The Bible is the infallible revelation of God’s will. It presents Heaven’s plan for humanity’s salvation. Since “all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God,” it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). That is, “all Scripture” is inspired by God; not some parts or some parts more than others. The whole Bible must be accepted as the Word of God. Otherwise, the door is wide open for deception.
Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com
The Bible clearly reveals God’s infinite love in the light of the great controversy. It also exposes satanic delusions and reveals the devil’s deceptions. Satan hates the Word of God and has done everything possible throughout the centuries to destroy its influence.
After all, what would we know about the plan of salvation without the Bible? How much, if anything, would we understand about the birth, life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus? Without the Scriptures, would we even begin to comprehend the depth of Christ’s sacrifice, the glory of His resurrection, the power of His intercession, and the majesty of His return?
All these crucial truths are revealed, taught, and emphasized in the Word of God. It, and it alone, must be the final and ultimate standard for understanding all sacred truth.
Hence, we must fight against any and all attempts to undermine its authority or inspiration, even from those who, while professing great love of the Bible, bring doubts about it, even subtly. Tragically, especially through the inroads of modern thinking, many theologians and Christians focus so much on the human side of Scripture that the Bible becomes the word of man instead the Word of God. The Bible, they argue, is the writings of kings, shepherds, a fisherman, priests, poets, and others who shared their understandings and conceptions of God, of nature, and of reality the best that they, in their time and place, understood them.
Really, now? If this were true, why should we, living today in the twenty-first century, really care about what these people thought, much less make what they thought the foundation for our hope of eternity?
We shouldn’t.
Read Psalms 119:105,116,130,133, and 160. What insights does the psalmist give us regarding the significance of God’s Word in the plan of salvation?
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I remember watching a video of David Koresh (Vernon Wayne Howell) many years ago when he visited Avondale College (now Avondale University). He had not been invited, but he had gathered a group of students together for a Bible study. It was very intense and David had his well-worn Bible in his hand and quoted scripture after scripture supporting his apocalyptic view of the world. I viewed this after the events that occurred in Waco, Texas and it was only then that I heard of his visit to Avondale and saw the video. I mention this because something was wrong with his "Safeguarded by the Word".
It is very easy to make the Bible say what you want it to say. And there are plenty of people who have made up their minds the way it should be interpreted and view the Bible through that filter. One of the subtle deceptions of evil is to let you think that you are your own best interpreter.
We need to think very carefully about what we mean when we say the Bible is the "Word of God" so that we guard against extremes of interpretation by those who think they have got it right. I have a couple of suggestions that may help.
I was reading Jesus’ story of the 10 bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom, and this quote from Christ Object Lessons by Ellen White really matches our lesson today….. of how God’s Word of Truth must change our characters.
Praying for the power of God’s Word to continue to transform me/us. 🙏🏻
Getting baptised without repentance, is the making of a foolish virgin.
Therefore Repentance and the forgiveness of sin, must precede baptism,
The message was very powerful..It speaks to me directly..Please GOD help me..
The Bible represents a safe port while things around are so messy. The world has gone mad, and time isn't helping. Everything is changing too fast. But as the Love of our Creator, His Word does not change - that's His character: a safe port in times of troubled waters.
We are told to fight against any and all attempts to undermine the authority or inspiration of the Bible. I am sure we don't go out and physically destroy those who do, that is against God's will for us. Rather we are to fight our tendencies to fall into these deceptions on a personal basis and stand steadfast in our belief that as we study the Bible the Holy Spirit will lead us to truth. Take a look at 2 Peter 1: 5-7. Which is faith's ladder to virtue. The 2nd rung of the ladder is knowledge. I am sure Peter was talking about studying the Scriptures daily that we may have communion with God, and that we may give an account of our belief. 1 Peter 3:15.
This is a quote from my devotional reading this morning:
Should this not be the prayer for each of us daily.
Thank you Maurice. I always appreciate your input. We need to guard ourselves now, more than ever and not rely on man’s interpretation.
Maurice Ashton I'm interested in knowing how this preacher got it wrong on "safeguarded by the word" kindly share more.
David Koresh was a cult leader who gained traction with folk who wanted to know more about the Bible and end-time events. He abused people's trust in the Bible and his conspiracy based interpretation of it to form and maintain his cult. Sadly it ended with bun battle and fire in Waco, Texas with, from memory, some 40 deaths. The fact that the cult grew out of and preyed on Seventh-day Adventists is a reminder that sometimes religous fervour can obscure the very truths of the Bible.
The take-away lesson is that we should never become spiritually dependent on a charismatic leader.
There is a lot more that I could say about cultism but that is a topic for another time.
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Darkness, spiritual slavery and death are what he desires for us.
Light (Ps 119:105, 130), liberty (Ps 119:133) and life (Ps 119:116) are three gifts that God gives us through His Word.
Praise God!