God could have chosen to communicate everything we needed to know about Him in any way He wanted but,
"God wrote a book" - John Piper
That should change the way you and I think about the Bible. It's not about having a daily devotion as much as it is spending time getting to know the revealed character and nature of God through His Word!
Some parts of God's book, the Bible, are so clear and easy to relate to, while other parts seem difficult, disconnected and distant from anything to do with our lives. One way we begin to grow to love God and His Word more and more is if we take the time to understand what God means by some of the Words used in the Bible.
This makes the Word of God come alive! Come join as we work our way through some of the commonly used Biblical words and their meanings
#1 Salvation
The word “salvation” in the Bible is used to describe the self-sacrificial rescue operation that God sent Jesus to accomplish! This is not mainly about a physical rescue, but a Spiritual one
What are we saved from? Salvation is a rescue from God’s wrath (Romans 3:25) which is God’s judgement against our sin and the consequence for sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Salvation refers to our deliverance from both sin and it’s consequences meaning someone had to pay that penalty for it to be possible to be saved
Who does this saving? No one is good enough to save themselves (Romans 3:10-11) so it must be God who saves us from His own wrath! He does this by sending Jesus, his own son (Romans 5:10) who, because He lived a perfect, sinless life and went willingly and died on a cross, is accepted as a sacrifice in the place of anyone who would repent of their sins and trust in Him for their salvation
Jesus didn’t just die, which would take away our sins, but he rose again on the third day from the grave, buying our salvation! He not only made it possible, but he accomplished it!
How do we receive salvation? Salvation is by grace through faith!
First, you must hear the gospel, that Jesus died on the cross for sinners and rose again on the third day. Second, you must believe, fully trusting Jesus and repent (turn away your body and mind) from your sin
Prayer
#2 Sin
The word “sin” in the Bible describes anything that goes against the Law of God or any rebellion against God ( 1 John 3:4)
Where did sin come from? After God made man in His image and put Him in the garden of Eden, Satan came to Adam & Eve and tempted them with becoming “like God” (Genesis 3:5). According to James, each person is tempted when “they are drawn away by their own evil desire
Each person after Adam inherited sin from Adam as their nature and are born sinners. This is called Inherited sin. Each person also chooses to sin, making themselves an enemy of God by “wearing” their sin. This is called imputed sin
God demonstrate imputed sin by telling the Israelite's to sacrifice an animal in their place (imputed sin). This was to show them how serious sin was in God’s eyes. After the shedding of the animals blood, they were forgiven for their sins
This could never perfect people and truly save them from their sins so God made a permanent solution to the problem of sin.
Hebrews 10:10 it says, “by this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time”
Jesus did not come to take away sins once and then be replaced by a new sacrifice the following year. He died, once for all time!
Prayer
#3 Justification
Justification is a first-century courtroom word that would be just like declaring someone “not guilty” in court today. When a judge “justified” you, he was declaring that you had acted rightly (righteously) and were free of whatever charge had been brought against you.
One day God will judge the world. Everyone He finds guilty of sin will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15). God tells us that we all have sinned, which means we deserve this sentence (Romans 3:23).
Can we be justified? Can guilty people be declared “not guilty”? Romans 4:5 tells us that God can declare sinners righteous, and Romans 3:26 tells us that He can do this without compromising His perfect standards as a judge.
How can we be justified? There are two ways we could potentially be justified. The first is by acting completely right all of the time. The other is by being made right. Since we’ve all sinned though, we’ll never be justified by right living. That means we need to be made right!
Romans 3:24 tells us that Jesus made a way for us to be justified. It is free to us, based on His grace. When He died and rose again, He took our sin and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). In His sacrifice, Jesus satisfied God’s justice so that He could declare us righteous.
Now we can be made right and declared righteous – “justified” – by trusting Jesus alone, and not by anything we can try to live up to on our own (Galatians 2:16 and Philippians 3:9).
Prayer
#4 Grace
This word is often used by Christians today – but what does it mean? Simply put, grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve.
