Another thing we need to thank God for this Thanksgiving season is the Bible. God has kept it pure through the many ages so that people today can be saved and know how to please Him. It provides all the spiritual instruction believers need today.

Several times in the Bible God has promised to keep His word pure. The text verse declares that God’s Word is true ever since it was spoken and then later recorded in writing (inspiration). It has always been true and always will be. It is also true about what it says “in the beginning”: Genesis chapters 1 thru 11.

God repeatedly told His people in the Bible two things: 1). that His Word was pure, and 2). that it would endure forever. In Psalm 119:89 He said: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” It means that no editing, updating, or addendums would ever be needed.

No human could ever say these two things about anything they wrote. Other writings of the past have proven that keeping an author’s writing pure “for ever” is not possible. Their works have been changed hundreds of times by editors, careless copyists, people wanting to add their own words, etc.

The promise of God Himself being involved in the preservation process is seen in Psalm 12:6,7: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

Because of its purity and God’s personal involvement in keeping it pure, He put a serious warning at the end of the Bible. Since Revelation was written about 1500 years after Moses writings, the warning would not make sense if it had not been kept pure and true.

Here is the warning given in Revelation 22:18,19 about tampering with the Bible in any way: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Thank God that we can have confidence in the Bible we have in our hands today – preferably the King James Version. It needs to be read, trusted, and acted on – and then you will understand its truthfulness and power.

When the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, it was because He had met and defeated the enemy. The enemy of all people was sin and death – and Hell awaited everyone because all had sinned (Romans 6:23).

Everyone born into this world after the Fall – except Jesus Christ – is born under the curse. But Jesus got the victory through a sinless life, and then, as the perfect Lamb of God, He was slain for our sin. He rose again – and His resurrection is a symbol of the believer’s new birth and a new enablement that He gives at the moment of salvation. We become “born of God.” It is not by our works, but by the “by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). His resurrection is also proof that we also will one day be given a new body and taken to glory.

In the meantime, the same One that empowered the Lord Jesus while He was on earth – the Holy Spirit – now empowers each believer. Every believer, however, must choose to walk in His power (Ephesians 5:18). It will not happen automatically. Jesus lived on earth the same way the believer does today – through faith in God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Bible verse for today says that anyone that is born of God “overcometh the world.” Since you have been saved, can you honestly say that your life since salvation is largely characterized by victory? or is it one of defeat?

My Christian friend, if Christ promised victory then you can be sure that He intends to give it. There are some conditions, though, and these need to be met first. There are three conditions:

1. Confess and forsake known sin. Stop playing with it! (I John 1:9)
2. Surrender to His will as found in the Bible: Read your Bible daily, go to church faithfully, put away sin, tithe, and witness – for starters.
3. Believe His promises and use them – in faith. Expect real victory!

Why not make today the first of many days of victory through Christ? Seek His help in prayer – He is more than willing to give grace and glory!

If this blog post has been a blessing and challenge to you, please leave a positive comment. I’d like to hear from you.