“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)
• The Bible, the Word of God, may not work effectively in your life if you do not receive it and believe it as the Word of God.
- Some people have said the Bible is written by men; thus it cannot be God’s Word!
- The Bible could not have been written by an angel or God Himself, because God has given the governance of the earth to man (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 115:16).
• God has ordained man to bless man
- Whatever God intends to do on earth would be done through human beings.
- God would not come down to do anything by Himself.
- In God’s plan for the redemption of mankind, which warranted His coming, He had to come in the likeness of man—in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1,14; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).
- God will not come down in the spirit form to write the Bible, neither will He send an angel to write the Bible.
• The angel that was sent to Cornelius, was not sent to preach to him; but to direct him on how to get the person, Peter, who would tell him the words by which he and his household would be saved (Acts 10:1-6; 11:13,14).
- Also, God will not send an angel to preach the gospel to any person, neither will He send one to write the Bible.
“The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S; but the earth He has given to the children of men.”
Psalm 115:16 (NKJV)
• He also would not raise somebody from the dead, to write the Bible, that people may believe (Luke 16:27-31).
- The rich man in the story told by Jesus Christ, made a request, that father Abraham should send Lazarus to his father’s house; tell them about the reality of hell, the place of torment—that his siblings might not come there (Luke 16: 27,28).
- “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
- “But he [Abraham] said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Luke 16:29,31 (NKJV)
• If you do not believe the Bible is God’s Word, God’s injunction, even if somebody rose from the dead and came to tell you the mind of God—you will still not believe.
- The Thessalonians Christians believed the words of the Apostles, the gospel they preached to them–they accepted it as indeed the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
- The Bible, the Word of God, would remain an ordinary book or word to you, if you do not accept it as the Word of God indeed.
- Not only that you should accept it as the very word of God, you must believe it also—before it can work for you, produce results in your life.
- The Thessalonians accepted it as the very Word of God, and it mixed with faith in them.
- The Israelites who perished in the wilderness did not accept God’s Word spoken through their leader, Moses, as the word of God indeed; and it did not mix with faith in them.
- “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
- Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:2,11 (NKJV)
• The word of the Bible which you do not accept and believe as God’s Word, would not produce any result in your life.
- Waiting to receive a word from nowhere, without the Bible; would be a mirage, an illusion—except you receive from a demon (Galatians 1:8).
- “and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED.
- AND FOR THIS REASON GOD WILL SEND THEM STRONG DELUSION, THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE THE LIE,
- that they all may be CONDEMNED who did not BELIEVE the TRUTH but had pleasure in UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”
2 Thessalonians 1:10-12 (NKJV)
• The Bible was written by the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16,17).
- Those who wrote the Bible, did as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
- “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation [origin],
- for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1:20,21 (NKJV)
- If you are waiting for an angel or a supernatural being to appear to you, before you believe the Bible is the Word of God; the devil may take advantage of your ignorance, accommodate you—appear to you as an angel of light and deceive you (1 Corinthians 11:14,15)
- For the word of God to work effectively in your life, you must not see it as mere human ideas. – You must accept it as the very Word of God—WHICH of course is.
• You will not fail in Jesus’ name.
Peace!