1/9/13-Glorifying God Through Scripture

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women adn many Greek men. (Acts 17:11,12)

Thoughts:  In the passage above it is clear that we glorify God by delving into the scriptures as the Bereans did.  Many of the Thessalonians just rejected Paul outright without looking to see what the scriptures said.  This teaches us that we should always test a preacher's words by scripture.  The nicely put words of a philosopher/writer/preacher are not our authority.  They may be good advice- but they also may not be good advice.  A commentator is not as authoritative as the thing they are commenting on- whether it be life itself or the time-and-God-proved scripture.  In well-put Fellowship Essential paragraph below, it speaks of scripture as a treasure that tells us about God, salvation, and faith and life.  Or as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it: Q. 3- What is the main teaching of the scriptures?  A: The main teaching of the scriptures is what we are to believe about God and what God requires us to do.  So scripture is a treasure that steers us as a guiding light in the right direction for our lives.

Prayer: May I glorify you, O Lord, by reading, studying, and applying your Word to my life.

I. God’s Word: The Authority for Our Confession
The clearest declaration of God’s glory is found in His Word,
both incarnate and written. The Son eternally proceeds from
the Father as His Word, the full expression of the Father’s
nature, and since in the incarnation the Word became flesh all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are offered to His disciples
The written Word grants us those treasures, proclaims
the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, and graciously teaches all that
is necessary for faith and life. We glorify God by recognizing
and receiving His authoritative self-revelation, both in
the infallible Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
and also in the incarnation of God the Son. We affirm that
the same Holy Spirit who overshadowed the virgin Mary also
inspired the writing and preservation of the Scriptures. The
Holy Spirit testifies to the authority of God’s Word and illumines
our hearts and minds so that we might receive both the
Scriptures and Christ Himself aright.

(Mosaic wall in Berea commemorating Paul's preaching there- taken by Ben Sloan with LMPC group)