Dear reader, what is your view of scripture? How godly are you? The answer to the second question is reflected in your view of Scripture. Your view of the Bible reflects your present heart condition! Both the righteous and wicked have a definite attitude towards Scripture, though they are opposites. While the righteous love, treasure and believe the Bible to the point of putting it into practice, the wicked react the other way and sometimes violently. Here is another basic truth about the word of God:
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
God's truth hurts the unrepentant and they don't want to come into the light:
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:20)
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Th 2:13)
It is also their delight:
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psa 1:1-3)
QUESTION: What is your delight? All backsliders and modern day prodigals have lost the high view of Scripture they once had. Why? Their heart condition changed for the worse, which occurs as one embraces or even toys with sin. Such can be gradual through neglect and lukewarmness or abrupt by yielding to sudden temptations to greater sin, but know this: loving God's word and sin are opposites. It's impossible to have both at the same time.
In general, God's word does good to those who are upright in heart:
“Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright?” (Micah 2:7)
That is a very important truth. Does God's word do good to you when you hear or read it for yourself? There are many blessed benefits in reading, pondering and putting into practice the message of the Holy Scriptures. From salvation itself to every other spiritual blessing, God's word has a role and the godly know it and treasure it accordingly!
The prophets and others who were exalted in Scripture had a commendably high view of Scripture. Here are Jeremiah and Job respectively
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. (Jer 15:16)
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (Job 23:12)
Job was the most righteous man on the planet at that point in time. He feared the Lord, shunned evil (Job 1:1,8; 2:3) and treasured God's word! Dear reader, do you treasure God's word more than the food you need to continue to live physically? If you knew Job in his day, he was like that! David was another one who had a high view of Scripture:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. (Psa 19:7-10)
Again, the word of God is treasured as more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey. Some of its many multiple benefits are, it:
● revives the soul,
● makes the simple wise,
● gives joy and light to the righteous.
Next we read what the unnamed writer of Psalm 119 wrote:
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. (Psa 119:23)
I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. (Psa 119:48)
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts. (Psa 119:78)
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psa 119:97)
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. (Psa 119:99)
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. (Psa 119:148)
Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, (Psa 119:127)
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psa 119:103)
I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. (Psa 119:174)
That man highly esteemed God's word and would meditate on it regardless of the severe trials he would face. In fact, he would lose sleep so he could meditate more on Scripture!
Stephen was one of the earliest martyrs. He was exceptionally godly and filled with faith. He preached an unplanned sermon and quoted Scripture from memory 9 times, gave a rebuke at the end of it, got stoned to death, forgave his murderers as he was dying and went to Heaven (Acts 7:2-60). His love for the Word of God and desire to spread its life-giving message is exemplary. On the other hand, the wicked people Stephen spoke to hated him and his message so much they killed the one speaking out precious truth! Again, one's view of Scripture reflects his heart.
I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. (John 8:37)
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Isa 5:24)
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” (Isa 30:9-11)
But to the wicked, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.” (Psa 50:16,17)
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. (John 12:48)
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king. (1 Sam 15:23)
The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? (Jer 8:9)
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Rom 2:8)
How Does God View The Wicked
[To reject the truth is the same as rejecting the message of the Bible, since God's word is truth (Jn. 17:17).]
The ungodly in Jeremiah's day not only had a bad attitude towards scripture, but it is memorable:
To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. (Jer 6:10)
That trait seems to be common among the ungodly, that is, God's word does not bring pleasure to them as it does to the righteous. Sadly, it is offensive, but that is because of their sins. For the wicked to reject the message of the Bible means they are not worthy of eternal life:
We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46)
You are your own worst enemy if that describes you! Since one gets “born again” through the word of God, you must accept it to come to salvation:
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Pet 1:23)
Also, Jesus is called the word of God:
He [Jesus] is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Rev 19:13)
Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them. (Jer 36:23-26)
Friend, remember this:
Sin will keep you from the Bible and the Bible will keep you from sin.
The Bible is final authority in all spiritual matters, makes the man of God thoroughly equipped for every good work and cannot be broken:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16,17)
... Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Luke 21:33)
The Bible is final authority. The holy word of the living God is settled forever. The wisest thing for you to do is to humbly accept it to change your behavior and beliefs accordingly. Its message will affect you and your loved ones throughout all of eternity. To develop a higher view of Scripture is to your advantage.
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