Matt 5: 17-19
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
- God’s Word Gives Life
- Word, Spirit and Life
From the very beginning of the Bible, the foundational idea of reality is that life comes from God’s Spirit and God’s Word. In other words, life comes from God.
Genesis 1: “And God said” and it was so.
Genesis 1: Ten times God speaks. Every time God speaks, something in creation is established. Not only what is created but the purposes for which things are created.
And this includes you. You are created by God, by His Word. And your purpose is created by God.
“Let us make man in our image”: How we are to act toward people and creation
“Let them rule”: Responsibility/Stewardship and Authority
“Be fruitful and multiply”: Family/Marriage/Children
“Subdue the earth”: Work
Genesis 2: 7 Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Word for spirit is breath. If you don’t have breath, you don’t have life. It is a straight forward connection, very practical. There is human life, it comes from divine life. The Holy Spirit is the Holy breath. It’s the same word. Pneuma in Greek
What God speaks produces life!
John 6: 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e]and life.
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Deuteronomy 30: 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
- What describes life?
Blessing: Shalom, peace, prosperity, protection, purpose.
Fruitfulness: God blessed them and said: “Be fruitful and multiply”
Fruit of the Spirit vs. Fruit of the flesh
Gal 5: 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This is a description of life and how to transfer life.
- Jesus as the Word of God
John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
John 8: 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
| 1. I am the bread of life | 6:35, 48, 51 |
| 2. I am the light of the world | 8:12; 9:5 |
| 3. I am the door of the sheep | 10:7, 9 |
| 4. I am the good shepherd | 10:11, 14 |
| 5. I am the resurrection and the life | 11:25 |
| 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life | 14:6 |
| 7. I am the true vine | 15:1 |
I AM the I AM John 8:58
If you knew the gift of God… John 4
- Examples of how Scripture is respected
Matt 5 above 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
II Tim 3:15-16 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed
II Peter 1:
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Psalms 119: 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
- Our Proper Response to the Bible
- Practice what the Bible says
II Tim 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Some things we need to do: teaching and training.
Some things we need to avoid: rebuking and correcting.
Romans 12: 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ephesians 4: 17b you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Apply effort to understand
II Tim 2:
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Psalms 119: 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
Deuteronomy 6: 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Psalms 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
- Give it proper respect
I Thes 2:
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
II Peter 3:16 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
James 1: 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.