Discover Hope: The Bible's Message of Transformation

The Bible is truly God's love letter to mankind. It is a masterpiece written by the very hand of God. Entrusted not to just anyone, but to holy men of old, by the breathe and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, moving them what to write.

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (Spirit)." 2 Peter 1:21

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

The Greek word translated as "inspired" in 2 Timothy 3:16 is "theopneustos," which literally means "God-breathed," , emphasizing God's role in the writing of the Bible.God, through the Holy Spirit, used human authors to write what He revealed to them. They were not mere copyists or transcribers. How blessed we are to have God's Word available to us today, that we don't have to guess how to be saved or have eternal life in heaven.

The fact that scripture was written centuries ago, doesn't diminish its truths, wisdom, guidance, or enduring meaning. Its core messages, values, and principles, transcend time and still resonate with individuals across different eras and cultures. Its insights into the human condition, moral dilemmas, and spiritual truths, remain relevant even today.

We can draw meaning, guidance, and wisdom from it, that is relevant to our lives. The Holy Spirit, promised to dwell in every believer who has invited Jesus into their hearts and lives as Savior, is a source of comfort, hope, peace, love, joy, light, inspiration, and solace in times of difficulty.


Transformation by the Holy Spirit

When people read the Bible, their whole lives can be transformed. It is full of stories and examples of people whose lives were transformed through their faith and relationship with God.I have personally seen many lives transformed by the Holy Spirit. Lives, that one would think could never get straightened out...thieves, prostitutes, liars, the soul that feels abandoned and hopeless, and many others. Christ transformed my life in a way that I never could, by his Holy Spirit, after I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I have witnessed miracles, as well.

God has given us the Scriptures.The pages of our Bibles are a gift to us, and when we respond to them, we find a life that’s richer and fuller than we ever imagined it could be.

Through the Scriptures, God shows us who we really are. We can easily deceive other people, and sometimes we even deceive ourselves. In fact, the Bible says “the heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

But the truth is, we can never fool God. He knows us, inside and out. “Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know what I am going to say before I even say it” (Psalm 139:1,4).

God reveals our real selves in the pages of our Bible.“For whatever God says to us, is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for who we really are.(Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is like a mirror. It helps us by reflecting to us, our own sinful behavior, letting us know why we need Jesus. Even so, God loves us more than words could ever say. We don't have to change our life, in order for Him to love us or accept us. He wants to forgive our sins and transform our lives by the Holy Spirit. NOT by your efforts.

John 14:26 - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance, all that I have said to you."

As God teaches us about ourselves,He also reveals Himself to us. The more we know Him, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we want to live for Him. I want a heart like David's:

“Help me understand Your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart” (Psalm 119:34)

After all Christ did for me, I cannot give him less. No one else could have saved me and transformed my life as completely as He did. It is a living experience with Christ as Savior. Not something that washes off or fades away with time. I feel as fresh and new in Christ, as I did the day I accepted him as my Lord and Savior, on July 23rd, 1973. I wouldn't change a thing!

When a person has faith in Jesus, it means that he or she believes who Jesus was (God in human form) and trusts what Jesus has DID (died on the cross to pay for my sins and then resurrected from the dead). Over 500 people witnessed it! This faith in the person and work of Christ is what saves (seeRomans 10:9–10;1 Corinthians 15:3–4).

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God” (1 John 5:1).

The key is belief, in response to God’s love. Anyone who places his or her faith in Jesus, has the promise of eternal life. John 3:16

Without faith in Jesus, we remain in sin and cannot be accepted into God’s presence in His perfect heaven. With faith in Jesus and His forgiveness, we are given access to the Father, as God’s own children (John 1:12).

Jesus didn't leave us to guess! Look what He said:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

For the Word of God is Living… Hebrews 4:12

You'll never find another book like the Holy Bible. Since it is the Living Word of God by the Holy Spirit, this is why it is able to transform lives, save our soul, give us wisdom and guidance, and reveal the past, present, and future with unequaled prophecy and accuracy. No other book does, nor can do this, with such precise accuracy and minute detail. It is as up to date as TOMORROW'S newspaper! Holy men of old would never have known the great details of the coming Great Tribulation period and the Battle of Armageddon, had it not been for the inspiration and guidance from the Holy Spirit, speaking to their hearts and lives. This is exactly why all prophecies to date, have come to pass and been fulfilled. So shall all future prophecies be fulfilled, as well! Through the ages, people have tried to burn the Bible, ignore it, destroy it, and get rid of it, but God's Word is still here to stay and no one has ever been able to wipe it out. God said, "Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away." Matthew 24:35

I challenge you to find any other book in history that was written in a span of 1500 years by 40 different holy men of God, from different societies and ages of times, that didn't know each other or what each were writing, yet wrote God's Word in perfect harmony and with no contradictions! They didn't just all "happen" to be on the "same page" about the same story. The Lord led them in one exact direction. These people were divinely inspired to write and record their experiences, as God led them.

To say the Bible is flawed, inconsistent, and contradictory, is to call it's Author, the Holy Spirit, a liar.

