Characteristics of the Bible!

There is a saying “All Bible and No prayer and we will dry up, All Prayer and no Bible and we will blow up. But both Bible and Prayer and we will grow and go up!”

The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity. There are more but here are a few to rejoice over.

I. Eternal.
- Matthew 24:35 (KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
  A. Jesus wants to share that eternity with us.
  - John 5:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

II. Unchanging.
- Psalms 119:89 (KJV) Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
  A. God is unchanging as well.
  - Malachi 3:6 (KJV) For I am the LORD, I change not;

III. Truth.
- John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
  A. Bible truth leads to eternal life.
  - John 6:63 ...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
    1. Those that think it permissible to tell white lies soon grow colour-blind.
  B. The 10 Commandants are true but did you know that more Americans could recite the ingredients for a Big Mac than can remember all ten of the Commandments given in the Old Testament?

IV. Treasure.
- Psalms 119:11 (KJV) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
  A. What a treasure we have through His Word.
  - 2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

V. Sword.
- Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 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.
  A. The Work can cut the sin out of our lives, break bondage and set the captive free.

VI. Gives Light.
- Psalms 119:105 (KJV) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
  A. Some people change their ways when they see the light, others only when they feel the heat.

VII. Gives Hope.
- Psalms 130:5 (KJV) I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
  A. There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.

VIII. Keeps us from sinning
- Psalms 119:11 (KJV) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
  A. His Word is His perfect Will for our lives.
    1. SIN, of omission, Misdeeds are sins of commission and missed deeds are sins of omission

IX. Purification
- John 15:3 (KJV) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
- Proverbs 30:5 (KJV) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
  A. We are sanctified through His Word.
    1. It is easier to cry against one thousand sins of others than to kill one of your own. John Flavel.
    2. I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, "By the grace of God I am what I am. John Newton.

X. Jesus is the Living Word.
- John 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  A. The written Word will create the Living Word in our lives if we receive Christ as our personal saviour.

XI. World was created.
- Hebrews 11:3 (KJV) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
  A. God’s Word has creative power.
    1. Man has destructive power. If creation just happened the books write themselves without the need of an author. Cars build themselves without the need of a manufacturer. Music composes itself into beautiful harmonies without the need of a composer. Watches and computers just appeared.
    2. This is why Psalms 14:1 and Psalms and 53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

XII. Longevity (Long life)
- Proverbs 4:10 (KJV) Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
   A. He wants to give us life.
   - Psalms 91:15 (KJV) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
    1. The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. It is only one life we have that soon will be past, only the things done for Christ will last.
    2. Psalm 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation
    3. Examples of being with people who were leaving this life and world.