It's All About God

Scripture has been utilized in many ways. What the apostle Peter writes is true: “that His divine power has granted to us everything about life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3, NASB throughout). Innumerable people have approached God’s Word with this theme in mind: it has everything I need.

Everything: from apologetics to doctrine, from Godly character to practical service, from universal principles to an understanding of our origins. The testimonies of God are sufficient for questions about life, attaining clarity, and guidance in the right way to live. The Bible is unique.

There are many reasons for using the Bible. Yet, this begs the question: What is the purpose of the Bible? Doctrines, life transformations, history, and similar are all the result of Scripture’s ultimate purpose. I submit that the overarching purpose of the Bible is to reveal God.

The totality of Scripture and its teachings is wrapped up in God Himself. From the first verse to the last. It begins with the Creator, “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1), and ends with the Lord, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20). Mankind’s reason for existing is transfixed with God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Seeing God results in comfort during suffering (Job 42:5). All things from establishing government (Romans 13:1-4) to establishing salvation (Acts 2:22-24) are sourced in the Creator of the universe.

C. S. Lewis makes a good statement in his book Mere Christianity regarding this line of thinking: “Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map.” The Bible itself was never meant to be the finish line; rather, it is the pathway by which we meet God. The Lord has revealed Himself and His will on the pages of Scripture. Truth is a derivative of God speaking because God is truth. The precepts of Scripture are a direct reflection of the God who spoke them. Its teachings are a link by which we discover the Person and Character of God.

The way Jesus used the Scriptures tells us a great deal about their purpose. Jesus, before He was the incarnate God, was known as the Eternal Word (John 1:1-5). When we think of Jesus in His preincarnate form, we picture the spokesman for the Trinity. From the evidence of Scripture, we find that Jesus took on the role of go-between from the Godhead to mankind. The various theophanies we see in Scripture (the captain of the Lord’s army, the burning bush, the Lord appearing as a man with Abraham, etc.) are most likely the preincarnate Christ. He uttered the will of the Godhead to faithful people throughout time.

When the time had fully come, a miraculous conception happened within Mary. The child was both the Son of Man and the Son of God. Somehow, the Divine essence fused with a human embryo, resulting in the most powerful act of love: God became man and dwelt among us. The greatest revelation of God is Jesus Christ. He explained God the Father through His human form. Jesus is the embodiment of Divine revelation. He is the Word personified, being “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

During His temptations in the wilderness, Jesus appealed to the Hebrew Scriptures. He rebutted every word of the devil with “it is written.” Jesus provides a clue to understanding the power of the sacred writings: “It is written, ‘man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Christ’s stance on Scripture was that it had authority and power because it was God’s words.

The Lord’s mission on earth was to do the Father’s will (John 6:38). Ultimately, that will led Him to the cross. Jesus fulfilled all the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, accomplishing His purpose in coming to earth. The cross of Calvary was the completion of the Mosaic Covenant and the institution of a new covenant in Christ (Hebrews 9:15-17). Now the way to be reconciled to God is through faith in Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture (Romans 10:17, James 1:18, 21).

All of this shows us that Scripture matters because of the God behind the words. It is meant to direct us toward and connect us with the God who saves. Take note of the passage where we began, 2 Peter 1:3. We have everything we need for life and godliness by the knowledge of Him. Continuing throughout the passage, we learn some mind-boggling truths. In verse 4, we begin to ascertain the reality of being in Christ: we are granted God’s magnificent promises, are partakers in the Divine essence, and have escaped the corruption of the world. Peter then calls Christians to continue to grow toward maturity in Christ. Adding qualities to our faith that cause us to be useful and fruitful in “the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

True knowledge of Jesus is not merely head knowledge of the Bible. Rather, it is connecting with Christ via the Scriptures. The Divine essence provides life and godliness, and the Word of God points us to Him. God’s power for salvation is brought to us through the gospel on the pages of Scripture. It reveals God’s power. Truly, “there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Scripture directs us to Him.

We have seen the power and utilization of the Word of God, and that it impacts everything about life and godliness. The ultimate purpose of Scripture is to reveal God. There is authority, power, and salvation in Scripture because it’s all about God.

Christopher Ponchot is the Minister at the Roann Christian Church in Roann, Indiana. He is a graduate of Summit Theological Seminary and Louisville Bible College. He and his wife, Grace, have three daughters.