- . Has Power to Convict of Sin
(Acts 2: 37)
"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
It was the Word of God that convicts man of sin. Peter's sermon was one of the most biblical messages ever preached.
- . Has Power to Regenerate
(I Peter 1: 23)
"Being born again, not by corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."
If you wish to be born again, the way is simple. Take the Word of God concerning Christ crucified and risen, and drop it into your heart by meditating upon it. Look to God by His Holy Spirit to quicken it, believe it with the heart, and the work is done.
- . Has Power to Produce Faith
(Romans 10: 17)
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
You can never get faith by merely praying; you can never get it by any effort of the will. Faith is the product of a certain cause, and that cause is the Word of God. Suppose you want someone to have saving faith. Then give him something definite from God's Word upon which he can rest. The Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30) and Paul answered "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31) But Paul didn't stop there. Read verse 32, "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord" They didn't just tell him to believe, they gave him something for his faith to rest on
- . Has Power to Cleanse
(Ephesians 5: 25-26)
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word."
The Word of God has power not only to take impurity out of the heart, but to cleanse the outward life as well. If you wish a clean outward life, you must wash often by bringing your life in contact with the Word of God. You must bathe every day, and take plenty of time to do it. A daily thoughtful bath in the Word of God is the only thing that will keep a life clean (Psa. 119:9)
- . Has Power to Build Up
(Acts 20: 32)
"I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up."
We hear a lot these days about character building. The Word of God is the only way to do it if it is to be done right. The main reason we have Christians of weak character is neglect of the Word. If we are to grow, we must have wholesome, nutritious food and plenty of it. The only spiritual food that contains all the elements necessary for proper Christian growth is the Word of God.
- . Has Power to Make Wise
(Psalms 119: 130)
"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."
There is more wisdom in the Bible than there is in all the other literature of the ages. The man who studies the Bible will know more of real wisdom than the man who reads every other book and neglects the Bible. There is wonderful force in the words of Paul to young Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, completely furnished unto all good works." (II Tim. 3:16-17). Through what? Through the study of the Word of God.
- . Has Power to Give Assurance of Eternal Life
(I John 5:13)
"These things I have written unto you, that you may know that you have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God."
That is, the assurance of eternal life comes through what is "written." Suppose one has not assurance of salvation, what shall we do? Tell him to pray until he gets it? Not at all. Take him to the Word such as John 3: 36 that says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." Hold him right to that point until he takes God's Word for it and is sure that he has everlasting life because God said so.
- . Has Power to Bring Peace into the Heart
(Psalms 85: 8)
"I will hear what God the Lord will speak; for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints."
There are many people looking for peace today, longing for peace, praying for peace. But deep peace of heart only comes from the study of the Word of God. For example, if we feed on one passage of scripture until it gets into our hearts and gets hold of us, it will remove all anxiety forever. It is Romans 8: 28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Nothing can come to us, happen to us that is not one of the "all things." If we really believe this passage, whatever comes will not disturb our peace.
- . Has Power to Produce Joy
(Jeremiah 15: 16; John 15: 11)
"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
Clearly, then, fullness of joy comes through the Word of God. There is no joy on this earth from any worldly source like the joy that kindles and glows in the heart of a believer in Jesus Christ as he feeds upon the Word of God and the Word is brought home by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- . Has Power to Produce Patience, Comfort and Hope
(Romans 15:4)
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, provides us patience, comfort and hope through the precious promises God has given us. It is only through study of the Word that we know and realize these promises.
- . Has Power to Protect from Error and Sin
(Acts 20: 32)
"And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified."
Here, Paul warned the elders at Ephesus of the errors that would creep in among them and commends them to the Word of God. Similarly, Paul writing to Timothy, the bishop of the same church, said, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (II Tim. 3: 13-15)
The one who feeds constantly on the Word of God is proof against the multiplying errors of the day. It is simple neglect of the Word of God that has left so many a prey to the many false doctrines that Satan is trying to insinuate into the church today. The Word of God not only has the power to protect from error, but from sin as well. Psalms 199: 11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." The man who feeds daily on the Word of God is proof against the temptations of the Devil. Every day we neglect the to feed on the Word, we leave the door open through which Satan is sure to enter into our hearts and lives.