GUIDED BY GOD’S WORD
The biblical Word of God tells us: In the beginning God spoke directly with the first two people he created. However, after Adam and Eve disobeyed him, they were separated for God (Genesis chapters 2&3). After that, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:1-3). The Son of God Jesus Christ said: “the Spirit of truth… will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears…He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you” (John 16:13-14).
The Lord God forbids that “anyone adds anything to” or “anyone takes words away from” what God has written (Revelation 22:18-19). The Holy Spirit, affirmed what the Lord said, in speaking through the Lord’ apostle Paul: “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
THE WORD OF GOD KEEPS BELIEVERS FROM BEING MISGUIDED BY SPIRITUAL BEINGS.
The Word of God informs and warns God’s people about ungodly spiritual beings who leads people away from God.The Lord tells us in the Bible it is “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9).
The biblical Word of God reveals that at the beginning of God’s creation of the world, Satan or the devil was the deceiver of God’s people: God told the first created man and woman, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” However, the devil appeared to Adam and Eve in the form of a serpent and deceived them into eating from the tree. After eating from the tree, the man and woman died spiritually the day they disobeyed God, being separated spiritually from God. (Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 5:6). Physical death would follow (Hebrews 9:27).
GOD’S WORD REVEALS HIS PLAN OF SALVATION BEGINNING IN THE GARDEN.
God began to reveal his plan for redeeming mankind in the Garden of Eden. God killed and shed the blood of an animal to provide skin-coverings for Adam and Eve, God showed the necessity of blood sacrifice to cover sin. In saying the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, God alluded to the sacrificial blood of the woman’s offspring defeating the serpent. Later, we learn that the offspring of the woman, Jesus Christ, “disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities [of the serpent-devil]. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” (Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:2).
GOD’S WORD SHOWS HIS SON AS OUR EXAMPLE OF OVERCOMING SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS AND DECEPTIONS.
Jesus Christ overcame the devil’s attempts to deceive him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and night the tempted him to turn stones into bread to satisfy his intense hunger; but Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (“Matthew 4:4). When the devil tempted Jesus on other occasions with the things of the world—”the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16)—in response, Jesus steadfastly quoted the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).
The Bible says, “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Romans 15:4). The Scripture instructs God’s people: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms… Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11-18).
GOD’S WORD KEEPS BELIEVERS FROM BEING MISGUIDED BY HUMAN BEINGS.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
The Bible tells us: “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” ( 2 Timothy 4:3).
ULTIMATELY GOD’S WORD GUIDES GOD’S PEOPLE TO GOD IN HEAVEN.
Our Savior and Lord said: “ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 2My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).
“Having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The biblical Word of God assures obedient believers; “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
According to God’s Word, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ will raise you from the dead who are guided by God’s Word, and “present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (1 Thessalonians 14-16; Jude 1:24).
