(I) THE WORD IS THE SOURCE OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE:

Proverbs 1:22–Fools hate knowledge. I have found this to be the case 99.99% of the time when I show a churchite what God says about one or more of his/her church’s so-called “Gospel Truths.” Luke 10:16–Jesus said that anyone who rejects His Word despises the Word, the Father, the Son and the one who spoke the Word to him/her. A fool is one who says there is no God. A super fool is one who says there is a God, but He does not require obedience. Second Corinthians 10:5–Doubters of God’s Word “exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.” Note the word “against.” To doubt God’s love letter to mankind is to actively come against Him. James 1:5–God gives wisdom to those who seek it. Wisdom is knowing what to do with what one knows. To not know God’s Word is foolishness. To know and not do is maximum foolishness. Isaiah 28:9-13–“To whom can God teach wisdom? One who studies His Word precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” God is the ultimate teacher. However, He cannot teach one who refuses to hear Him. Second Peter 1:3,4–The knowledge of God (found only in His Holy Bible) enables us to excel in all things pertaining to godliness, life and the divine nature which we must embrace, Jesus of Nazareth being our example. Romans 4:9–“Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” But only because he did what he believed. Satan believes God as did Abraham. The difference is in the doing as the Lord proclaims in Genesis 26:5 where He says that He would bless the patriarch “because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My Laws.” The Lord’s requirements for blessings have not change and can be summarized in one word: OBEDIENCE. Billions believe God but refuse to obey Him, which places them in the same spiritual category as Satan. Let no one tell you that faith saves us. James 2:14 refutes that lie, as does the Apostle Peter. First Peter 4:17,18–“Judgment is on-going in the church and only the righteous will be saved, and they scarcely.” Second Timothy 3:16–All Scripture is inspired by God and essential for training in righteousness. Hebrews 5:13–He who does not mature in the Holy Scriptures is unskilled in the Word of righteousness. God’s Word tells us that obedience, righteousness, holiness and salvation are a package deal (Rom. 5:21; 6:22). They are one entity in the eyes of God. Hebrews 5:9–“Jesus (the Word) is the Author of man’s salvation.” When asked by a lawyer and a rich man what they needed to do to be saved, He had the same replay: OBEY GOD’S LAW. Hebrews 12:1,2–We must run the race Jesus has set before us. First Corinthians 9:24–All salvation seekers run the same race. However, only one wins the prize (salvation)–the one who runs according to God’s rules. Matthew 25–All ten virgins ran the race, but only five did so according to the rules. Romans 10:17–Faith=taking God at His Word. Hebrews 11;7–Righteousness comes from faithfully obeying God’s Word, which is the basis of faith. First John 2:14–The Word of God empowers us to overcome Satan’s temptations. Revelation 3:21–In order to join Christ in the Kingdom of God we must “… overcome (Satan) even as I overcame (him)” by “walking (living) even as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6).

(J) WHAT WE MUST DO WITH THE WORD OF GOD:

Luke 11:28,28–“Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and do it.” Mark 9:7–“This is My beloved Son, hear Him.” Sounds plain enough, and yet …. Hebrews 2:1-4–We must heed what we hear in order to be saved. Hebrews 13:17–Listen to those who speak God’s Words to you for they watch over your soul. Acts 17:11–The men of Berea were wise because they studied the Old Testament Scriptures daily to see if what the Apostle Paul was telling them was true. The New Testament would not come into existence for another 40 years. The apostles taught the church out of the Old Testament. Second Timothy 2:15–We must study the Holy Scriptures (both Old and New) in order to be approved by God. John 5:38-42–Jesus said to some Jews: “You do not have life because you do not believe God’s Word.” First John 5:3–“This is how you show your love for God–you keep His commandments.” John 14:15–“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” First John 2:5–To obey the commandments reveals that one is in Christ. Only those “in Christ” will rise in the first resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:16). John 8:41–Jesus said to some Pharisees: “I tell you the Truth, but you do not believe Me because your father is the devil.” The same is true of modern day religionists who refuse to obey God’s Law. James 1:22,23–“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, thereby deceiving yourselves.” First John 5:10–To doubt God is to call Him a liar. Jude 5–God will judge those who speak against Him. Luke 11:23–One either gathers with Jesus or scatters from Him. Colossians 1:19–“Be filled with the knowledge of His will in wisdom and understanding.” Philippians 2:9-16–We must confess Christ as our Lord by doing all of the works of His will according to His good pleasure by holding fast to the Word of life. Philippians 2:12–One must do the work of salvation with fear and trembling or one will have run the race of life in vain. First Timothy 4:13-16–We must pay attention to reading and doctrine which will lead to eternal life for us and those who hear us. Second Timothy 4:13–“Hold fast to the sound doctrine you are being taught.”

(k) UNBELIEF=DENYING THE LORD:

Titus 1:16–Titus 1:16–To disobey the Word of God is to deny the Lord Who wrote it His rightful place as Lord and Master of one’s life. Revelation 3:8–To not keep God’s Word is to deny His name. Jude 3,4–The ungodly deny the faith once delivered to them, thereby denying both God and Christ. Second Peter 2:1–False prophets and false teachers deny the Lord by denying His Word. Hebrews 6:5,6–To deny the Word of God is to “crucify Christ afresh and put Him to an open shame. Understand this: WHEN WE SIN WE SPIRITUALLY CRUCIFY CHRIST AGAIN. Galatians 2:17–To claim to belong to Christ while continuing to sin is to make Him our “minister of sin”–OUR SIN ENABLER. L.J.