Role Of The Bible In The Family Family Convention - East Brunswick February 2004

Role Of The Bible In The Family Introduction The Bible is God’s Manual to the family. It has instructions concerning: Marriage Family relationships Parenting Family Conflicts Intimacy All other aspects of family life Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family Introduction As any manual, you need to: Read it carefully Understand it Memorize it Share it Apply it Doing that  Happy Family Otherwise  Dysfunctional Family Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family What Is The Holy Bible? The Holy Bible is a collection of 73 different books divided into two sections (Old and New Testaments). Forty six books make up the Old Testament, and twenty seven books make up the New Testament. It is written by over 40 different authors over a span of 1,500 years in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). Yet it presents a unified message of God’s plan and purpose for humanity. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family What Is The Holy Bible? The Holy Bible was written between around 1,500 BC and 100 AD, starting with the book of Job and ending with the Revelation. The Holy Bible contains history, poetry, prophecy, letters, biographies, songs, journals, advise, laws and stories. The Holy Bible has been translated into over 1,946 different languages. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Relevance of the Bible All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2Tim 3:16). The word "scripture" means "sacred writings." The fundamental characteristic of scripture, what makes these writings sacred writings, is the fact that God breathed them out, that they have their ultimate origin with God Himself. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Relevance of the Bible Because of the Bible’s source, it has vital practical relevance for our lives. This relevance is seen in four areas: Teaching Reproof Correcting Training in righteousness Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Bible As A Teacher To The Family Teaching focuses on the Holy Bible as giving us instruction to live life. Now this assumes that we come to the Bible as learners, because only learners can be taught. This instruction or teaching isn’t just about heavenly things, but it’s about practical things like being a good spouse, being a good parent, how to resolve our conflicts, intimacy, and so forth. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Reproof For Family’s Beliefs Reproof means confronting our wrong ideas about life. This assumes that all of us sometimes carry around misconceptions and distortions about: God Ourselves Family Life These beliefs need to be changed. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Reproof For Family’s Beliefs Example: If I measure a good spouse by how much money a person has. But the Bible measures a good spouse by a person’s faithfulness to God. Then my criteria for a good spouse has been reproved And I need to change my definition to conform to God’s definition. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Correcting Our Behaviors Correction focuses on behavior instead of beliefs (as in reproof). This assumes that all of us lose our way in life sometimes. That we can easily wander off the course God has for us and end up roaming around in circles. The Bible corrects us when it gets us back on track in life When it shows us where we are and how to get back on course with where God wants us to go. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Training Family Members Training in righteousness focuses on the Bible’s role in helping us live the kind of lives that please God. This assumes that a life of integrity doesn’t come naturally to us. We need help to live the kind of life of integrity we want to live. The Bible trains us to do that which we could not do on our own when it comes to a life of integrity. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Bible Communicates God’s Voice Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2Pet 1:20, 21). We think of prophecy as predictions about the future. Biblically prophecy refers to God revealing things that we couldn’t figure out on our own. Future events could be included in that, but the focus of prophecy is God revealing Himself. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Bible Communicates God’s Voice The Holy Bible is not a matter of the reader’s or the author’s own interpretation. We can’t make the Bible say whatever we want it to say. This verse is warning us not to read our own ideas into the Holy Bible or to force our own interpretations it. Whenever we try to read our own ideas into the Bible, we put ourselves in danger of missing God’s voice and hearing our own voice instead. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Bible Communicates God’s Voice God initiated the process of giving us the Bible, not the human authors. Although the human authors did write the words, they spoke from God. The human authors were consciously involved in the writing process; they weren’t robots. We can even detect their own unique writing style. But behind the process, the Holy Spirit moved them to ensure that the end result would be what God wanted to say. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Bible Sets The Family’s Standards Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth (John 17:17). What exactly is truth? Truth is that whatever corresponds to the facts, something that matches the way things really are. So a truthful statement is a statement that corresponds to reality. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

The Bible Sets The Family’s Standards A key characteristic of the Bible is its truthfulness. If God is the origin of the Bible, and if God is truthful, then the Bible must be truthful. By saying that the Bible is truthful, we’re saying that the Bible tells us the way things really are, that it accurately describes reality. This makes the Bible a Christian’s final standard on what’s true. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family The Bible Changes Us For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb 4:12). Although the Bible reveals God’s truth to us, its primary purpose is not merely to educate us but also to change us. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family The Bible Changes Us Along with "scripture" and "prophecy" we’re introduced to another description of the Bible as "the word of God” St. Paul says that God’s word is also living and active. This means that there’s a dynamic energy at work whenever a person reads the Bible The living God is actively working in and through the words of the Bible to impact the reader’s life. This makes the Bible different from any other book. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family The Bible Changes Us The Bible is described as a sharp double edged sword, which focuses on its ability to penetrate into our lives. The Bible has no blunt edge, but every part of it is sharp enough to pierce into our lives with its message. Soul and spirit, joints and marrow, focus on the Bible ability to penetrate our defenses into the very core of our personality, where our true self is. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family The Bible Changes Us There, at the core of our personality, the Bible evaluates and discerns our inner thoughts and motives, sifting through our intentions and ideas. God works through the Bible to transform us into fully devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who wholeheartedly love God and others. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family The Bible Changes Us The Christian faith is not merely a set of ideas. Being a Christian is first and foremost about a personal love relationship with God. This love relationship is a life transforming one, because a person can’t encounter the Lord Jesus Christ without being radically changed. Once we enter into a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible is one of God’s primary means of changing us. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Transformed or Informed? Being a Christian isn’t merely accepting certain facts about God or about the Bible. It’s becoming a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, a devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, as we seek to live lives of passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian faith is about being transformed not merely about being informed. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Transformed or Informed? God certainly isn’t limited to the Bible because He also changes us: In worship Through the Mysteries of the Church Through suffering and carrying His cross Through prayer and so forth. But the Bible is essential and central to our transformation into the image of Christ. It’s one of the primary means, God uses to penetrate past our defenses, to invade our hearts with His truth, so He can sort our thoughts, intentions, and motives. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018

Role Of The Bible In The Family Conclusion Since God gave us the entire Bible, all of its teachings are relevant for our lives. Since God has spoken through the Bible, it is important for us to listen to its message. Since God has revealed His truth to us in the Bible, it is our final standard for what’s true. Since God works in our lives through the Bible, it is essential for our spiritual transformation. Role Of The Bible In The Family 9/19/2018