All this week we've been thinking about the Bible as God's Word, his living word, his active

word, his working word, the God-breathed word.

And we've been especially reminding ourselves of Paul's famous words to Timothy about the

scriptures being useful in our lives, teaching us doctrine, reproving our sin, bringing healing

and correction, transforming us, equipping us to serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is Paul's last word in this section of his letter.

He says the scriptures ultimately have in view training us in righteousness.

He actually uses a word that really means child training.

His instruction is instruction of a father to his children,

bringing us up in the family likeness, bringing us up to be more like our elder brother,

the Lord Jesus Christ. You probably know the hymn, This is My Father's World. And if no one has done it, I think

someone should write another hymn to go along with it, a hymn about the Bible. This is my father's

word. We could probably use the same tune.

So at the end of the working week, here we are. The Bible is God's word and his words.

It's his mouth.

The words are carried to us by the breath of the Holy Spirit.

And as Christians, we sense that as we respond to it,

we are always saying, Abba, Father, teach me more, make me more like Jesus.

And you know, when you think about it, the wonderful thing is that the Scriptures instruct us,

no matter whether we are rocket scientists or very simple people.

Remember how the scriptures teach us that they make us wiser than even those who may teach us

in the secular world?

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