John 6:60-71, Word Pictures of the Bible (2)

2.     The Bible as an Encouragement to growth.

a.     The Bible is a seed, 1 Pt. 1:23.  Nothing can grow unless is has life.  The Bible imparts life to the believer.  It is an incorruptible seed; it imparts eternal life.

b.     The Bible is snow, rain, Isa. 55:10-11.  The water from heaven is indispensable for growth.  Any gardener knows that rain is far better for plants than the water from the hose.  Farmers love to have a layer of snow covering the wheat that has been planted before winter.  The Bible is moisture rich with nutrients for those who want to grow spiritually.

c.     The Bible is bread and milk, Matt. 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2.  These two items represent the foundational aspects of food.  It is what we must always have to grow and to be healthy.  We can also say …

d.     The Bible is solid food, Heb. 5:12-14.  I believe in the context of Hebrews the author is speaking of the new covenant.  There is a definite fullness for those who live after the cross of Christ.  We are no longer thinking figuratively and hoping for what it to come; in Christ we see the reality and experience the blessings we have in Him (Eph. 1:3 and many other passages).

e.     The Bible is water, Eph. 5:26.  As snow and rain we have water for growth.  In this passage the water is for purifying and the Bible does this.  As we are purified from the clutter of a sinful or useless life so that we are exercised for godliness.

f.      The Bible is spirit and life, John 6:63.  Jesus was saying that His words bring true life.  Those who abide in Christ are not simply alive physically; they are alive spiritually and that is a life that never ends.  As Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life (v68). 

In life growth is the norm.  Someone who remains as an infant is clearly in serious trouble physically.  The same is true spiritually.  It we remain in an infantile state we must say that something is terrible wrong.  This was what alarmed the writer to Hebrews as we noted above.  Other books have been given for our information; the Bible was given for our transformation: that you may grow thereby (1 Pt. 2:2).

The British evangelist Gipsy Smith (1860-1947) used to say: “What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”  Let us desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.