Four Things God Does for You Through Scripture
You have an inheritance coming to you. If you read God’s Word, the Bible promises one for you.
By Rick Warren
The Bible says in Acts 20:32, “Now, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.”
An inheritance is what you get for being part of a family that’s rightfully yours.
Pretend your father is billionaire Warren Buffett, and he dies. If you never took the time to read the will, you’d be foolish. You wouldn’t get what was rightfully due you. You wouldn’t benefit from what belongs to you as a child of Warren Buffett.
When you become a follower of Jesus, you’re not just a believer—you’re a belonger. You become a part of God’s family. Family privileges come along with that decision. You have a spiritual inheritance.
But if you walked through your entire life and you didn’t know what benefits were available to you as a child of God, that would be sad—and foolish. God wants you to grow and know what’s available to you from Him. You need to read the Bible to do that.
The Bible says this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The purpose of the Bible is to help you live out the purpose God has for your life; it’s God’s inheritance that’s due you. God wants you to be thoroughly equipped for what you’ve been made to do. To do that, he does four things through Scripture:
• He teaches you. God shows you the path on which you should walk.
• He rebukes you. God shows you when you’re off the path.
• He corrects you. God shows you how you can get back on the path.
• He trains you. God shows you how you can stay on the path.
That’s how God’s Word helps you grow and get that great inheritance God has prepared for you.
Talk It Over
• How would your life change if it reflected the truth that you have an inheritance from the King of kings?
• What benefits from your inheritance have you not yet accepted?
• Is the Bible a useful tool for you each day? Are you taking full advantage of its instruction?
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church.
(Source: charismamag.com)
