Only born-again Christians are able to understand the Bible and the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God. As a born-again believer, you need the words of God every day. The words in the Bible are your daily bread for your spiritual inner man. When you feed and renew your mind with the words of God and obey and apply the words of God in your life, your spirit matures and you will speak and walk as the new creation. This means that you speak and walk the same way as Jesus spoke and walked on earth. In this article, the purpose of the Bible in the life of Christians will be discussed.
What is the purpose of the Bible?
We should be thankful that God gave His Word and that He revealed Himself to us through His Word. We are privileged that we have the Bible and can read and study the Bible. What is the purpose of the Bible in the lives of Christians?
The Word gives life
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:1-5)
Jesus is the living Word, Who came in the flesh and was fully Human. He told the Pharisees, that if they had known the scriptures, they would have believed Him.
They would have believed that Jesus was (and is) the Christ and the Son of the living God. Because the scriptures testify of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, Who became the Son of man and brought salvation for humanity and gave 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)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24)
Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst (John 6:35,47, 48, 51)
Jesus is the Life and gives eternal life
Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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, and giveth life unto the world (John 6:32,33)
It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63)
Te mau taata atoa, who believes in Jesus and His work of salvation and believes His words and becomes born again, receives eternal life. Jesus came first for the house of Israel (God’s chosen carnal people, who were born of the seed of Jacob). But because they rejected Jesus the Messiah, salvation came to the Gentiles (a.o. Acts 11:18, Roma 1:16, 11:11)
In Jesus Christ and by His blood, a New Covenant for the new creation (the spiritual man) came into being. This New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant for the old creation (the carnal man (a.o. Hebrews 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: tera râ,, 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 (Roma 9:6-8)
The new man is no longer a son of the devil, but a son of God (e tano te reira no te tane e te vahine). The sons of God are born of the Spirit of God and are the children of the promise.
Te mau taata atoa, who believes in Jesus Christ and becomes born again, obeys His words, e e haapa'o i Ta'na mau faaueraa, receives 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 (Proverbs 30:5)
The Word of God gives peace
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27)
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them (Psalms 119:165)
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace (John 16:33)
If you read, believe, and apply the Word to your life, you will experience peace. But as soon as you leave the Word of God, even if it is just a little bit, you will become agitated, worried, anxious, and stressed.
Therefore it is important to abide in the Word of God all the days of your life.
The Word of God equips the new creation
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Bible 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 is fed, disciplined, Te mau nota, and instructed and grows up into to image of Jesus Christ.
The Bible is profitable for:
- doctrine (learning, teaching)
- reproof (proof, conviction, evidence)
- correction (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 (Roma 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 (Hebrews 4:12-13)
We shall all give account for our words and works on the Day of Judgement. Nothing shall be hidden from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the living Word, Who came to heal man (restore man) and reconcile man back to God. Jesus brought peace. Tera râ,, people decide to believe Jesus and accept His redemptive work and His peace and choose righteousness and life and receive eternal life, or to deny Jesus and reject His work redemptive work and choose sin and death and receive eternal death.
All people will have an encounter with the Word, either as Savior during life on earth or as Judge afterlife on the Day of Judgment.
That’s why it is important to make Jesus Christ; the living Word, the Center of your life.
Take His words and apply His words to your life.
Only the Bible reveals the truth and exposes the lies and works of the darkness.
If you want to walk in the truth of Light, you must renew your mind with the Word of God.
By renewing your mind, your old way of thinking (carnal mind, who thinks like the world) will be transformed by the Word and the Holy Spirit into a new way of thinking and you shall get the mind of Christ.
When you renew your mind with the Word of God, you shall think the way God thinks and speak and act according to His will, just like Jesus.