If the Bible is seen as flawed, it's not the Bible that is questionable nor inaccurate; it's flawed man, for not knowing its content, how to read it, study it, and interpret it. Remember... it is the Holy Spirit that teaches us what the Bible means. Without Him to interpret the Word for us, the message of Christ crucified and the way of salvation through faith, may be seen as foolish or unacceptable, by those who do not have faith.Therefore, the unbeliever will take a verse out of context, leading to a distorted understanding of the passage.He will not consider the time period in which scripture was written, who wrote it, who it was written TO, WHY it was written...nor will he read the whole chapter, so he can get an accurate understanding of its purpose and content. That's a very haphazard way to read the Bible. Then they wonder why the confusion. God is not the author of confusion. Satan is.

It is impossible for an unbeliever to correctly interpret Scripture.

When an unbeliever dismisses the role of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Bible, it leads to a superficial or even harmful interpretation.

“The man without the Holy Spirit, does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS!

Not everyone who possesses the Holy Spirit, actually listens to the Holy Spirit. There are Christians who grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). Ask any educator—even the best classroom teacher has his share of wayward students who seem to resist learning, no matter what the teacher does. So, one reason different people have different interpretations of the Bible, is simply that some do not listen to the Teacher—the Holy Spirit! Following, are some other reasons for the wide variety of beliefs among those who teach the Bible.

Unbelief

The fact is, that many who claim to be Christians, have never really been "born again". They wear the label of “Christian,” but there has been no true change of heart. They just like to hear themselves talk and wish to be looked up to. Many who do not even believe the Bible to be true, presume to teach it. They claim to speak for God, yet live in a state of unbelief, or worse... still living in sin, deliberately. Most false interpretations of Scripture come from such sources.

An unsaved man cannot understand the truth of the Bible.

He has no illumination. Further, even being a pastor or theologian, does not guarantee one’s salvation. You've seen the phony ministers on TV. They are pitiful and do nothing but turn people AWAY from Christ. They are a disgrace to Christ, and they shall answer for misinterpreting God and His Word, but most of all, for turning souls from Christ! God shall hold them totally responsible for this. Including using phony "miracle services" and using the money for Christ, to line their own pockets!

Much Bible error is the result of a simple failure to apply good study and interpretation of Scripture. Taking a verse out of its immediate context, can do great damage to the intent of the verse. Ignoring the wider context of the chapter and book, or failing to understand the historical/cultural context, will also lead to problems.

Lack of Training

The apostle Peter warns against those who misinterpret the Scriptures. He attributes their false teachings in part, to the fact that they are “ignorant” (2 Peter 3:16) of the Word. Timothy is told to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). There is no shortcut to proper Bible study; we are urged to careful study.

Ignorance of the Whole Word of God

Apollos was a powerful and eloquent preacher, but he only knew the baptism of John. He was ignorant of Jesus and His provision of salvation, so his message was incomplete. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:24-28). After that, Apollos preached Jesus Christ. Some groups and individuals today have an incomplete message because they concentrate on certain passages to the exclusion of others! Huge mistake. They fail to compare Scripture with Scripture.

Selfishness and Pride

Sad to say, many interpretations of the Bible are based on an individual’s own personal biases and pet doctrines. Some people see an opportunity for personal advancement by promoting a “new perspective” on Scripture. The Book of Revelation (specifically Revelation 22:18-19) gives a stern warning, against adding to or taking away from God's words, stating that those who do so will face God's judgment, either plagues or loss of their part in the Tree of Life and the holy city.

Revelation 22:18-19 states, "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book".

This warning is specific to the Book of Revelation, but the principle of respecting God's Word, applies to all of Scripture.

FAILURE TO MATURE

When Christians are not maturing as they should, their handling of the Word of God is affected.

“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly” (1 Corinthians 3:2-3).

An immature Christian is not ready for the “meat” of God’s Word. The proof of the Corinthians’ carnality, resulted in a division in their church.

UNDUE EMPHASIS ON TRADITION

Some churches claim to believe the Bible, but sadly, their interpretations are filtered through the established traditions of their church. Where tradition and the teaching of the Bible are in conflict, tradition is given precedence. This effectively negates the authority of the Word and grants supremacy to the church leadership. In this case, Jesus said LEAVE THEM! Find a church that preaches the pure Word of God. Follow along with the minister and make sure he's teaching exactly as the Word says...neither ADDING nor TAKING AWAY from God's Word.

TEST THE SPIRITS!

The phrase "test the spirits" comes from 1 John 4:1, which warns against believing every person/spirit that comes along, as many false prophets have gone out into the world.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

Why Test?

The purpose of testing is to discern between the Spirit of God and the spirit of antichrist.

How to Test:

Evaluate teachings and messages against the teachings of the Bible, which is the standard for truth.

Focus on Truth and Love:

Look for messages that promote truth, love, and righteousness, as these are hallmarks of God's Spirit.

Use Wise Discernment

Use wisdom and the guidance from the Holy Spirit, to determine the truth. Examine the actions and character of those who claim to speak by the Spirit.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 - "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."