Have you ever fallen down an internet-research rabbit hole?
This frequently happens to me when I’m trying to make an “informed” decision.
I start out googling a simple question. But one article leads to the next—and then that article contradicts the one before—so I keep digging for clarity, following hyperlink clues like a 21st century Nancy Drew, until my eyes glaze over and I’m more confused than I was to begin with.
Maybe you can relate.
The internet puts a world of information at our fingertips, but not all of it is trustworthy or profitable.
So why are we so eager to seek out the internet’s counsel?
Perhaps it’s because we forget there is other counsel available to us—counsel that is far superior to the internet’s worldly wisdom.
Just look at what Paul says about the counsel of Scripture:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
Unlike the internet, the whole Bible is trustworthy.
Paul tells Timothy that “all Scripture is God-breathed.”
In other words, God is the Author of the Bible, from start to finish. And this means we can trust what it says.
We can fully believe every truth, promise and warning in Scripture, knowing that…
- the God who speaks to us never lies or changes His mind
- the God who makes promises to us has the power to keep His word
- and the God who warns us is all-knowing, all-wise and has our best interest at heart.
God’s Word is the trustworthy counsel we need to help us navigate life.
But the trustworthiness of Scripture isn’t the only thing that sets it apart.
Unlike the internet, the whole Bible is also profitable.
As verse 16 continues, Paul tells Timothy that Scripture isn’t just trustworthy, it’s also relevant and useful for our lives.
Why? Because through Scripture, God does four things for us:
- God teaches us
In the Bible, God teaches us the truths we need to build our lives on.
Who is God? Are people basically good or innately sinful? What is the purpose of life? How should we live? What happens when we die? How do we define right and wrong?
God answers all these questions (and more) in His Word, which can help us live well.
But most importantly, Scripture teaches us that salvation doesn’t come through living a good life. Salvation comes through believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (2 Timothy 3:15), who lived the perfect life we could not live and died the death our sins deserved.
This is the most profitable truth of all.
- God rebukes us
Through the Bible, God shows us where we’re off-track.
He reveals what we’re doing wrong and convicts us of sin.
I have to admit, this doesn’t always feel good.
Maybe this is why we sometimes neglect parts of our Bibles. We favor the encouraging parts over the convicting parts.
But we need God’s conviction.
We need Him to reroute us from dangerous paths with His warnings and stop signs.
We need to read those passages that prick our consciences so that, by the Spirit’s enabling, we can turn away from what is harmful.
The truth is: when God rebukes us, love is always His motivation. So we don’t need to avoid it. Instead, we should listen.
- God corrects us
Through the Bible, God leads us into what is right.
You know, if God wanted simply to shame us, He would stop after rebuking us. But that’s not what God does. Instead, He shows us how to get back on track.
He leads us into repentance and back to Himself.
He replaces our wrong thinking with the truth.
He offers godly practices in place of sinful habits.
God not only shows us what we need to turn from, He also shows us what we need to turn to.
He shows us, very practically, how we ought to live.
- God trains us in Righteousness
Through the Bible, God moves us forward in the life-long sanctification process.
Just like a training course, the believer’s sanctification is progressive. Day after day, for as long as we live, God will be growing us in righteousness and making us more like Jesus.
And Scripture plays a role in that process.
Every day, the Bible will reveal new things about God and new areas we need to surrender to Him.
We will never outgrow the Scriptures! They will guide us through every season of life and every phase of sanctification.
In the very same verses, both children and adults can find timely guidance for their dilemmas. And in the very same book, new believers and theologians alike can find food for fresh spiritual growth.
Through His Word, God has provided the counsel we need for all of life.
Putting it into Practice:
So how will these truths about Scripture change where you look for counsel this week?
And how might your decision-making process feel different if you based it on the always-trustworthy, ever-profitable Word of God?