We are sinners by our very nature (Romans 3:10). Every lie we’ve told, every lustful thought we’ve had, every time we’ve lost our temper; these (and many more) put us at odds with God, who is holy and cannot bear sin (Habakkuk 1:13). But instead of killing us right when we sin and sending us to hell (which we rightly deserve), God decided to make a way for us to be right with Him. That is grace. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us nonetheless, out of His great kindness, compassion and love.
It is by grace that God saves; not through our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). His favor is completely unmerited; there is absolutely nothing we could ever do to earn our way into heaven. On the contrary, we deserve hell, but God also shows us mercy, which is distinct from grace. While grace gives a blessing that we don’t deserve, mercy withholds punishment that we rightly do deserve. He has not only rescued us from hell, but has made us right with Him!
The Bible calls grace a “gift” repeatedly, and this has some very practical implications. A gift is free, with no strings attached – nothing is owed in return. When a gift is being given, its ownership is transferred – thus, grace is ours to keep forever. A gift also requires sacrifice on the part of the giver, willingly forfeiting something for the profit of the recipient. God’s own Son suffered and died for this gift! Therefore, as grace is indeed a gift, it should never be taken for granted. All we need to do to receive this wonderful gift is to simply accept Jesus as our savior, and place our faith in Him.
Prayer
#5 Faith
The Bible teaches that God must save us from the condition and consequences of our sin. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone. Yesterday, we considered the meaning of grace. Today, we ask the question, “what is faith according to the Bible?” Though there are many ways to define faith biblically, our definition will consider 3 key ingredients without which a person cannot be saved.
In Romans 10:17, we see that “…faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ” (CSB). In order to believe something, we first need to know what that something is. This is called the content of our faith and it refers to what we believe – the message about Christ.
2. Assent / Agreement
But the content of scripture requires a response. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) introduces four kinds of soil. The first kind – the hard, dry road – leaves the seed exposed and it’s not long before the kernels are gobbled up by hungry birds. This represents those who hear the gospel and reject it without much thought. To believe in Jesus, a person must first agree that what the Bible teaches about salvation is true.
3. Personal trust
There are two other bad soils mentioned in Jesus’ parable of the sower. Both persons represented by these soils indicate an initial agreement with the Bible’s teaching about salvation. However, as time passes and life becomes difficult, they abandon their beliefs. Why? Because their faith lacked the 3rd ingredient – personal trust. This means sincerely asking Jesus to save us and entrusting ourselves to him.
Prayer
#6 Reconciliation
Have you ever heard people talk about the need to reconcile with a friend or family member they don't speak to anymore, or the need for racial reconciliation in our country? What is reconciliation, anyways? Put simply, it is the restoration of a relationship between people who were previously opposed to each other.
While there are so many strained relationships on earth that need to be reconciled, the most important relationship where we need reconciliation is our relationship with God.
Romans 5:10 tells us that "while we were [God's] enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son (HCSB)." When you and I were rebelling against God, He sent Jesus to reconcile us to Himself.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 gives us a glimpse into what this reconciliation entails and how it changes the way we live. First, God made us entirely new creatures, changing us at the very core of who we are and redefining our identity from "in sin" to "in Christ" (2 Cor. 5:17). Second, God forgave us for everything we have done and will do against Him (2 Cor. 5:19). Third, He gave us Jesus' righteousness (2. Cor. 5:21).
Having done that, God gives us a relationship with Him where we can call Him "Father" (Romans 8:15). Reconciliation means we can have a personal, intimate relationship with God, and not just see Him as a distant judge.
Reconciliation doesn't just change who we are. It also changes what we do. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 say that Christ entrusted us with the privilege of telling other people how they can be reconciled to God through Christ, and pleading with them to do so.
Prayer
#7 Holiness & Sanctification
Among God’s many attributes, the Bible tells us many times over of God’s holiness. Furthermore, He tells us to be holy, “because I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16). But what does it mean to be Holy?
God’s holiness is absolute perfection. There are none like Him; He is set apart from all other beings. His character has not even a trace of sin in it. His holiness pervades the entirety of His character. It is impossible for us as humans to grasp the full weight of God’s holiness, yet it is this holiness we are told to have in 1 Peter 1.
