The Only Objective Authority

Today's Scripture: Acts 14:3
"The Lord . . . bore witness to the word of his grace."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

We don't understand just how the Holy Spirit interacts with our human spirit, but we do know he most often uses his Word. He brings to our mind some Scripture particularly appropriate to the situation. He may do this through a sermon, a Christian book, the encouraging words of a friend, or our own reading or study of Scripture. In my case, since I've memorized so many Scriptures over the years, he often brings to my mind a memorized verse.

In Acts 20:32, Paul said to the Ephesian elders, "now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). Earlier in verse 24, Paul had referred to "the Gospel of the grace of God," the good news of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. In verse 32, however, as he speaks of "the Word of his grace, which is able to build you up," the reference is to the ongoing use of Scripture in our daily lives to build us up in the Christian faith. Paul specifically called this "the word of his grace," the Word through which we come to understand and appropriate God's grace in our daily lives.

The Bible is not merely a book about God; it is a book from God. "All Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV). The Bible is God's self-revelation to us all. He wants us to know about himself and his provision for our salvation and our spiritual growth. It is God's only objective, authoritative communication to us.