In review of 2 Timothy 3:16 it says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
Bottom Line:
Everything in Scripture is God’s Word, inspired by him. It is useful for teaching us the truth, it helps us realize what is wrong in our lives, it straightens us out, and shows us how to live.
What this means to me:
God provides to me his Word in the scriptures. This was truly inspired by him. It is useful for teaching me the truth, helping realize where I’m off track, and showing me how to get back on track in order to live the life he intended.
Take the example of going to the beach later in the evening, say around 9 p.m. So its dark and you're there frolicking in the ocean, and having fun. Then someone notices this little sign that was posted in the sand that said, “Contaminated water. Stay out.” The sign represents an authority and very clearly tells you, “Don’t you dare go in this water!”
Why was that sign posted. Was it to ruin your fun? To make your life a big bummer? No! It is there for your health. How should I react to that authority?
Well, I could reject that authority and say, “This is a stupid sign! I know better than this sign, so I’m going to go ahead and play in the water anyway.”
Or I could say, “This sign is out of date. It was for another time and another age. And it really doesn’t apply to me because it’s out of date, I’m sure.”
Or I could say, “This sign doesn’t really mean what it says. When it says ‘Stay out,’ that’s just someone’s interpretation. I interpret the words ‘Stay out’ as meaning ‘Go right ahead!’”
Or I could say, “I’m sure God would want me to ignore this sign, because God wants me to have fun.”
Throughout the Bible, God says things like “Don’t have premarital sex.” You may say, “That’s out of date. That’s wrong. I don’t like it. That’s your interpretation,” but it’s still the truth. Why was the sign set up there on the beach? To keep me from disease, from danger, and possibly even death. It was for my own benefit.
What I’m learning is that the Bible is filled with all kinds of rules and commands. Why? Because God is a loving God. Everything that’s in the Bible is not there to make my life miserable; it’s there to protect me. It’s there for my health. It’s there for my good. A loving God who knows more than me gave me the rules for life. If I ignore them, I will only get hurt.
The Bible says, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). God’s Word is the signpost for my life.
Making God’s Word the authority of my life is a stress reliever, mainly because if I didn’t have an authority, I would likely listen to all kinds of conflicting opinions. Deciding one thing one day, and another the next and then ultimately causing indecision and stress.
Unfortunately our world is filled with a pluralistic view with no absolutes other than what is popular thinking of the time. Just because it is the popular thing, doesn’t make it correct. Deciding that God’s Word is going to be the authority of my life, will greatly simplifies my life and my decisions.
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