How then are we to achieve this, if it's impossible for us?
Fortunately for us, that is where sanctification comes in. We can't escape our human nature, which is inherently sinful. However, when we turn from ours sins and put our faith in Jesus for salvation, God begins a wonderful work in us, refining us in order to make us more holy - more like Him. This, is sanctification. However, it is a slow process, and we will only see its ultimate completion in heaven one day. Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
So then, we are called to be set-apart, different from the world, and without stain or sin (holy). We will only see the fulfillment of this in heaven. However, for those that have accepted Jesus as Savior, God works all our experiences, trials and difficulties together to make us more like Him (sanctification).
This process begins here, however, as it is what we do here on Earth that sets our trajectory for eternity. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:13-16).
Prayer
#8 Jesus
Who is Jesus?
It’s impossible for anyone to claim that the man, Jesus of Nazareth was not born and did not live 2000 years ago. No one disputes this, not even atheists like Richard Dawkins. Some people say that Jesus was just a good moral teacher, but not God. This is the worst possible answer because the claims that Jesus made are either true, which impacts our lives in a big way, or he was a liar and a super evil person for misleading others
Who did Jesus claim to be?
· Eternal – “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:59)
· God – “One with the Father” (John 10:30-33)
· The Word – “The Word was God” (John 1:14)
· The Great Savior “… our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1)
Why does it matter what Jesus did?
Jesus came and fulfilled over 200 prophecies from thousands of years earlier. These prophecies pointed to a Jewish Messiah (savior) that would come and die for the sins of those who trust Him”. When Jesus lived with his disciples, he spoke many times about his coming death, burial and resurrection and spoke of Himself as the Messiah, the one spoken of for thousands of years.
If Jesus wasn’t God, what he did was a nice gesture. If He was God, what he did is the only hope for the world!
How does the Bible tell us to respond to this Jesus?
We’re told to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15) that Jesus was God, He took on Human flesh to become like us so that He could die and take away our sin and the punishment we deserve from God by paying the price for us. He would rise again on the third day defeating death and the curse of sin once and for all (Heb 7:25).
Prayer
#9 Messiah
The Hebrew word “Messiah” in the Bible means, the “Anointed One” or translated “the Christ” in Greek. When someone was anointed with oil, they were being designated for a certain role or set aside for a particular task by God. These roles included kings (Exodus 28:41; 40:15; Numbers 3:3) priests (1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7) and prophets (1 Kings 19:16).
It is in Genesis 3:15 that all prophecies of the Old Testament begin and foretell of the coming of a Messiah and all that he would accomplish. This promise from God is shown to be distinctly in one man who all people will obey (Genesis 49:10).
How do we know Jesus is the Messiah?
God tells us so in His Word, and we believe that the Bible is the inspired (2 Timothy 3:16) and the perfect and without error (2 Peter 1:21) revelation from God.
1. Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:6-7 that a son would be born from the line of David.
2. In the gospel of John, he writes of many signs that prove Jesus is the Christ (John 20:30-31)
3. It is revealed to the disciples by God and they proclaim Jesus to be the Christ and Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16)
4. Jesus acknowledges being the Messiah (John 4:26) when speaking to a Samaritan woman.
5. In Isaiah 53, the Messiah was portrayed as a suffering servant who was to be pierced for our transgression (v 5) and led to the slaughter (v 7), and we have the privilege of looking back to the Cross and seeing Christ as the true fulfillment of that prophecy.
6. His resurrection is evidence that He conquered death and thus made a way for all to have eternal life through Him (Romans 5:21; Ephesians 2:6).
Jesus was a Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15;17-19; John 7:16; Acts 3:22-23), is our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:16) and our King (Revelation 17:14; 19:16).
Prayer
#10 Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God. He always has been and always will be God, along with the Father and the Son. How do we know? He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), is put on equal footing with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19), and does the same works as the Father and the Son. He was at Creation (Genesis 1:2), played a role in our salvation (Hebrews 9:14) and rose Jesus from the grave (Romans 8:11).
