Lesson 1

What’s in a name? A name of our own choosing will usually be descriptive of who we are, would like to be, or it might represent our ideals. That’s why the word Biblist best describes this devotional. Coined in the late 1550’s, a Biblist is someone who looks to the Bible as the only true rule of faith. A Biblist believes the Bible to be the Holy Spirit inspired, non contradictory word of God. When tempted in the wilderness Jesus used scriptural truth to rebuff Satan. 

Matthew 4:4-7-10 New International Version
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”

Jesus used understandings gained from holy scripture found in the Bible’s Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 8:3 New International Version 
3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6:16 New International Version
16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.

Isaiah 37:16 New International Version
16 “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

Psalm 22:28 New International Version
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

Using the words of God skillfully, Jesus defeats Satan’s best attempts to have him sin.

Hebrews 4:12 New King James Version
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Praying to his father, Jesus acknowledges the source of truth and asks for his followers to be sanctified through the word of God.

John 17:14-19 King James Version
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Through this daily devotional we will be using the word of God in the upcoming year to pursue truth as Biblists.

Would you self identify as a Biblist? Would you agree the Bible is the true non-contradictory word of God? Rate your belief on a scale of 1 to 10 along with reasons for why or why not.