In His Hands and Ours

The Spirit, in his description of Jesus, said “all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus created everything. Everything is created for Jesus. Everything is held together by Jesus.

If Jesus holds everything together, then he also holds the Scriptures together. The Bible described its own permanence. “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Jesus is changeless (James 1:17). His Word, therefore, must also be without change. “The word of the Lord stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). Jesus said, “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31).

Since God in Christ upholds all things, including the Scripture, by his own power, then we can trust that the Bible we hold in our hands is God’s Word. When we read these words, those words are Gods’ words. It is not just that God spake, but God yet speaks these words. Note the way the Holy Spirit cites himself in the Scripture. Jesus’s words, recorded by inspiration, in Revelation begin “listen to what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7 etc.). The Bible says “the Spirit says” not “the Spirit said.” In Hebrews 3:7 the Spirit inspired the author of the book to cite Psalm 95:7-11 with the introduction “the Holy Spirit says.” The Bible, therefore, is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12).

Since God is everpresent in his Scripture and ever holding his Scripture, we can trust the Scriptures we hold in our hand. Since Jesus has made the Scripture and holds the Scripture together for his own glory, we can trust that every Scripture will testify to his glory. Since the Holy Spirit is “speaking” in the words (not just spake in the words), we can trust the message is for us today as much as it was for them then.