The Holy Spirit is a person. We tend to think of Him as some mystical force. While it is true that He is the presence of God with us (1 Corinthians 3:16), we need to be careful not to think of Him as just a special feeling that we get. He is a person, with actions and character traits consistent with personhood.
The Holy Spirit is powerful. When we think of the Spirit as a force, we do think of Him as powerful. But the idea that is usually in our minds is not nearly as powerful as the Spirit of God we see in scripture. He was God's "breath”. That's the same Hebrew word as Spirit. With that in mind, Psalm 33:6 indicates that He willed galaxies into existence. He gave men incredible confidence and power to bring God's kingdom on earth (1 Samuel 11:6, Romans 15:19). And He had the power to give Jesus life (Romans 8:11).
The Holy Spirit still works today. We may hear how the Holy Spirit did amazing things in the time of the apostles to advance Christ's kingdom. But if you're like me you wonder where that power is today. Truth be told, most of what the Spirit has done throughout history, He is still doing today. He guides us (John 16:13), teaches us (John 14:26), convicts humanity of sin and righteousness (John 16:8), gives us peace (John 14:26-27), and pours out Christ's love in our hearts to make us confident in our hope in Him (Romans 5:5).
He wrote Scripture (2 Peter 1:21) and He uses that as a tool in our hearts today, while He works behind the scenes. I guess the question is, are you reading what He has to say, and are you watching for and following His guidance?
Prayer
#11 The Trinity
Jonathan Edwards, one of Christianity’s great theologians, compared the doctrine of the Trinity to a mountain rising to infinite heights. The higher we climb, the more we see of God’s glory, and yet we can never reach the summit. Because it’s difficult to understand how God can be one and three at the same time, many people don’t think much about the Trinity. Yet it is one of Christianity’s essential truths.
Why is it important?
What does it mean that God is one and three (triune)?
What are some of the practical implications?
Prayer
Triune God,
Thank you for revealing yourself to us. Thank you that we can share in your eternal love relationship. You are a good God worthy of our love and adoration. We ask that you would help us to know you as you have revealed yourself in Scripture - as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and to accept in faith what we cannot understand. Thank you for what we can understand: that you want to love and care for us as our Father; that you gave yourself for us in the Son, that we might be adopted into your heavenly family; and that you bring dead sinners to life through the work of your Holy Spirit. Increase our knowledge of your person through the revelation of Scripture, that we might live in greater awe of you.
This we ask in Jesus' name
Amen
#12 The Bible
The Bible is a collection of books, 66 in total, contained in 2 Testaments, Old and New, and written by about 40 men over a period of 1500 years. The Bible is the one religious document which has never been disproved, not by the claims of atheism, or by the attempts of the Theory of Evolution.
How can both God and man write the books of the Bible?
In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul writes, "All Scripture is inspired by God" (CSB). Another way of saying it is that all Scripture is God-breathed. That's a strange way of putting it, right? Well, when we look at examples of God breathing in the Bible we see that it's in connection to giving LIFE (Genesis 2:7) and to giving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). What does this tell us? What it doesn't tell us is that the actual Words were written by some mysterious floating pen... Instead, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:20-21 that "No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit". This tells us that each persons unique style and personality comes through in their writings, but it is always the message God intended to be conveyed! Man written, God authored!
Why Did God Choose a Book?
In the quote at the top of page, John Piper remarks that, "God wrote a book!". If you're not much of a reader, and you're thinking of all the ways God could have chosen, why didn't he choose something to tell us about Himself which didn't require our effort to get to know Him? The answer is quite simple. God chose to record HIS story in the same way that all history is recorded, because that's exactly what it is. It's factual and historically what really happened and God says knowing it, understanding it, learning it, teaching it, unpacking it... all of these exercises help us know God and know how to live according to His ways.
What is the purpose of the Bible?
