The Sufficiency of God's Word for Saving Faith, Holy Living, & Acceptable Worship
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Is it possible to win the battle but lose the war. Picture yourself arguing with three year old about whether its actually 8-o-clock, and finally after 20 minutes of discussion she finally agrees what the big and little hands of the clock mean. Meanwhile the little toddler has completely undermined your authority and your good sense. The toddler looks up at the clock it is now 8:45! Won the battle but lost the war. The Battle for the Bible of the last century begun in throes of controversy over evolution, the big bang, continued into questions of historic Adam, of whether miracles , the virgin birth - highly significant not so much for the particular battle, but the war over whether there is a supernatural, a God active in this world, a God speaks, and has spoken and acted supremely in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the God-man redeemer Jesus Christ - that bigger battle was not often kept in view. And so what ever the particular battle for the Bible was - although the church quite rightly confessed and testified witnessed to the authority of the Word of God, and by the 1950’s the evangelical church could be said to have won that war, many churchgoers and high proportion of society believe the Bible as Gods authoritative word. Ask one grows up in the church, rejects organized religion, and maybe even Christ as t Son of God -they may still believe that the Bible is God’s book Hi Word.
The problem is that a belief in the authority, and even the source of God’s word is not enough. Not for us or for our testimony. That authority has to be put to work. The bigger war is what place does this Word from God play in your life and mine? What actual use is it put to? This is a question not about he extent of the canon, nor of the origin and authority. It is a question of the sufficiency of Scripture what are the Scriptures good for? The Pharisees and teachers of the law, believed in the origin of the Scripture,, their authority, but because they didn’t really get the big picture of how they lead to the Messiah - Jesus says they didn’t use them right!
John 5:39-40
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
is it possible that you a religious person, and maybe your neighbour or friend - spiritual but not religious, may give some reverence to the Scriptures as God’s Word, but not really use them as God intends? It is possible for us to just hold the authority of Scripture, without their sufficiency in our faith life, moral life, and our worship life. By way of comparison, its possible to have a great tool box which you really believe has all the right tools, to get the job done, but to have those tools left haphazard around the property, or neatly up on a shelf collecting dust, so that you never actually take them in hand and use them for their intended purpose! It is possible that our witness to an unbelieving word would not only minimize Scripture's claim, but by pass Scripture altogether - so you are just sharing your spiritual ideas, take it our leave, it, worked for you, but everyone’s got to find there way - with own culture, own reason, own experience.
But as Gudio deBres writing the king of Spain, HRE, Philip II, he says, we’re not like the Anabaptists - believer through out all tradition, and go beyond Bible, because Spirit giving us new special revelation , not like Catholic Church that says - all we’ve got is the tradition and authority of the church - they give us the Scriptures. Guido deBres, not only describes how God truly speaks, His Word , his covenant word, complete in the OT and NT canon - give us the acts of God and the interpretation of those acts, what they mean. Words of history, promises, warning, of how to live, words that are an overarching story of how to be in relationship covenant with God! But this last article on God’s Word - shows us practically God’s Word has to be doing something in three areas of life, why they are given in all there wonderful authority, bring order, warn of utter chaos and destruction, promise life and hope, and light, in your life!
Listen to how the Apostle Paul writing with the same inspiration Jesus promised the Holy Spirit teaching apostolic men - everything need to - bringing into remembrance all Christ did and taught as pinnacle and fulfillment of God’s covenant. He summarizes the whole of the gospel ministry this way:
Acts 26:22-23 … saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Both the OT and NT written as God’s Word to us about the LAW and the GOSPEL. The Confession established by Scripture that the Bible, though over 40 human writers, in history and in their culture, inspired by Holy Spirit, so delivering God’s Word as he wants it for all time. And though God’s will written in our conscience, and His existence can be felt and believed in general way from creation, because of the Fall, and because of our further need for real communication in words , personal relationship with God, - it i in special revelation, from God in concrete and specific words, in the form written that must correct our general nations of God, and it is here alone in actual words and proposition that the Spirit not only authored, but reading them illumines and testifies this is truth, it there a lone that we get God’s Law and His Gospel. Let’s start with the critical middle one-
A. For Faith & Salvation God’s Word gives us doctrines to be believed & trusted!
Understand that neither the confessions nor the Bible itself, claim that God’s Word, the Bible is exhaustive catalog of all truth in this world. If you only turn to this book as an answer book, or like did the Funk and Wagnel Encyclopedia - God give me all the answers that I demand about how you made this world, about how you govern it, how allow evil , about every objection that proud and ever speculating human asks, Cain’s wife? - you are going to be disappointed. Listen to Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
We are also not promised answers to how and why of science, history, - where Scripture speaks on these matters it speaks truthfully and without error, but it does not speak exhaustively like a text book. Nor is it a magic devotion book - read recipes for successful business or all you need to know about parenting, friendship, sports. Find exhaustive general principles for living in every part of life but not the comprehensive exhaustive source book for these things! The Son of God as Creator and Lord, coming to redeem this world, speaks to all of life, but what is this book the the complete source book for?
… Everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it.” Belgic Confession Art 7
You will not find the story and promise of , the covenant of how God’s saving work, to rescue sinners through the person and work of Christ -written in the beauty of mountain peaks, or spiritual people’s vision and dream and meditation. The only place in this whole universe you’ll find the gospel is in the written word of God. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Cor 15:1-2
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
This is what Jesus did on Resurrection Sunday on the road to Emmaus, opened up the Scriptures - all about the Messiah! We don’t need teaching that adds to or takes away from, traditions of the church that say Virgin Mary is a co-redemptrix, or that we are justified not by faith alone, but by faith and by our works. We don’t need additional testaments like the Mormons. When it comes to the end times and last days, not consult merely human schemes and charts that added to what Bible actually says. O a more prevalent problem today , is that people want to take the Bible as owners manual to success or inspiration but not salvation.
Kim Riddleburger: . But the Bible was never given to give prosperous, self-absorbed and lazy Americans a justification of the pursuit of pleasure, celebrity, and power. The Bible was never given to tickle our ears, to teach the formulas for a successful business, to reveal the secrets of the universe, or to provide us with timeless moral principles, which, like Aesop’s fables, will help us all live at peace with each other.
Because the Bible contains everything we need to know to be saved, God perfectly reveals what you need to believe for salvation here. And that is hard, especially for spiritually young believers. More often we come to the Bible not to silence ourselves and listen, to receive from the Lord, but just to extract something we want. But, listen to how Paul in onenof his earliest letters writes:
Galatians 1:6-9 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
One writer explains i like this: “If you want to now God, his purpose for mankind, and the meaning of history, salvation in Christ and the reality of the kingdom of God. You will find what you are looking for in God’s Word Inscripturated. If you want just hidden things esoteric better look some where else. Got to come to this book looking for the story of the living God saving sinners.
The Apostles weren’t inspired to write whatever spiritual things they wanted. No, even the earliest church Father said this of them: We, however, are not permitted to cherish any object after our own will, nor yet to make any choice of that which another has introduced of his private fancy. In the Lord’s apostles we possess our authority; for even they did not of themselves choose to introduce anything, but faithfully delivered to the nations (of mankind) the doctrine which they received from Christ.
The doctrine of the bible’s teaching is complete and perfect for you and being saved and brought into relationship with the living God. And you and I need to know that doctrine and reject falsehood that doesn’t accord with it:
Two hundred years ago JC Ryle, in Jelly Fish Christianity put it so well: [Dislike of dogma] is an epidemic which is just now doing great harm, and specially among young people…. It produces what I must venture to call … a “jelly-fish” Christianity in the land: that is, a Christianity without bone, or muscle, or power. A jelly-fish … is a pretty and graceful object when it floats in the sea, contracting and expanding like a little, delicate, transparent umbrella.
Yet the same jelly-fish, when cast on the shore, is a mere helpless lump, without capacity for movement, self-defense, or self-preservation. Alas! It is a vivid type of much of the religion of this day, of which the leading principle is, “No dogma, no distinct tenets, no positive doctrine.” We have hundreds of “jelly-fish” clergymen, who seem not to have a single bone in their body of divinity. They have not definite opinions; they belong to no school or party; they are so afraid of “extreme views” that they have no views at all. We have thousands of “jelly-fish” sermons preached every year, sermons without an edge, or a point, or a corner, smooth as billiard balls, awakening no sinner, and edifying no saint.
And so this is the first thing we must witness to in the sufficiency of Scripture - God gives us a Bible that teaches the truth of His salvation. Worked in history, confronts the pride and sin, graciously offers a real grace that transforms supernaturally in this world. We need people who like Lee Strobbel, like British - Questions Christianity must answer - … The doctrines for faith and salvation embedded int grand and true story of the Scripture - read studied, applied and trumpeted: Why our first text is Romans 10
But we must not think, the Bible only speaks of saving us in a narrow sense, of forgiveness of sin, and going to heaven in a merely spiritual realm. Listen to the first thing that the Church says to the World about what is sufficiently taught in the Scripture, not just salvation and what we are to believe. But look:
B. For Morality & Life-style God’s Word gives us His Law to Be Practiced
We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely. Belgic Confession Art 1
The Bible is a covenantal communication once delivered, but continually speaking to every generation. There is not only gospel doctrine, but why do we need the gospel? It is because of the problem of sin - shattering of how relationship with God and others should be , and the greater problem our sin creates brokenness, shame, guilt, punishment, curse, destruction, death. And these Scriptures sufficiently and completely teach us God’s Law, both to drive us to the Gospel, and also to guide us to the way those relationships should work, and how all the brokenness s is to be restored. The WCF puts it this way - The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, yes man’s salvation and faith, BUT also everything we need to know about how to live for God’s glory in daily life! Its is all either expressly stated here, or by good and necessary consequence we can deduce from here!
