- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
What more can God say?
By Raymond Edman.
Everything that the human heart needs to know about God, His creation, His revelation to mankind and about humankind is found in the Scriptures. The divine revelation is ample for every human need. It was because of this that Peter declared, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1 v3-4).
The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind and not the result of our searching after God. Note the implication of 2 Peter 1 v19-21 which reads, “We have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
We have the strongest assurance that “all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be throughly equipped for good works” (2 Timothy 3 v16-17).
The Word makes perfectly plain and urgent our need of God’s forgiveness of our sins and of salvation. It says plainly, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8 v32). The way of salvation is clear, a child can understand it and so can the wisest person, if they will, for God has said, “to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1 v12-13). To this concise and precise statement on accepting the Saviour the Bible goes on to say, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him" (John 3 v36).
For the believer in Christ there is every kind of divine provision for this life. What could God add to what He has already stated in Romans 5 v1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us”? It was not only to His servant Paul but to every believer that the all-loving God declared, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12 v9). Because of that divine sufficiency there is the exhortation, “give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Ps.107 v8-9).
What can God add to the assurance He gives in His Word to every believer in Christ, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5 v24). The conclusion of that assurance is stated graphically and gloriously in the Revelation 22 v3-5, “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city . . . they will see His face . . . the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever”.
All these statements, which are but a few of the thousands contained in the Bible, God has given to us, these promises and all that are between them.
Our part is to be readers of the Word of God, believers in all that He has said, obedient followers of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and doers of the Word. In this way we will find heaven begun already in the believing heart while we are still here on earth.
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