In the previous articles, Guds ord; the Bible and that the Bible is intended for the born again believer, som vandrar efter Anden, were discussed. Endast a born again believer is able to comprehend the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God, that is written in the Bible. The Word of God is our spiritual daily bread, for the spirit of man. Only by renewing your mind with the Word of God and applying the Word to your life, your spirit will mature and you will walk as the new creation. Walking as the new creation means, that you will walk the same way, as Jesus walked upon this earth. In this article, the purpose of the Bible and the Word of God in the life of a born again believer will be discussed.
What is the purpose of the Bible?
The Word gives life
Jesus answered and said: Det är skrivet, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Mat 4:4, Luke 4:4)
I början var Ordet, och Ordet var hos Gud, och Ordet var Gud. Detsamma var i början med Gud. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; och livet var människornas ljus. Och ljuset lyser i mörkret; och mörkret förstod det inte (John 1:1-5)
Jesus is the Word, Who became flesh. He told the Pharisees, that if they really had known the scriptures, they would have believed in Jesus the Christ, den levande Gudens Son. Because the scriptures testify about Jesus, the Messiah. He alone can redeem man and give eternal life.
The Father Himself, which has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And you have not His word abiding in you: for whom He has sent, Him you believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life (John 5:17-40)
I sanning, i sanning, säger jag er, Den som hör mitt ord, och tror på honom som har sänt mig, has everlasting life, och kommer inte till fördömelse; men går över från döden till livet (John 5:24)
I sanning, i sanning, säger jag er, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, och ger livet åt världen (John 6:32,33)
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: den som kommer till mig skall aldrig hungra; och den som tror på mig skall aldrig någonsin törsta (John 6:35,47, 48, 51)
Det är anden som tar fart; köttet tjänar ingenting: de ord som jag talar till er, de är ande, och de är livet (John 6:63)
Eternal life
Jesus; the living Word came to this earth, so that everyone who would accept His words, believe in Him, and become born again, would receive eternal life. Jesus came first for the Jews; God’s people after the flesh, but because they rejected Him, salvation came to the Gentiles.
Through Jesus, and by His blood, the new covenant came into existence and replaced the old covenant.
In that He saith, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away (hebréer 8:13)
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: men, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed (romare 9:6)
The sons of God, who are born of the Spirit of God, are the children of the promise.
Everyone, who believes in Jesus, accepts Him as their Saviour and Lord, becomes born again, and walks in His commandments, shall receive eternal life
The Word of God is a shield for the born again believer
Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him (Ordspråk 30:5)
The Word of God gives peace
Frid lämnar jag med dig, my peace I give unto you: inte som världen ger, ge jag till dig. Låt inte ditt hjärta oroas, låt den inte heller vara rädd (John 14:27)
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Psalmer 119:165)
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace (John 16:33)
If you read, believe, förnya ditt sinne and apply the Word to your life, then you will experience real peace. But as soon as you leave the Word of God, even if it is just a little bit, then you will become agitated, orolig, and experience turmoil. Therefore it is important to stay in the Word of God all the days of your life.
The Word of God equips the new creation
Alla skrifter är givna genom inspiration av Gud, och är lönsamt för läran, till tillrättavisning, för rättelse, till undervisning i rättfärdighet: För att Guds man må vara fullkomlig, väl möblerad för alla goda gärningar (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Word of God is meant for the new creation. The purpose of the Bible is to equip the new creation. The purpose of the Bible is to ensure that the spirit of the new creation will mature so that the new creation shall grow up into to image of Jesus Christ and become like Him. Therefore the Word of God is profitable for:
- doctrine (learning, teaching)
- förebråelse (proof, conviction, evidence)
- korrektion (a straightening up again, (figuratively) rectification)
- instruction in righteousness (education, training; by implication, disciplinary correction, chastening, nurture (so that the new man shall walk in holiness and righteousness))
The Word of God gives faith
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (romare 10:17)
The Word of God divides soul and spirit
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (hebréer 4:12-13)
We all shall give account for our walk and our works on the Day of Judgement. Nothing shall be hidden from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word and everyone, who is born on this earth, shall have an encounter with Him; as Saviour to receive eternal life, or as Judge to receive eternal death.
That’s why it is important to make Jesus Christ; ordet, the Center of your life, and take His words and apply them to your life. Only the Word of God will expose and bring all the things of the darkness, to the light. He shall reveal the truth.
