Our Church is built on the sure foundation of the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God. Over the years, we have experienced bountiful blessings from the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God. The proof is in 2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. God’s Word is the only rule of our faith and practice. The Word of God alone governs our lives as believers in Christ.  It demands our faithful discipline to search the Scriptures daily and to obey it. God requires us to take His Word seriously – to hear, read, meditate and apply into our lives.  God’s Word has been our spiritual milk and meat since the day we truly believed in Christ. But how do we regard the Word of God? Do we come to His Word with the right attitude? If we have the right attitude towards God’s Word, then it will impact and move us all to live for Christ.  We should examine our hearts to make sure that we have the right attitude towards God and His Word.

 

 The Bible has many examples to instruct us to have the right attitude. We look at the believers in the Church of the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians’ attitude towards God’s Word is captured in the Apostle Paul’s letter to them in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe”. It was because they honestly believed the instructions of the Apostle Paul that it was God’s inspired Word that we see the effectual working of God in their lives and also empowering them to live for Christ.

 

In the same way, for us to live for Christ, we must have the right attitude towards God in believing His Word. We must also be willing to submit ourselves to God to obey His Word. Only then we will be able to live for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. What is your attitude towards God’s Word today? Do you honestly believe that it is the Word of God? How do you regard God’s Word? What evidences are there to prove that you truly have the right attitude? We must check ourselves. Do you give yourselves to the study of Scriptures? Do you attend the Bible Study ministry of the  Church?

 

Now if we are truly thankful to God for His Word, then there will be changes in our lives to the glory of God. Take for instance in Psalm 119:165 we read – “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them”.  When we love God’s Word, we will enjoy the peace of God resting in our hearts in all circumstances of daily living. This is because we take heed to the warnings of God’s Word against the temptations of sin - lust, greed, unrighteous anger, etc., and we shun sin. Also, we will not easily get upset over the irritations of life, relationships, trials, etc., because we look to God and trust in His Sovereign control over all things.

 

Our appetite for God’s Word reflects the spiritual condition of our hearts. Are you feeding on God’s Word and growing spiritually? Do you hunger and thirst after God’s Word? We should. But if not, we are spiritually sick like an un-well child with no appetite for milk. The cure is to go to Jesus our Great Physician to seek His forgiveness and cleansing from sins. Sin keeps us away from God’s Word. But when we are right with God, peace returns to our hearts and our appetite for God’s Word is once again restored.

 

We must be aware that even though we are saved by grace there is still the tendency to drift away from God if we do not keep close to God. The struggle to exert our self-will against God’s will is very real. When face with temptations our carnal mind easily gives in to the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

 

The only way to have victory over the works of the flesh is the Word of God. God’s Word is the standard, yardstick to show us the spiritual condition of our lives. We need the knowledge of God’s Word to remind us of our frailties, show us our sins, convict us to repent and then to comfort and strengthen us when we obey.

 

We must realise that God gave us His Word not just to increase and store up our knowledge of Him, but more so, to touch and change our lives. The emphasis is that we must act on the knowledge of God’s Word – be doers and not hearers only deceiving ourselves. God is in the process of transforming us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ – to be more like Him in every way. We are saved to glorify God, to live for Him and serve only Him.

 

Let us ask God in prayer to give us a hunger and thirst after His Word. How many of us have read the Bible through at least once? Probably a challenge that we should take. The late Dr John Sung, a mighty preacher of this century whom God raised, read the Bible through 40 times in 193 days in preparation for his preaching ministry. As a result, many were saved by grace through his Spirit-filled preaching.

 

Besides the individual reading of the Bible, let us remember that God has given us the holy privilege to hear His Word when we come together to worship Him. Let us also make every effort to hear God’s Word through Adult Bible Study, Prayer Meeting, Fellowship groups and every other opportunity God has given to us.  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

 

The only way for us to overcome temptations and live victoriously for God is to yield ourselves in total surrender to God and to trust Him and obey His Word. There is no other way to be happy with Jesus and to serve Him with joy. There will be struggles within us but we must decide to please God.  We must heed to the authority of God’s Word.

 

We thank God for the power of His inerrant, infallible Word that is able to convict us and re-align us back into fellowship with God and His people. May we never get tired of God’s Word preached and taught to us even though there are no new doctrines but new insights of reminders that we need. May we be humble to continue to hear and put our trust in God and obey His Holy Word. 2 Peter 3:18a - “… grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.

 

 

 

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