“And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.” (2 Kings 22:11)

This experience of Judah’s good King Josiah illustrates the convicting power of the Scriptures and emphasizes the essential importance of the revealed Word of God in the process of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. It is the Word of God that brings conviction of one’s need of salvation, and this is the indispensable first step leading to salvation. “For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

It is also through the Scriptures that one comes to an understanding of salvation: “The holy scriptures...are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Furthermore, it is the Word that generates saving faith: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Finally, the very miracle of regeneration, transforming a lost soul into a born-again child of God, is accomplished by the Holy Spirit on the basis of saving faith in Christ (as revealed in Scripture) through the Word. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth” (James 1:18). “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).

The result of King Josiah’s reading of the Word was that he “made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments” (2 Kings 23:3).

In view of the transcendent importance of God’s Word in every phase of the process of salvation, it is no wonder that the apostle Paul’s great command, just before his martyrdom and just after his tremendous assertion of the full inspiration of Scripture and its sufficiency for every need (2 Timothy 3:15-17), was simply “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). Not just preach, but preach the Word! HMM