Spiritual Formation, Wk #2

2 Timothy 3:10–17 ESV

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

I. The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

; ; ; ; ; ,,,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .; 17:11; ; ; ; ; ; ; .

The Scripture Principle, the commitment to sola scriptura, is an essential and defining feature of evangelical theology.

Clark, David K.. To Know and Love God . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

John 17:17 ESV

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Definition of sanctify

transitive verb

1: to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : CONSECRATE2: to free from sin : PURIFY3a: to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect tob: to give moral or social sanction to4: to make productive of holiness or piety observe the day of the sabbath, to sanctify it— (Douay Version)

A Transitive Verb means action has a direct impact on a object or person.

We cannot be sanctified in the Word if we fail to believe the Word or yield to its authority.

Clark Pinnock wrote of “a rebelliousness in the modern period that seeks to edge God out of the world and leave humanity autonomous in it. To achieve this, the Bible that challenges this insurrection must be silenced as divinely authoritative.”7

Clark, David K.. To Know and Love God . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Why do you think the Bible’s authority is challenged so often?

It alone is the unique, written revelation of God, a permanent, meaningful, and authoritative self-expression by God of his nature and will. The Holy Spirit’s act of superintendence—inspiration—was decisive in the writing of Scripture and is the reason the Bible possesses unique status as revelation.

Clark, David K.. To Know and Love God . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

For evangelicals, the phrase “biblical authority” means that in the Bible, and uniquely in the Bible, God communicates intelligibly to humans the divine nature, ways, and will such that the Bible is binding on our thoughts and lives.

Clark, David K.. To Know and Love God . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Why is this so important?

If we fail to recognize the authority of scripture, we will neither yield to it nor apply it to our everyday lives.

Without a high view of scripture, spiritual formation will be impossible.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Veracious Authority”?

The phrase “veracious authority” means:

that someone can communicate truth to an audience such that, because of who the communicator is, the audience is rational or justified in accepting the message as true.

Clark, David K.. To Know and Love God . Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Alright, so you believe scripture. Now What?

The teachings of the Bible need to begin to shape the way you view culture more than the culture shapes how you view the Bible.

Philosophical and cultural questions have always posed challenges to the church.

The Enlightenment promised that scientific study and knowledge alone would solve of humanity’s problems.

Let’s talk through some ways that the world or the Bible can shape our viewpoint.

How does the world view truth?

How does the the world view context?

How does the Bible view truth?

How does the Bible view context?

In the final analysis, evangelicals must affirm that object truth can be discovered, known and communicated because all truth is ultimately grounded in the person of God and prepositional revelation of that God.

God has endowed humans with a structure of rationality patterned after ideas of His own mind: we can know truth because we are made in His image.

Prepositional Knowledge/Personal Knowledge

Christianity requires both of these.

Prepositional Knowledge-Knowledge that

Personal Knowledge-Knowledge of

We need to know THAT God exists, and we need to know OF God through His revealed Word.

How has reading/encountering God’s Word helped to transform your mind?

How could you help others learn this truth?