Posted by 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)
The Bible is Inspired, Inerrant and Infallible
All Scripture is God-breathed… (v.16a)
We hold the Bible in the highest possible esteem, because we are firmly convinced of its divine origin and authenticity. We are firmly convinced, upon the testimony of the Bible itself, that it is the inspired Word of God. This testimony has been confirmed to us by the declarations of the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal living Word; and it has been affirmed as true in our own lives by the powerful witness of His Holy Spirit.
God spoke through the person of the Holy Spirit when he gave to the prophets and apostles His own sacred and imperishable Word. We accept the Bible — and the Bible alone — as our authority in all matters pertaining to our faith, and to the daily practical application of that faith to our everyday lives.
As delivered in its original form, we believe the sacred Word of God to be absolutely inerrant and infallible. This it must be…
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21 NIV).
God cannot err in delivering His Word, nor can He fail to fulfil what He has spoken in His Word. From Genesis to Revelation — correctly interpreted and understood — every word written in the Bible is the Word of God. We accept the full and authoritative inspiration of the Word, because that Word reveals that it is ‘God-breathed.’
Belief Requires Obedience
However, while we accept all this, we do not always seem to realise what our acceptance of God’s Word implies. Although we may be thoroughly acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, and with the manner of God’s dealings with His people, yet we do not always do what God’s Word says. For one reason or another, we are sometimes reluctant to apply to our lives that which we know to be true — and this applies to all of us.
We believe the Word of God; but sometimes it seems to be a theoretical belief, rather than a spiritual and practical faith that we hold. However, can any of us honestly expect our Christian life to be an example to others for their good, if we do not pivot our life entirely on the sacred Word of God? There is little point in us believing what God’s Word says if we are not prepared to do what it says.
“But,” someone may object, “I do live by the Word of God. “I do all in my power to apply what it says to the everyday circumstances of my own personal life and work.”
But is this true in all things?
If indeed we bring the Word of God to bear upon every aspect of our lives, then why sometimes do we act on our own initiative, without seeking first the counsel of the Lord?
Why, for instance, do we make — and then implement — our own plans, without prior reference to the will of God or to God’s purposes for our lives?
Do We Honour God’s Word in Full?
All our ways have been planned by the Lord. Therefore, we cannot hope to fulfil God’s purposes in and for our lives, if we do not resort to — and obey — God’s Word for our lives; in all things. Or again, if we believe the Bible to be the authoritative Word of the living God, why do we sometimes select certain truths from that Word and reject others?
If we would be faithful to the God who loved us and who gave His only Beloved Son to be our Redeemer from sin and iniquity, then we must honour the Lord by honouring His Word — in full. For it is the Word of the living Sovereign God, who one day will require a reckoning of us all.
All Scripture is God-breathed… (v.16a)
Do we believe this? Are, then, our lives governed and guided by every truth of God’s Word?
May God help us to honour Him — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — by being wholeheartedly obedient to the teaching and principles of His eternal and unchanging Word.
2Tim0316.doc / HBB04 (39) / D2b / 1982-2011 Gordon Lyons
Gordon Lyons 
Hello Gordon, how are you? Good to see the site develop.
Hi Peter, Great to hear from you. Trust all is going well. I moved the website to WordPress as it’s much easier to maintain and I can update it more regularly. It’s now linked directly to Twitter and LinkedIn.