What Do You Know About His Word?

 

I had a boomerang actually from Australia. It hasn't shown up since we packed for remodeling, but it used to make me think of a verse. Do some oddities make you think of specific verses? Totally unconnected, really:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)

That reminds me that God doesn't specifically need me - or you - to see that His word gets out to other people. I know this because of another verse:

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 KJV)

There are truths in each and every verse in the Bible, but they are better understood when taken in context. That's something I've stressed over the the years I've posted my thoughts on verses. You, yes - you, the one person reading this right now - you need to read the chapter these verses sit in so you will know who is speaking. The writers of the biblical books are varied by location, reasoning, messages, but all are inspired by our Lord for us:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)

Excellent reference - but you should read more because knowing who Timothy was to Paul, who Paul was and why he was writing to Timothy, and why Paul wrote more books of the New Testament than anyone else.

Next in line as a prolific New Testament writer is John. He gave us testimony of what he saw walking around the Holy Land with Jesus. The world knows what Jesus said to Nicodemus:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Here you need to know who Nicodemus was, why he was asking questions of Jesus. It would also be good to know what he asked and Jesus said:

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? (John 3:9-10 KJV)

Do you know the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai? Find them here and read Exodus 20:2-17. Or in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Or even Leviticus 19:3-4, 11-13, 15-16, 30, 32 - but getting a complete link was difficult. You are on your own looking up those verses.

You don't have to go to Matthew - or read any one of dozens of my blogs with these verses - to know what Jesus said about the Commandments:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

Did you know that before? Did you know Christianity believes these two are necessary to show that we have done what was needed to be saved? In addition to John 3:16 above, scriptures include what is necessary:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Showing our faith is necessary. James included why we do works:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:17-18 KJV)

But those works come because we love God and our neighbors. Salvation comes first - as it did to the thief on the cross. And to a jailer who asked, and Paul answered with words and works:

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. (Acts 16:30-33 KJV)

That is salvation simplified. It does not address growing in the Lord's desires for your life in relationship with mankind. That takes Bible study, which translates into looking beyond the one or two verses I've included above. It takes reading those verses in context to who was speaking/writing, what was going on around them, what God said before - and after. The Bible includes bad examples as well as good ones.  It also shows the results, the consequences, of the bad examples. Do not believe because the Old Testament allowed multiple wives and subjugation of of women that it was God's plan. That doesn't even fit Matthew 22:39, does it. Certainly doesn't fit:

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19:4-6 KJV)

I suggest starting with the King James Version - not the 1611 that is hard to read, but one published today - not a newer translation. KJV with multiple versions is a good study book - I have a four version, two on each page so that they are easily compared. Some from last century omit specific verses used for well over 400 years in English. Some of the deletions are very important. Know which ones in a singe glance with a four version. Be like the Bereans and study the Old Testament for Christ, too: Acts 17:10-13. 

Find out what faith is in Hebrews 11 then read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) to see the good works Jesus did. Follow up with the Acts of the Apostles, and their letters to churches. I assure you, it can take a life time of learning and doing what God has in mind for you - and me.

Just remember, He promises His word will not return to Him void. It will, through us, "prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."