Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 …
A fellow minister recently gave several of us on a Face Book page a challenge, “How would you finish this sentence? You should read the Bible because …” One can imagine the answers: “… the Scriptures are a record of salvation history;” “… they tell us about the work of Jesus;” “… it points to the coming of Christ, tells us about his work, and then points to his return.” There were other answers of course, but one answer seemed to catch a more overall mood, “… God has something to say and he’s worth listening to.”
From the reading in Timothy noted above, one can see this is exactly what the Holy Spirit is saying thru Paul. When speaking about the Scriptures as being inspired by God, even though there is often infighting among some about whether that inspiration is word-for-word or more of a concept-for-concept type, the bottom line remains that God – the Creator of the Universe, the Wholly Other, the Divine One – has taken such an interest in humanity to reveal his will. Although there have been debates thru the years about how God accomplished the act of inspiration, of greater importance is that God took the time to initiate a conversation.
The amazing part of this conversation with God is that what has been revealed is for humanity’s profit – to make us better; and truthfully, who better to understand what it takes to make one better as a person than the Creator? These truths that have been revealed from the mind of God are advantageous for how one relates to God in worship and life, how one’s own behavior is to be adjusted for the optimal outcome in relation to the standard that has been revealed, and what is the best and most advantageous in how one deals with other people fairly and properly.
Stop for a moment and consider some of humanity’s common fears? The loss of autonomy might be considered a basic fear, and one way that fear can be manifested is in finding oneself unprepared for a situation. Another basic fear is ego-death, and this is when one’s sense of worth and self are compromised.[i] Both of these fears can be allayed when one is prepared; knowing what to do in a situation keeps one in control and reinforces a sense of self-worth.
God has revealed in the pages of the Scriptures these truths so that people might be prepared for the good works that Christians have been created in Christ to do (Eph. 2:10). God has revealed in the pages of the Scriptures these truths so those of His Kingdom might be equipped to perform in our lives that which is pleasing to Him (Heb. 13:21). God has revealed these truths so that His children need not fear nor be afraid of uncertain circumstances; on the contrary, God’s people go forward in the strength and assurance of His revelation.
[i] Karl Albrecht, “The (Only) 5 Fears We All Share,” Psychology Today, Mar. 22, 2012, accessed May 17, 2018. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainsnacks/201203/the-only-5-fears-we-all-share>
the odd weekend preacher 