The Necessity of Scripture

Introduction

This year the topic has been the bible for a very important reason: many Christians do not understand the value of what they have. Here in America, people can get a bible anytime they like and yet many do not even open its pages. The sad thing is that the average Christian is no better. According to Barna, roughly 1/3 of Christians read their bibles outside of Church. And I get it, for many there are things that are harder to understand in the book. For some, it seems like they are just reading a bunch of facts or stories. For others, they have heard these things all their life so they don’t feel the need to read it any more. I think this is the subtle result of legalistic teaching about the Christian reading their bible every day. We have put so much emphasis on the discipline of doing it, that maybe we have forgotten to teach people what it can truly look like to have a vibrant relationship with God through the word. We valued the form and not the function. We have all heard the song, “Read you bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow” That song isn’t necessarily 100% true because how you read, why you read and what you do with what you read are just as important if you desire to see growth in your life.

But many Christians have grown slack in their devotional life for what ever reason. Tonight I want to remind you of how important it the bible is in the Christians life. I taught on what we call the Necessity of Scripture I think about two years ago now and at the time I had three reasons for why scripture is necessary. I am going to include those tonight, but I also want to include some other reason’s why the bible is necessary in our lives.

If we are truly going to value God’s word in our lives, we must see why it is necessary to us. If I don’t believe its important to eat food; so I give it up what will happen to me? Sometimes there are things that we need but we just don’t really realize we need them. The end result is suffering, withering or death. It is the same spiritually.

Necessary for Salvation

The first thing the bible is necessary for is salvation. This point needs some clarification which I will give in a second, but without special revelation found in the word of God, no one would be saved today. Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The word gospel means good news. The good news of Christ is the power of God to save those who believe. You can’t get this information from looking at a tree or a sunset. You don’t get this information looking inside your heart or observing the tides of history. The story and truth of Jesus Christ is something you must be told.

Later in Romans 10:13–17 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The preaching of the word of God brings about the opportunity for a person to place their faith in that message. You can’t have faith in something you have never heard. Trust is always based on prior knowledge either of the character or promises of the person you are trusting.

Timothy was taught the scripture his whole life by his mother and grandmother. Today being mother’s day, this is a great verse to think about. Do not underestimate the influence of a grandmother and a mother even in a spiritually divided home. but notice how Paul describes the scriptures Timothy was taught: 2 Timothy 3:15 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” The bible makes one wise- wisdom isn’t merely knowledge but the acceptance, and use of that knowledge. But the scriptures make a person wise to salvation. They convict a man of sin, hammar down his self-dependence, show him Christ and call him to place his faith in the Messiah.

Now, I know some whose salvation story does not included a quoted bible verse and it could be easy to assume that I am saying they aren’t saved. That is not the case. The emphasis here is not on hearing a enumerated bible verse like John 3:16 but on hearing the message of Christ in the gospel.

Abraham was saved before scripture was written Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Even in the OT, they did not have all the information we have available to us now in the bible; but they were saved

General revelation can tell me I am a sinner and facing judgment; but special revelation through the message of scripture is essential for anyone to be saved. Even someone who doesn’t remember a specific bible verse when they got saved has been influenced by scripture. Because the only way anyone knows about Jesus today and the plan of salvation is through scripture.

There is no salvation without Jesus so there must be some knowledge of the message of the bible. Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Necessary for Christian Living

The bible is also necessary if you are going to grow as a Christian. I have heard so many people leave a bible preaching church saying they just weren’t growing. I honestly believe in most cases, it wasn’t the preaching or teaching in the Church’s fault. Most Christians are not growing because they lack in some part of their relationship to God through his word. The bible isn’t just necessary for salvation but it is necessary for life after salvation.

Victory over temptation Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Jesus didn’t have to quote the bible. Every word out of his mouth was the word of God, but Jesus was setting an example for us to follow.

b. Spiritual maturity- The bible equips us for every area of life- being a mother, working at our jobs, choosing a good school and honoring Christ there, finding a spouce. There is no area of life where the bible does not touch in some way. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

c. Spiritual growth- 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

Necessary to know Certain Aspects of God’s Will

Some parts of God’s will will never be known unless he tells us. God’s will is revealed in the Word of God. There are some aspects of God’s plan that we just do not know. We do not know when Jesus will return, we do not know the identity of the antiChrist, none of us knows exactly how we are going to die. God knows all of this, but the secret things belong onto the Lord. However, some things are revealed to us about God’s will. It is not all some esoteric secret that we must decipher.

The commands of God- 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” If I want my kids to do something I will tell them to do it. It would be crazy for them to think, he doesn’t really want me to do that. Something is wrong if that’s their response.

2. Guidance in our daily steps- Psalm 119:105 “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.” God’s word gives us practical guidance for every area of our life. The bible may not tell you exactly who to marry, but it does give you guidance on how to make that decision.

Necessary for Revival

We aren’t going to read this whole passage, but in 2 Kings 22-23 we read about the spiritual decline within the nation of Israel. The people had been worshiping idols in groves and high places, and forsaken the worship of God. The temple had fallen into disrepair and Josiah sets out to get it fixed up. In that process, one key event begins a sequence of events that would lead to revival among the people of Israel.

2 Kings 22:8 “And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.” When they read those words, they were frightened of God’s wrath so they reached out to Huldah a prophetess in Israel who warned of coming judgment. The King repented, committed the nation to the worship of God and led a great revival in Israel which postponed the coming judgment. But all of this began with a rediscovery of the word of God.

When true revival comes, people will rediscover their bibles. The revived heart craves a relationship with their God and knows His word is one of the means of that relationship. A revived heart desires to do the will of God; so they search the scriptures. A revived heart desires to share that word with others.

Necessary because Human understanding is insufficient

God’s word is necessary largely because man’s mind is limited and fallen. We do not understand everything that we need to. In fact, the mind of man surpasses the truth. Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;” It rejects and reacts to hearing what it doesn’t want to hear. We think that we know better than God does. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.”

This was a common sin in the nation of Israel. Each cycle, they would go back to doing as the verse says: that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

Having a Personal Relationship with Jesus

The scriptures are important largely because they point us to Christ. Jesus confronted the Pharisees because they were always in the word of God, but they missed what it was all about. John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

There are some Christians who can tell you a whole lot of information about the bible and Jesus, but they don’t have any relationship with him. THey have a lot of head knowledge but know heart knowledge. This is a danger we must avoid. We must not look at the bible as merely a sourcebook of information, but as a method by which we have relationship with God.

The Holy Spirit works through Scriptures

Some Christians like to pit the Holy Ghost against the bible. They accuse bible preachers of not letting the Holy Spirit lead, but they fail to realize how the Holy Spirit works most of the time. In the classic passage on spiritual warfare, we are told that the weapon the Holy Spirit uses is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” We cannot separate the two and pit them against each other. It makes sense that the Holy Spirit would use the scriptures because He inspired them.

Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified through God’s truth in John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” 2 Cor 3:18 says that we are changed into the image of Christ by the Spirit. If you put those two things together, the Spirit uses the word to make us more like Christ.

Conclusion

This evening I have given you seven reasons why the bible is necessary in our lives. But if you get nothing out of this message, I want you to get this: the bible is important. You cannot live the Christian life without it. It should have a prominent place in your life. Maybe tonight, you can’t remember the last time you picked up this book. Maybe you have just been reading it out of routine not truly valuing it. How often do you find yourself reaching for this book?

When you truly come to value it, it won’t be hard to spend time in God’s word each day.