Amos 8:11 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

The apostle Paul writes, “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.” (Ephesians 6:12).

And in Paul’s list of amour to put on – our only weapon in this war of the worlds is what?

Verse 17, “The sword of the Spirit. Which is the word of God.”
(Ephesians 6:17).

In James 1, I want us to consider how we, and those we love, can indeed be transformed by the truth of God’s word.

Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth.

Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Sanctification requires revelation.

The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the Son of God.

To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with his Word.

It is somewhat ironic that there are more Bibles in print today than ever before, yet millions of believers are plagued with spiritual anorexia, starving to death from spiritual malnutrition.

Why?

Because a bible on the shelf is about as beneficial as bread in a pantry.

It’s only of benefit when we take it out and feed on it.

In examination of James 1 we see how God’s truth can transform us to become like Jesus.

To do so we must

1. Accept its authority (James 1:17-18)

Accept the Authority of God’s Word (James 1:17-18)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.” (James 1:17-18).

We must accept its authority.

The Bible must become the authoritative standard for my life:

the compass I rely on for direction,

the counsel I listen to for making wise decisions,

and the benchmark I use for evaluating everything.

The Bible must always have the first and last word in my life.

Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities:

culture “everyone is doing it”,

tradition “we’ve always done it”,

reason “it seemed logical”, or

emotion “it just felt right”.

All four of these are flawed by the Fall.

Which is why they will never provide ultimate solutions for the wars of the world, merely perpetuate them.

What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction.

Only God’s Word meets that need.

Solomon reminds us, “Every word of God is flawless,” (Proverbs 30:5) and Paul explains, “Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word.

All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, feeding on God’s Word must be your first priority.

Jesus said “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” (John 8:31).

God’s Word is unlike any other word.

It is alive.

Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63).

When God speaks, things change.

Everything around you-all of creation-exists because “God said it.

He spoke it all into existence.

Without God’s Word we would not even be alive.

In verse 18, James points out, “God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.” (James 1:18)

The Bible is far more than a doctrinal guidebook.

God’s Word generates life,

creates faith,

produces change,

frightens the Devil,

causes miracles,

heals hurts,

builds character,

transforms circumstances,

imparts joy,

overcomes adversity,

defeats temptation,

infuses hope,

releases power,

cleanses our minds,

brings things into being,

and guarantees our future forever!

We cannot live without the Word of God!

Never take it for granted.

In the early years of his ministry, Billy Graham went through a time when he struggled with doubts about the accuracy and authority of the Bible.

One moonlit night he dropped to his knees in tears and told God that, in spite of confusing passages he didn’t understand, from that point on he would completely trust the Bible as the sole authority for his life and ministry.

From that day forward, Billy’s life was blessed with unusual power and effectiveness.

The most important decision you can make today is to settle this issue of what will be the ultimate authority for your life.

Decide that regardless of culture, tradition, reason, or emotion, you choose the Bible as your final authority.

Determine to first ask, “What does the Bible say?” when making decisions.

Resolve that when God says to do something, you will trust God’s Word and do it whether or not it makes sense or you feel like doing it.

Adopt Paul’s statement as your personal affirmation of faith:
“I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.” (Acts 24:14).

To be transformed by the truth we must first accept the authority of God’s word.

I’m NOT PERFECT.

But I have decided.

When the word of God says one thing, and I think another, then I am wrong!

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WOW! I am so touched by your message! Congratulations. Praise the LORD! Your friend, Greg

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Praise the Lord!! He carries you …
I will pray for you, Beth!
Blessings, Greg

I too am so enjoying our study on Wednesday nights! Thank you so much for your remarks …

We ask You,Lord,to please return the Denhams to us safely. Thank You.In Christ,
the Gallups

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That is so kind and thoughtful! We send love, Greg and family