We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Note what Christ taught about the inspiration of the Old Testament: 1. Its entirety; the whole of the Bible is inspired (Matt. 4:4; 5:17-18). In Matthew 4:4, Jesus responded to Satan’s temptation by affirming verbal plenary inspiration when He said, man is to live by every word (plenary) that proceeds out of the mouth of God (inspiration). In Matthew 5:17-18, Christ promised that the entire Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets, would be fulfilled, not abolished. In fact, He declared that not even the smallest Hebrew letter, the yodh, which looks like an apostrophe (‘), or stroke of a letter, a small distinguishing extension or protrusion of several Hebrews letters (cf. the extension on the letter R with it absence on the letter P), would pass away until all is fulfilled. Christ’s point is that it is all inspired and true and will be fulfilled. 2. Its historicity; He spoke of the Old Testament in terms of actual history. Adam and Eve were two human beings, created by God in the beginning, who lived and acted in certain ways (Matt. 19:3-5; Mark 10:6-8). He spoke of Jonah and his experience in the belly of the great fish as an historical event (Matt. 12:40). He also verified the events of the flood in Noah’s day along with the ark (Matt. 24:38-39; Luke 17:26-27). He verified God’s destruction of Sodom and the historicity of Lot and his wife (Matt. 10:15; Luke 17:28-29). These are only a few illustrations; many others exist. 3. Its reliability; because it is God’s word, the Scripture must be fulfilled (Matt. 26:54). 4. Its sufficiency; it is sufficient to witness to the truth of God and His salvation (Luke 16:31). 5. Its indestructibility; heaven and earth will not pass away until it is all fulfilled. Nothing can stop its fulfillment (Matt. 5:17-18). 6. Its unity; the whole of the Bible speaks and witnesses to the person and work of Christ (Luke 24:27, 44). 7. Its inerrancy; men are often in error, but the Bible is not; it is truth (Matt. 22:29; John 17:17). 8. Its infallibility; the Bible cannot be broken, it always stands the test (John 10:35).
J. Hampton Keathley

God made us to be in relationship with others, but your most important relationship is with Him. In human relationships you get a taste of the happiness, meaning, and fulfillment that ultimately are only to be found, in their fullest form, in Him. So don't let yourself be fooled into believing that a romantic relationship will be the most satisfying experience of your life. Instead, thank God for the tastes that you have had that remind you of what His love is like, and ask Him to give you a desire for a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him. Trust Him with your hopes for a relationship and ask for His wisdom and guidance when you enter into one. Most of all, ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so you can continue growing in your ability to love others (William Smith).
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