John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them, you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
To put this verse into its context, Jesus had said that He gives life to the dead. John 5:21, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” And 5:24-26 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;”
Let’s talk about the wrong idea of the sufficiency of Scripture. The Jews thought that knowing the Scriptures was sufficient for eternal life. They searched the Scriptures because of this errant belief. The Scriptures are inerrant, and they are sufficient for the purpose of witnessing about eternal life. Jesus said here that the Scriptures testify, they witness about Jesus. We can be confident that we have all we need to have accurate knowledge about Jesus, but they cannot give eternal life. The Scriptures are a means of grace to us, but they cannot in themselves impart life. Only Jesus can give life, because He is life and has authority to give life.
When Jesus gives life, the Scriptures come alive. They become sufficient for us to know Jesus and walk with Him. It is through the Scriptures that we learn what Jesus’ purpose is: to glorify His Father by loving with Him. It is through the Scriptures that we learn Jesus’ worldview, what He believes, which informs us as to the worldview we should live by, namely, 1). That there is only one God from whom are all things, and He is love. 2). That the love of God revealed in Christ and the presence of Christ communicated and imparted by the Holy Spirit is enough to satisfy the deepest needs of our souls. He is life. And 3). God’s purpose in all things in our lives is to reveal Jesus Christ in us and prepare us for eternity and His glory. As we abide in Him and fellowship with Him in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in the community of believers, we have everything we need to experience the fullness of life in Christ.
Without the Scriptures, we would not know what or who eternal life is. We would be ignorant of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The inspired Scriptures were given by God to us, according to the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” So we thank God for the Scriptures, for the witness they provide about Jesus, and their equipping ministry to us, but we do not think they have the power to give life without Jesus, Himself. They are insufficient to give life. He alone gives life.
Our encouragement today is that as we live to love with Jesus, who is our life, we have the Scriptures to testify to us about how to glorify God by walking with Him in love. We search the Scriptures daily so that we may be equipped for every good work of love that God prepares for us to walk in with Jesus.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
