CONCLUSION

A Practical View

I have approached this subject from a more practical viewpoint for a reason. Mere academic approaches may be interesting, but they are powerless. The Word of God is a source of life to us--we live "by every word of God." As such, it cannot be approached as a lifeless textbook or a mere manual of human conduct. It must be received with reverence and godly fear, resisting any temptation to tamper with the text or doubt its contemporary relevancy.

Judged By the Word

Ultimately, those that spurn the Word will confront it squarely, and it will be their judge. The Lord Jesus said, "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 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. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it" (John 12:47-49, NIV). Take the Word seriously! It is to your eternal advantage to do so!

God Will Prevail

Wherever a thought exists that conflicts with the Word, it will be brought into judgment. In this world, it may seem fashionable at times to disagree with the Word of the Lord. Perhaps it represents God in a manner that contradicts human thought, and thus it is rejected. It is possible for the Word to require a response the individual is unwilling to give, and thus it is ignored. Some benighted teachers have even taken it upon themselves to use Scripture to undergird their own emphasis, while ignoring the Divine accent. These are all noted by the God of heaven. They have judged God in their attitude, and thus will themselves be judged by Him. How poignantly Scripture speaks to this matter. "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: 'So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge'" (Rom 3:3-4). It simply is not possible to have a conflict with God and prevail!

Believers Will Never Be Ashamed

But we must not confine our thoughts to those that abuse or refuse the Word of God. If Scripture is, in fact, HIS Word, then the people of God CAN rely upon its truth. Jesus Christ is precisely Who He is declared to be--and more! Salvation is as great as it is represented--and more! The promises of God are truly "exceeding great and precious"--and more! Those who believe the Word, and trust in their God, will never be ashamed--never (Rom 9:33; 10:11). Jesus is not ashamed to call believers "brethren" (Heb 2:11), and God is not ashamed to be called "their God" (Heb 11:16). I urge you to believe His Word, and put your trust in Christ, "so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28, NIV). There is no reason this cannot be you!

The Word of God is the Word of His grace. It is fully "able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32, KJV). You can trust its message, anticipate its blessings, and glory in its Author. It has been given to you because God wanted to do it! You can shout with the Psalmist, "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psa 56:4, NIV). No word of man, however astute, can produce such marvelous confidence. Take it into you heart! Focus your thoughts upon it! Let it dwell in you richly! You will be the better for it! And now, receive the blessing, and do not doubt! "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Rev 22:21).

The Word Was Given and Is Protected By deity

There is much haggling in the theological comm unity concerning the integrity of Scripture. Some, under the guise of what is called higher criticism, have approached Scripture with a mind to verify its accuracy. They do this armed with various forms of human wisdom. These include what is paraded as historical knowledge-familiarity with various older texts of Scripture, and humanly devised approaches to understanding the Word (called hermeneutics).

These approaches have caused questions to rise in the hearts of novices, wondering if they have the correct version of Scripture, or if some vital piece of revelation has been lost. No such approach to Scripture is ever found in the Word of God, even though various translations of Moses and the Prophets did exist when Jesus spoke and the Apostles wrote.

We are told in Scripture that all things were not only brought into existence by Jesus, but are also maintained by Him. It is written, "God . . . Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb 1:1-3). Again, it is affirmed, "All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (or, are held together)" (Col 1:16-17).

It may be countered that these texts are limited to the natural creation, which owes both its origin and maintenance to the Lord of glory. That this is true of nature, cannot be denied. Were it not for the power of the Lord Jesus, the universe would long have spun out of control. Nature cannot be sustained by mere laws, set in motion by a withdrawn Creator. However, it requires a productive imagination and the grip of unbelief to suppose the Word of God is excluded from these statements.

To think that the Word of God, which will survive the passing of the heavens and the earth, is not maintained by the same Lord is an absurdity unworthy of being considered. God has not left His Word to the caprice of men, either in its origin, or in its continuance among the sons of men. While fanciful arguments may be presented in an effort to deny this truth, all such arguments fall to the ground before faith. No person trusting the Lord while seeking the truth will be disappointed or left to the delusions of the devil.

"The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces" (Proverbs 30:26-28).