There is Biblical Law in this book you and I need. It doesn’t come int he form of an exhaustive ethic text book with just abstract general principles -that we are left to work out. Nor detailed law book with every specific application. But God mixes his general overarching laws, with practical day to day practical details laws tat he speaks into the life of His people - love neighbour, but gleaning for agriculture Israel, letting ox treading wheat - eat of it, no taking poor neighbours only cloak for security on loan. Now this will convince us of where we sin and need to be forgiven, restored, corrected, but it will also if you stop and regularly listen and taken in what God is saying about His will, if you are trained in God’s Word - you know it so well what’s supposed to happen:
2 Tim 3:16-17 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.
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.
Our testimony must be that Scriptures are living, ever fresh word of God, not just speaking salvation to me, but actually guide and direct my life, tell me: that’s not the way, here ‘s how to get back in the way, this is the way to do it. Every good work Sovereign Lord has ordained for you - God breathed out His word to bring you to d it, and in your conversion all these laws, God writes on your heart - do in detail the law of love of God and neighbour! Our lives, lived in submission to God’s Word, law and gospel working in their own way, our neighbours are to see, - we don’t live by tradition, nor mere human reason, nor our own inner light - but do you see this picture, hung in many a Christian’s kitchen or bedroom - testimony to those in your family, open Bible , read meditate on, sought in decisions - and living of life:
But the last way we need to be using Scripture which becomes a testimony to the world is how the Bible functions and indeed guides directs and regulates our worship!
C. For our Public Worship, God’s Word gives us the elements by which we enjoy communion
When Guido deBress wrote this article controversy over what constitutes proper corporate worship of God. Mass, bells and smells, add veneration of the saints, dramatic and visual depictions to be meditated on; is it John of Leyden standing up and saying I in the Holy Spirit of a new massage from God for you. Do you believe this confession. Look at the second paragraph:
For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one … ought to teach other than what the Scriptures already taught us. Belgic Confession Art 7
The English translation doesn’t get to what deBres was summarizing here. You and I read that today and think that it is speaking of worship in the broad sense of every day service to God in our daily living. But the first sentence already covered that with God’s will completely/ perfectly revealed. But in the dictionaries of 16th century France, if you looked up the word service, find that it actually refers to divine worship service, corporate Lord’s Day worship. And this is how deBres used the word in other writings. He is saying that we need to testify that worship of God, not a option humans initiate when convenient and you know what we’ll do it any way we want -to show God’s pretty important to us. But we’ll do it in a way that first of all fits into our schedule and life and first of edifies and thrills us even entertains us. And we have liberty to included and exclude anything we want, and then impose that upon everyone who comes to worship -whether God commands it or not!
No deBres is saying, God in loving us so much, wanting a good quality relationship with us, living in covenant with us, He as Sovereign of the universe, commands and directs worship from you and me. God has left worship up to the whims and judgment of a few worship leaders or pastors, whether bullies or not. No, God determines and delivers how we are to meet in His special presence - gathered together - and He does that through the Word. This is what Scripture teaches: from the institution of God creating the Sabbath Day not only for our rest, but making it holy, to the Lord providing the acceptable sacrifice with skins, to God calling Adam’s children - Cain and Able to present acceptable sacrifice, to all the OT types about cleanness too come into the presence of a holy God, so His holiness can be in the center of your life, your calendar, your, all pointing to Christ , when he says you know what all the training wheels of the ceremony and ritual of the OT gong to be take n off, have pure and simple spiritual worship - when I fulfill all those rituals, become the final sacrifice and ultimate high priest, return to both my people in resurrection but also to the place of ultimate worship - the tabernacle in heaven - where I will be the one praying, interceding, singing , presenting worship of my people to the Lord, securing fellowship, help mercy… Listen to Jesus speaking to the woman at the well:
John 4:23-24
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In the New Testament - we see how Jesus has become the rebuilt temple of praise, David’s rebuilt Tent, Amos , Acts 15. Restored it to a place of prayer. When temple destroyed, as now the Jews had no sacrifices - but Christ comes and says I am the sacrifice, offered by everlasting Spirit, and applied in everlasting way that travels through time, Jesus says I will return to my brothers and lead them in song - my Spirit present - as offering up Holy worship. We have instruction to lay aside a portion in keeping with income for gospel ministry - we have example and instruction for prayers offered up with holy hands lifted , we have command for two emblems symbols, even rituals the lord’s Supper and Baptism. we have instruction on the reading of God’s Word, teaching and exhortation, the gospel. We have example of oaths, vows. These are elements bible lays out, and we’re not to add to them, telling people to worship in way God’s hasn’t told them.