The Bible exposes the lies of the devil and sin
Only the Word of God divides the soul (flesh) from the spirit. All those lies of the world that are built up in your mind, which you believed for all those years, shall be brought into the light. You shall become aware of all the lies of the world. And by believing the Word of God above the words and lies of the devil; the world, and by acting upon the Word of God, you shall destroy these evil strongholds of darkness. (A tai'o atoa: The strongholds in the mind of people)
Your spirit shall mature and 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 (Ephesia 6:17)
Another purpose of the Bible is that the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. The Bible is the spiritual Sword of the new creation and is needed in your daily spiritual warfare. Every person, who becomes a new creation in Jesus Christ, has entered the spiritual battlefield.
There is no such thing as a believer, who doesn’t experience spiritual warfare or doesn’t want to get involved in spiritual warfare.
If you don’t acknowledge and experience spiritual warfare in your life and don’t discern the spirits and the spiritual kingdoms, then you haven’t become a new creation in the spirit. No reira, the first step will be to believe, repent, and become born again by water and Spirit.
Every new creation has become an enemy of the devil and the world and deals 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. How? By the Word of God. Jesus knew the will of God, He knew what was written. Now, the Word of God is also your Sword.
The Sword of victory
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 Bible; the Word of God. So that, 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, faith in the Word, and applying the Word of God in your life, you will not live a victorious life but a defeated life. You won’t be strong enough to overcome the world; principalities, Te mau mana, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places and resist the temptations of the devil.
The spiritual warfare between Light and darkness
Your warfare is not carnal, area râ, i te pae varua. The spiritual realm is your battlefield. Your job is not to attack people (i'o e te toto), but the powers, principalities, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness that tempt people, take possession of people, and even use people to attack you, seduce you, and tempt you into sin.
When your eyes become spiritual (meaning, you grow up in the Word with the help of the Holy Spirit), you shall know God’s will.
You’ll know what’s right and what’s wrong and what’s good and what’s evil. You’ll be able to discern the things of the spiritual world (which is behind the visible world) and the spirits.
When people try to provoke you, you stay calm and be silent. You let go when people ‘attack’ you with lies or false accusations. You forgive when people say mean painful words to you or treat you wrongly. (A tai'o atoa: What is the secret of forgiveness).
When someone tries to tempt you into sin, you will discern the temptation and walk away.
When you walk after the Spirit you know, who is behind all this. You know who keeps the people in bondage and who is speaking and acting through them.
When you walk after the Spirit, you’ll stay silent, calm, let go, forgive, walk away, e te tahi atu â. just like Jesus. You will not be ruled by your flesh and therefore not react from your carnal will, feelings and emotions.
Your power is not carnal, area râ, i te pae varua. Therefore you’ll not use the knowledge, wisdom, and 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 walk in the spiritual armor of God, speak the Word of God, and act and pray according to the Word.
the two kinds of prayer
There are two kinds of prayer; carnal prayers and spiritual prayers. Carnal prayers are selfish prayers coming from your flesh; your will, Te mau mana'o, emotions, etc., and revolve around you. Spiritual prayers derive from the Word and the Spirit and revolve around the will and Kingdom of God.
The devil is afraid of spiritual prayers and hates Christians, who pray from the Spirit. They are a threat to him and his kingdom, because they attack him and his kingdom with the Word of God.
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 and lead you on side ways. He uses faaanaanataeraa mana', distractions, problems, false doctrines, e te tahi atu â.
He will also use dreams, visions, and prophetic words to tempt you. For example, the devil shall show the importance of praise and worship music, and let you think that praise and worship is the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare, instead of the Bible; the Word of God.
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!
The purpose and power of the Bible
What is the purpose and the power of the Bible in your life as a Christian? The Word of God separates the soul and spirit. The words of God mean death to your flesh but life to your spirit.
Through the Bible you get to know the will of God and His truth and righteousness, reveals the lies of the devil and sin. You discern the truth from lies, Light from darkness and good from evil.
The purpose of the Bible is that all Scriputres are profitable to teach, reproof, correct, and instruct you in righteousness. The Bible; the Word is your Sword, which you have to use daily to be an overcomer.
The Bible is your daily bread. Without the words of God, your spirit starves and you will not spiritually mature.
The purpose of the Bible for Christians is to become like the living Word; Iesu
“Be the salt of the earth”
