The Integrity of the Word:
The Purpose of the Word of God
Part III

Read Time: 9 Minutes

Why did God give us His Word? We could assume many reasons and they would all be guesses. We must go to the Word, God tells us why, or for what purpose, He has given His Word.

II Timothy 3
:17 That the man of God may be perfect,
    throughly furnished unto all good works.

Let us look into this verse minutely as well. Once again the word "that" means "for what purpose" or "the reason being." The verse before II Timothy 3:17 is:

II Timothy 3
:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
    and is profitable for doctrine, 
        for reproof, 
        for correction, 
    for [which is] instruction in righteousness:

So now we are going to figure why we have the Word of God. "That the man of God . . ." Who is the man of God? God tells us in His Word. Moses was a Man of God (Deuteronomy 33:1), Samuel is called a Man of God in I Samuel 9 and Elijah was a man of God (I Kings 17:18). There are several other references in the Old Testament which define "Man of God" and refer to those who spoke for God. When you speak the accuracy of God's Word you are a Man (Woman) of God, you are speaking for God, heralding forth His Truths. 

God's purpose for the God-breathed scripture is that the one who speaks for God may be perfect. Perfect? Some may say we cannot be perfect; that is not what the Word says. Some may try to make themselves perfect by works, that also is not what God is saying. The God-breathed Word is given that we may be perfect. Let us examine "perfect" to get its specific meaning. The word "perfect" here is artios in the Greek. It is used only this once in the Bible. The Greek word artios means to be complete or fully-equipped. It is used to describe a ship that is ready for a voyage; the ship has everything on it that it could possibly need. It is also used in the Greek in reference to the ball and socket joint of the hip. It is perfect, artios. If anything is wrong with that joint or if there was something in it that joint it would be excruciatingly painful. The word perfect, artios, means to be fully equipped, perfect. The Word of God equips us fully. Our job is to read it, understand it accurately and put it on.

The God-breathed Word is profitable for doctrine, reproof and correction which is instruction in righteousness for the purpose that God's spokesperson may be fully equipped and completely prepared.

Then the King James Version says "throughly furnished . . ."  Did you read "thoroughly" and not "throughly"? We must pay attention when we read the Word. We cannot read what we think it says, we must read what God intended. To do something thoroughly is to do it completely. "Throughly furnished" is the Greek verb exartizo meaning throughly perfected, it is an inside job, throughly. God does an inside job, we cannot perfect the flesh. This is bigger than doing a thorough job, this is throughly. A better translation that would explain the impact God intended would be, "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly perfected unto all good works." We have been given the scripture to be fully equipped inside to take up our journey, to do the good works of God. We are lacking nothing.

Now we know the function and purpose of the Word of God:

II Timothy 3
:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
    and is profitable for doctrine, 
        for reproof, 
        for correction, 
    for [which is] instruction in righteousness:
:17 That the man of God may be perfect,
    throughly furnished [perfected] unto all good works.

This is what is available. Next? How do we receive it?

Man has one fundamental spiritual problem: not believing the integrity of the Word of God, not believing that what God said he meant and what He meant he said. People do not really believe that the Word of God is accurate. People do not really believe and act on the promises that God has placed like diamonds in His Word. When people do believe we see prosperity and health and a dynamic spiritual walk with God.

Matthew 4
:4 . . .It is written, 
        Man shall not live by bread alone, 
        but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Man needs more than just food and water. We need more than Mom's spaghetti, the field's vegetables and homemade pies. Man was designed to be more than just body and soul, he was designed to be body, soul, and spirit. We cannot live by bread alone, we need, we require, every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Here is that figure of speech condescensio used in the words "mouth of God." The emphasis is on the Words that came from God, not men's words, not what men think about the Word. I hope you are doing more than just reading these teachings. Read the Word of God. Read the context of the scripture that is mentioned here. We cannot live on bread alone, we need the Word of God. Our bodies are sustained because of the foods we eat, but what about our souls, who we are? We need the Word to feed our minds and our souls so that we may "prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospereth" (II John 2). The Word feeds our soul so that we can renew our minds to the words that proceed out of the mouth of God and live abundantly like He has intended His people to do.

The Word of God teaches us how to walk spiritually. If we do not know the Word of God we cannot manifest holy spirit in our lives. Man's basic spiritual problem is the integrity of the Word. Man is spiritually weak and crippled because he does not know or believe the accuracy of the Word of God. We must learn how to read the Word, how to understand the Word, how to get back to the accuracy of the Word and how to believe the Word. The Word of God gives us the foundation on which to build our lives so that we can live the more-than-abundant life physically and spiritually. God has given us everything we need.

II Peter 1
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, 
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

In order to know and receive all things that pertain to life and Godliness we must go to the God-breathed Word. 

I Thessalonians 2
:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, 
    because, 
        when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, 
        ye received it not as the word of men, 
        but as it is in truth, the word of God, 
            which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

The Word of God effectually works in us that believe. We cannot believe without hearing the Word of God. These words are not the words of men, men lie, men change their minds. These words have come from God and work effectually in us when we believe them. 

Psalms 12
:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: 
    as silver tried in a furnace of earth, 
    purified seven times.

The Word of God is pure. The original Word of God has no impurities in it, it is undefiled.

Psalms 119
:162 I rejoice at thy word, 
    as one that findeth great spoil.

How do you view the Word of God? When you come to the Word are you enthralled by it's richness? Do you recognize it's integrity?

I Corinthians 2
:13 Which things also we speak, 
        not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, 
        but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; 
    comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

These are the words that the Holy Spirit, God, teaches us. We need to come to the Word with this realization. The Word of God is not just some nice proverbs to live by but food for our soul and spirit.

Jeremiah 15
:16 Thy words were found, 
    and I did eat them; 
    and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: 
        for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Jeremiah and the believers did not eat the scrolls. This is a figure of speech drawing your attention to the way they devoured it, they read it thoroughly and lived it, it was their life-blood. The scriptures had been lost for some time so when the scriptures were found they devoured them.

When you enter into a contract or write a check you sign your name at the bottom of it. That contract is as good as your name. Well, God has set His Word above His name:

Psalms 138:
:2 . . . for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

God made the earth for man with all the wonders in it. When I consider the grandeur of the mountains, the soothing pulse of the ocean, the intricacies of a flower or the workings of the eye and brain I am truly awed. However, even though those things are great and magnificent God's Word is far better. God is greater than what He has made and he magnified His Word above His name. When we delve into the Word it becomes living and real, and a reality in our lives.

God's Word has integrity. What He said will come to pass, will come to pass. What He said is available, is available. What God has promised He will do He has the willingness and ability to do it. Man and his words come and go but the Word of God lives and abides forever (I Peter 1:23). Believe God's Word.