Baptist Faith and Message-Part 2 (The Scriptures)
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So last week, we went through just some initial questions regarding theology in general. We talked about different denominations and why they exist.
We spoke about the need for us to be discerning when it comes to disagreements with others about the Bible.
Some things are non negotiable.
Others We can argue about and debate, and it may not allow us to join the same church as another person, but we can still consider them to be a brother or sister in Christ.
And then other issues Are simply issues that we should be able to agree to disagree on and still worship together and serve God together for the Gospel.
I want to be clear. One thing I didn’t say last week that I need to go back and clarify-
I am not speaking and teaching about some kind of postmodern understanding of things.
I am not saying whats true for you is true for you- Whats true for me is true for me.
I am not saying that every view is equally valid or correct.
That's simply not the case.
Example-
Infant Baptism- Believers Baptism can't both be right.
Somebody is wrong in that deal.
I believe the Presbyterians are.
The point I was making last week is this-
There are some matter of disagreement that don’t necessarily mean people are not believers. There are some where we would draw that line. But not there.
Any questions on that?
This week I want to get into our distinctives as a Baptist Church.
And the first article in our Baptist Faith and Message Is the article on Scripture.
I want to read that and then we are going to walk through this-
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.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
That truly is a wonderful statement about Scripture. We should be proud that this statement is in our church’s statement of faith.
But where do we get that from?
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The word here inspired means that the Word of God was Breathed Out by God.
What we mean by inspiration is that Through the Holy Spirit, men wrote the Word of God, but as they wrote God superintended every aspect and situation of their writing so that what we have is the the very words of God.
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
So there is this Divine Process- by which the reason we believe this is God’s Word is ultimately because God has sovereignly protected and kept this process pure.
We believe the people who recognized the books that we have did so under the sovereign hand and work of God.
Look at the next portion there-
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.
We believe the Bible is inerrant- that is without error.
Ultimately we believe this because of the divine origin of the Bible.
The Bible is a product of God, and thus it must carry with it the characteristics of its author.
God does not ever error and thus his word does not contain error. If we think we have found an error, it is we who have erred not God and His Word.
Augustine comments that we can never let our failure to understand a specific biblical text make us think that somehow that text is uninspired. “When we are wrong because we haven’t understood it, we leave it in the right. When we have gone wrong, we don’t make out Scripture to be wrong, but it continues to stand up straight and right, so that we may return to it for correction” (ACCNT 9, p. 269). We do not judge the Word of God; it judges us.
You and I are not the standard for whether the Bible is true or not. God is.
The Bible itself attests to its own truthfulness.
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
The Bible claims to be true and I believe it is. Cover to cover.
Now, to be honest- this is a matter of faith.
But it is not blind faith.
The Bible has been under the strongest scrutiny in every age and yet it has stood the test of time.
And it seems the more people come against it, the more reliable it proves to be.
"The greatest proof that the Bible is inspired is that it has withstood so much bad preaching!"; AT Robertson
The Bible is true and perfect we believe that.
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.
God judges us based upon our adherence to His Word.
This is why I preach expository preaching.
One of the duties of the pastor of the church I believe is to prepare people to meet God.
One of the ways I do that is make sure you know what Scripture says and call you to obey it.
I would be unfaithful to you to preach anything else. I don’t want any of you to be ill prepared to meet God.
That why I preach through books. Thats why we don’t skip the hard passages.
I’ll never apologize for preaching Scripture as it is and what it says. In fact, I must do that so that I can stand before God.
Paul in Acts 20- speaking to the church of Ephesus.
“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
Paul linked his ability as a minister of the gospel with his faithfulness to declare to the people of Ephesus the full purpose of God.
It is the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
God has given us enough right here to govern all our thoughts actions.
He has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
“Y'all should be mindful of this devout thesis
All of the Bible is about Jesus
The Old Testament- Jesus Christ concealed
The New Testament- Jesus Christ revealed
This truth of the Lord- Christ boldly proclaimed this
In Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus
The law, the prophets and the teachings of Apostles
All of these point back to Jesus and the gospel
So if the work of Christ is what the Word is about
Ultimately, it should be what the sermon's about
Forget applause, you've got to let the cross rock ya
All roads in the Bible lead to Golgotha
Whatever the text, faithfulness demands
That we should hear the echoes of nails hitting His hands.”
I believe this with all my heart. That whatever the text I come to, its purpose and fulfillment is in Jesus.
I’ve had well intending people tell me that I can’t take the New Testament and what it teaches about Jesus and then go to the Old Testament and try to interpret the OT in light of Jesus.
Quite frankly, I believe they are wrong. I don’t want to read the Old Testament like a Jewish Rabbi. I want to read the OT and the NT as a Christian.
I believe the Bible all points forward to Jesus.
I believe the Old Testament promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. I believe the OT saints were saved the same way we are saved- By faith in Christ. There is no other way.
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Meaning there is nothing left to look for. All our hope is bound up in Christ. And every promise is fulfilled in Him.
For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
For us to continue to look for something more is the same mistake the Pharisees made when Jesus told them-
“You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Luke 24- Go here-
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.
But you should know that many battles were fault to arrive at that particular statement.
Next week, we will talk about the controversies surrounding the Bible and the current controversy of our day.
