“The Bibles says it. I believe it. That settles it.” Perhaps you’ve heard that before. I think there’s more to it than that. There’s more to understand about the origins, construction, use and purpose of The Word of God that is important to our faith. As we continue in our Cover-to-Cover series, it is good for us to affirm and understand a few things about The Bible:
The Bible is innerant. The Bible affirms no falsehood of any sort. “It is without fault or error in all that it teaches,” in matters of history and science as well as faith (Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy).
The Bible is infallible. The Bible cannot err or make mistakes, and it “is completely trustworthy as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and will not fail to accomplish its purpose” (Westminster Dictionary). The main author cannot speak error.
The Bible is inspired. God, the main author, worked through the human authors to communicate His revelation. God is the ultimate source of the Scriptures.
The Bible is clear. The Westminster Confessions state that which is necessary to know and believe regarding life and salvation is “so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or the other,” that anyone may understand them (WCF 1:7).
The Bible is sufficient. The Articles of Religion of the UMC state “The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation.”
The Bible is revealed. Only those with eyes to see will see and understand God’s Word. “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) God alone opens our eyes and souls to faith.
The Bible is authoritative. God’s Word is the only authoritative source and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine.
The Bible is all about Jesus. The Scriptures from beginning to end testify to God’s rescue plan for those He created in His image. That plan is the Gospel of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for the salvation of His elect.
The Church that is built upon God’s Word has a sure and solid foundation. It is a transformative practice to study God’s Word daily and trust it to shape our lives and our faith. Join us as we begin this journey through the New Testament this month. Each week we will study one book of the New Testament together and we will see these truths come to life. We will also see how God’s Word applies to us daily. Join us for this new series, “The Beginning of The Good News.”
See You Sunday,
Pastor Chris