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The Holy Spirit Devotional # 4 – The Holy Spirit and Scripture

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‌2 Peter 1:19-21 – And we have the prophetic Word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit and the Authority of Scripture

Its title implies the authority of the Bible. It is “the Word of God.” The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the inspired (breathed out) Word of God. The Bible is the only written revelation of God to His people. It is infallible and true in all that it affirms. It is the ultimate authority. It is sufficient and contains all that we will ever need to know for our salvation and for living the Christian life. It is our only rule for faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12–13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20–21). When we read, study, meditate and memorize this written revelation, we are not merely reading words on a page, but we are, by the work of the Holy Spirit, being spoken to by God. He not only spoke the Word in the past through the writers, He continues to speak to us through the written Word today in our hearts as we study it.

The Holy Spirit and the Inspiration of Scripture

The term “inspiration” of Scripture denotes the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit in guiding those who received special revelation from God to write the books of the Bible. Through inspiration, God conveys His Truth to His People. Every Word is God’s.

Two terms often used in any discussion of the inspiration of the Bible are plenary and verbal.

Plenary means “all” or “complete,” therefore, the Bible in totality is the Word of God. Verbal inspiration means that every Word of the Bible is true and is supernaturally breathed out by God through the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is the product of dual authorship. Inspiration is not a product of merely human ability. When God inspired the writers, He did not give them the thoughts He wanted to share with His people, nor were the writers acting as puppets in the hands of God.

The Holy Spirit and the Inerrancy of Scripture

Inerrancy is a term used along with plenary verbal inspiration to convey the view that the Bible’s teaching is true in all its parts. Infallibility and inerrancy are often spoken of together. Infallibility gives the idea that the Bible as a whole is flawless; it makes no mistakes. The Word of God will not fail, and it will bring about its purpose. Because the Author is flawless in His character then the Word breathed out from Him is flawless as well. Inerrancy focuses on the truthfulness of the Word in all that it affirms when rightly interpreted. Both of the concepts focus on the integrity and dependability of God’s Word. Taken together, inspiration and inerrancy assure us that the Word is true and effective. God directed its creation from the beginning to its completion.

The Holy Spirit and the Sufficiency of Scripture.

The Sufficiency of Scripture is the fact that the Bible is all that we need. It is the only written revelation of God to His people. It is God-breathed. Therefore, the Word is infallible and true in all that it asserts. It is the only adequate guide to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). It is all we will every need to be converted to Christ or to become like Christ. The Holy Spirit works through the Word in our hearts and lives to bring us to Christ and to complete us in Him (2 Cor 3:18; 2 Timothy 3:16).

You Can Trust the Word, and It will Change Your Life

Inerrancy speaks to the truthfulness of the Word. It is flawless, perfect, and accurate in what is says and requires. The sufficiency of Scripture refers to the effectiveness of the Word in our lives. It will accomplish its work. The Word will not come back void. It will pierce our souls; shine a light on our thoughts and discern our hearts. Through the truthfulness of the Word, by the power of His Spirit, God does a work in our lives to change us into the type of people He wants us to be.

POINT TO PONDER: The Holy Spirit gave us the Word. We can trust God’s Word to us.

Prayer

Father, the Holy Spirit is said in Scripture to give life to creation and order out of chaos. He adorns the creation to the glory of God. He is at work with your son the Lord Jesus Christ to preserve the universe. I thank you for these truths. I thank you for the Holy Spirit’s work in relation to revelation and the inspiration of Scripture. I thank you that in his work he has disclosed to us which we could not have possibly known on our own. Thank you that he inspired the biblical writers to give us your Word. As a result, thank you so much that we can trust your Word. Please help me to be a better student of your Word and therefore learn and understand you more. In Jesus’s name. Amen

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