2. The Way God Promises To Continue Speaking!
In the Bible we see God speak to His people in many different ways. He spoke through Messengers, Prophets & Prophetesses, Judges, Kings, Apostles and His written Word. You will see as you read through the Bible that the only means that God promises to continue speaking through in all times, ways and seasons is His Word. If the whole world were to change due to war, famine, plague or anything else that could prevent Christians from meeting together in certain ways, the Word of God would always remain the same
What Must Christians Do With The Bible?
Ligon Duncan says Christians can * READ * PROCLAIM * PRAY * SING * SEE * the Word. This is a great way of saying that God's Word, the Bible is part of everything that Christians do. It's the blood in our veins!
Prayer
Deaf Father,
Thank you for giving us Your Word! Thank you for recording the history of your plan for the world in one place that I can know you! You have given me everything I need to grow in my walk with you. Please help me desire to read and study your Word. Help me to memorize and recite it, learning to love your Word more and more! Thank you for always speaking to my heart from Your Word!
In Jesus name,
Amen.
#13 Fellowship
Fellowship comes from the Greek root “koin-“, which has multiple English translations such as common, partake, share, communion etc. The word in Greek, “koinonia” is used to describe fellowship, sharing and communion.
When we first hear of the word fellowship, our minds commonly go to the word relationship. But let’s ask ourselves relationship with who and how.
God calls us to be in fellowship with:
1. Himself (The Triune God)
We can do this by having the knowledge of His will (Job22:21; John 17:3), agreeing with His designs (Amos 3:2), having mutual affection (Romans 8:38-39), enjoying His presence (Psalm 4:6), conforming to His image (1 John 1:6; 2:6) and participating in enjoying Him (1 John 1:3-4; Ephesians 3:14-21).
2. With one another
We can do this in duties (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), in ordinances (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:46), in grace, love and joy (Malachi 3:16; 2 Corinthians 8:4), mutual interest, spiritually and temporal or relating to the world (Romans 12:4; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:16), in suffering (Romans 15:1-2; Galatians 6:1-2; Romans 12:15) and in glory (Revelation 7:9). Sin spoils our fellowship with God.
How Can We Have Fellowship With God As Sinners?
Only through being saved by trusting in Jesus death on the cross for your sins! Once you are saved, It is promised in 1 John 1:6-7 that if we live righteously through God’s saving grace which cleanses us from our sins, can we enjoy an unbroken fellowship with Him. Being saved is the ROOT - living righteously is the FRUIT of our relationship with God.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your steadfast love in my life, thank you that you constantly seek me even when I reject You. I ask you to help me grow with fellow believers in the ways You command. I pray that You help me have better fellowship with You by making time and spending it in Your Word and praying to you. Amen
#14 Suffering
To suffer means to endure, bear, allow, sustain or undergo something that is painful, disagreeable or distressing to the body or mind. Many of us might know what the word suffer means but why does God allow us to suffer. John Piper recognizes five purposes for suffering (5Rs):
1. Repentance: Suffering calls us away from the distraction of the treasures of this world and draws our focus to God
(Luke 13:4-5)
2. Reliance: Suffering calls us to trust in God and not anything of this world (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)
3. Righteousness: Suffering is us being disciplined by God so that we can share in his righteousness and holiness
(Hebrews 12:6, 10-11)
4. Reward: Suffering is building up a great reward in heaven (2 Corinthians 4:17)
5. Reminder: Suffering reminds us that God sent his Son into the world to suffer so that our suffering is not God’s condemnation/ judgement but rather our purification (Philippians 3:10)
We need to acknowledge the One who would suffer affliction and death, thereby being the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and clothing us in His righteousness. The Suffering Servant (Jesus) took our deserved place on the cross so that we may live (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).
Let our response to suffering not be ‘Why God?’, but like Joseph says in Genesis 50:20, “You (men) meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”. God uses the most difficult circumstances for His glory and to work out His likeness in the lives of believers.
Prayer
Dear God, please help me remember that You are always with me through whatever I am going through. May I trust in your will for my life, knowing that you are making me more righteous and there is a greater reward in heaven. Help me to repent from all my sins and remember that the price has already been paid. Amen.