This is the difference between historic Protestants and Catholics: Cardinal Newman’s essay, Development of Christian Doctrine, when Newman spells out how pagan customs, supposedly, can be taken over and sanctified by the church. Writes Newman: “Temples, incense, lamps, candles, votive offerings, holy water, holy days and seasons, processions, blessing of the fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, turning to the East, images–all are of pagan origin, and sanctified by adoption into the church.” The church, because these things conflict with what God forbids in his word. The church has no power to “sanctify” things condemned by the law.
To introduce clowning mime, liturgical dance, as worship - distracts from pure dialogue through Christ that God intends our worship to be with him. All of this is what Jesus called worship by the traditions of elders Matthew 15 , instead of the way God in His word has revealed: The Apostle Pual in looking at that kind of worship says
Col 2:23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
That’s will-worship. In the OT this is what that story of Nadab and Abihu burning strange fire to the LORD, worship in ways not prescribed by God , it is what pivotal story of the golden calf warns against. It is what leads God to say through Samuel to King Saul when he said need arises anyone can do the sacrfice in any way. 1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
No the instruction both for OT worship, as with NT worship that fulfills it is seen in
Exodus 25:40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
tells us that pattern literally fulfilled in heaven by Christ, and what we are participating in as we gather as God’s people in worship - simple and pure, and we are to worship by the Book. Pattern of New Testament worship, has a church gathered to Christ who is in heaven as priest right now, offering gifts and the once for all sacrifice - to bring us in true communion with God. And Christ by His Word prescribes how we enter tat communion! This is what is called the regulative principle of worship. Stated simply that the corporate worship of God is to be founded upon specific directions of Scripture.
For sure there are circumstances around these biblically commanded elements, what time how often, what to wear, what tunes, how to arrange the people, furniture, hear God hasn’t spoken , but for good order we need to make decisions, include singing but in different way during pandemic. regulations.
1 Cor 14:40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
But all things should be done decently and in order.
D. In Faith, Life, & Worship, don't follow human writings, customs, or majorities, but God’s Word alone.
Let us not think that all tradition, and majority rulings, and customs are wrong, but we can only agree with them in so far as they agree with God’s Holy Word, used for salvation, holy living, and worship! The creeds and decisions of the church, helpful seek to be based on God’s word, but they aren’t God’s perfect complete will - and need t be changed and refined according to the word of God. The customs over time developed can be time tested good practices, but not Word of God. Danger that last words in the church that not the way have done. No church adapt over time, but according to the Word of God. Moral ethical standards of society change so much over time, and we are to go by majority, and what’s popular , but we are to go by what God has spoken into our lives. Even laws by the state in these three areas - if they go against God’s explicit will we go by God’s Word Alone. Succession of time, of popes, that doesn’t hold sway, the Reformers understand what is historic and unbroken isn’t bully leadership of church officials, but doctrine taught in holy Scripture, and leadership is a service, ministerial office of that Word!
Does God’s Word hold sway in your faith, your life, your worship. Listen to Guido writing to the King: quoting Galatians 1: 8 and Revelation 22: 18, In short, we see that we are bidden to follow only the Word of God and not what we think fit, and that we are forbidden to add or subtract anything from the holy commandments of Almighty God. Jesus Christ tells us that He has imparted to us everything which He had heard from His Father. If he concealed nothing from the Apostles on account of their weakness, which He had promised to reveal to them (by the Holy Spirit, which He would send to them), we may be certain that He, who is Truth itself, has kept His promise.
Can you say it tonight and confess it with your life lived wit open Bible and open ears to the proclamation of the whole counsel of God - law and gospel? Cay you say it - His Word- holds sway in my doctrine, I’m an evanjelly fish Christ, can you say His holy Word holds sway over my lifestyle, I may not be perfect but His word is penetrating my thoughts attitudes, my behaviours and His light and love flooding my lifestyle. Can you say it my worship is communion wt the living God and I do it by the means that have His divine sanction. I have God’s WRod endorsed element of worship in my life. That’s what it means to have a life and testiony that confesses not just the authority of God’s Word, but the Sufficiency of God’s Word!