When it comes to the Bible, William Wilberforce expressed our fourfold mission well when he said: “There are four things that we ought to do with the Word of God – admit it as the Word of God, commit it to our hearts and minds, submit to it, and transmit it to the world.”1 Let’s look at each of these four admonitions one at a time.
Admit it as the Word of God
As Christians it is so important that we realize and believe that the Holy Scriptures are the infallible words of God. Admitting to this allows us to understand that the Bible is not only a book of divine absolute truths but the only book that shares with us everything we need to know in order to come to Christ, what He desires of us, and how to live and enjoy life to the fullest. Admitting that the Bible is the Word of God also helps us to realize that if its pages contain absolute truths then it logically follows that God expects us to obey His commandments.
Commit it to our hearts and minds
As we read the Bible we see throughout its pages that Jesus loves us and wants us to love Him in return. Unfortunately, our old sin nature often gets in the way of our putting Christ first in everything we do. One verse that has helped me overcome this tendency to let my flesh overrule my desire to follow Jesus more fully is (Psalm 119:11): “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” My friends, if you want to truly live for Christ we must commit the sacred words of Scripture to our heart and mind. When we do this we will have power to say no to sin, learn what God’s will for our life is, and embark on the wonderful journey of mining the Bible for its incomparable riches.
Submit to it
As Christians it is imperative that we learn that while salvation is a free gift, obtaining the blessings of God are often a function of our obedience to His Word. Obeying the Word and submitting to its commands is the best way I know of to show God that we love Him. God wants our whole heart and when we submit to the words of Scripture get ready to be blessed for we read: “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…” (2 Chronicles 16:9). God wants to bless us, but without submitting to His Word we will often forfeit His best blessings.
Transmit it to the world
As ambassadors for Christ, we are given the wonderful task of representing Jesus and the biblical worldview to the rest of humanity. What a privilege! But oh, what a responsibility! Christian, we have the most wonderful news in the universe and it’s all contained in the Holy Bible. We are the only beacons of light in our dark and lost world. And we possess the only antidote for lost mankind – Jesus and His precious Word. So, let’s transmit the Word both far and wide so all the world may know that Jesus is Lord!
1 William Wilberforce – There are four things that we ought to do with… (bibleportal.com)