If you want to walk in the truth, then you will have to förnya ditt sinne with the Word of God, so that your old way of thinking (like the world) will be transformed into the way God thinks.
When you förnya ditt sinne with the Word of God, you shall think the way God thinks and act the way God wants you to act; like Jesus; ordet.
Only the Word of God divides själen (kött) och anda.
All those lies of the world that are built up in your mind, which you believed for all those years, shall be exposed and shall be brought into the light. You shall become aware of all the lies of the world. By believing the Word of God above the words and lies of the devil; världen, and by acting upon the Word of God, you shall destroy these evil strongholds.
Your spirit shall grow up, and your spirit man shall mature into the image of Jesus Christ, and shall reign over your flesh (body and soul)
The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Efesierbrevet 6:17)
Another purpose of the Bible is that the Word of God is also the Sword of the Spirit. It is the spiritual Sword of the new creation and is very important in your daily spiritual warfare. Every person, who becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ, has automatically entered the spiritual battlefield.
There is no such thing as a believer, who doesn’t experience spiritual warfare. If you don’t experience spiritual warfare and don’t discern the spirits and the spiritual kingdoms, then you haven’t become a new creation in the spirit yet. Therefore the first step will be to believe, ångra, and become born again by water and Spirit.
Every new creation, has to deal with the powers, principalities, and rules of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places, just like Jesus had to deal with them.
Jesus resisted and overcame the devil time after time, with the Word of God. The Word of God is also your Sword.
Only with the Word of God you can overcome, and be an overcomer. There is no other ‘tool’ that you can use. That’s why it is important to get to know the Word of God. Så att, you won’t be tempted, nor be seduced and misled by the lies of this world and wrong human doctrines.
Without the knowledge of the Word, and without applying the Word of God in your life, you will be defeated. You won’t be strong enough to overcome the world; principalities, befogenheter, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places and resist the temptations of the devil.
Spiritual warfare
Your warfare is not carnal, but spiritual. The spiritual realm is your battlefield. Your job is not to attack people; flesh and blood, but powers, principalities, mörkrets härskare, and spiritual wickedness that have taken possession of people. They even may use people to attack you, seduce you, and tempt you into sin.
When your eyes become spiritual, which means that you grow up in the Word of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you shall know what is right and what is wrong and what is good and what is evil. You shall be able to discern the things of the spiritual world (which is behind the visible world).
When people try to provoke you, you stay calm and be silent. You’ll be able to let go when people attack you with lies or false accusations. You’ll be able to forgive when people say mean painful words to you or don’t treat you correctly. When people try to lead you into sin, you will discern the temptation and walk away.
When you walk after the Spirit, you will discern the spirits. På grund av det faktum, that you will discern the spirits, you will be able to be silent, stay calm, let go, förlåta, walk away, etc. precis som Jesus gjorde. Because you will not be led by your feelings and emotions, but by your spirit.
Your power is not carnal, therefore you will not use the methods of this world. You’ll use the spiritual weapons because you have become a spiritual new creation, who operates in the spirit. You will use the spiritual armor av Gud, speak the Word of God, and pray.
Two kinds of prayer
There are two kinds of prayer; carnal prayers (prayers out of feelings, känslor, wishes, önskningar, selfishness, your own will etc) and spiritual prayers (prayers out of the will of God, ordet, inspired and controlled by the Holy Spirit)
The devil is afraid and hates believers who pray ‘spiritual prayers’ and who attack his kingdom with the Word of God. Because they are dangerous for his kingdom.
He knows the power of the Word of God because the Word has disarmed him and overcame him.
The devil will try everything to keep you ignorant, by keeping you away from the Word of God. He will try to seduce you by using entertainment, wrong doctrines etc.
He will also try to seduce you by using dreams, visions, and prophetic words. Till exempel, he shall show the importance of praise and worship music, and let you think that it is the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare, instead of the Word.
But Jesus didn’t resist and defeated the devil in the wilderness by singing spiritual songs. NO! Jesus overcame the devil by the power of the Word!
Only the Word of God will separate the soul and spirit. By the Word you shall be able to discern the truth from lies; what is good and what is evil. The Word of God is profitable to teach, förebråelse, correct, and instruct in righteousness. The Word is your Sword, which you have to use in order to be an overcomer. Bibeln; the Word of God is the daily bread for the spirit of the new creation. Without the Word, the spirit of the new creation will starve, and will not grow up into the image of Jesus Christ.
The purpose of the Bible; Guds ord, for the believer, is to become like the Word; Jesus
“Var jordens salt”
