The Gift of Scripture

Over the next few weeks, we will be considering the greatest gifts God has given to us. Surely God has blessed all of us with good gifts. James 1:17 tells us that if we have a good gift it came from God.

Your family is a gift from God.

Your home is a gift from God.

Your abilities are gifts from God.

God has loaded us down with gifts.

Psalm 68:19 says:

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.

All of God’s gifts are great but some of them are greater. That’s what we will be exploring during the Christmas season. This morning we begin with the gift of Scripture.

1. Creation Reveals God Exists (1-6).

A. God’s first revelation of Himself was written on heavenly scrolls.

“The heavens declare the glory of God”

The Psalmist tells us that God has put Himself on display. He has proven His existence through His creation.

Creation declares that God exists every day. Look at verse 2. “Day unto day” “night unto night”.

Creation is shouting to the world “God is glorious!”

Creation speaks to every language. We see that in verse 3. There is no language or speech where their voice is not heard.

Creation speaks to every person (4). The message of creation reaches to every person. Even if that person is separated from a city or even a nation. It could be a small tribe or an isolated group or a single individual.

The Psalmist explains in verses 4-6 that just as the sun comes out everyday and shows itself to the world, creation reminds the world that God exists. Every single day, from one side of the globe to the other God shows Himself to the same degree that the sun does. Everyone can see there is a sun in the sky, and everyone can see there is a God.

This is called general revelation. Paul says in Romans 1:20 that the invisible things of God are clearly seen by the visible things. In other words, you know there is a Creator because there is a creation.

Paul goes further than that. He tells us there is more to general revelation than creation. He says the conscience is proof God exists.

In Romans 2:14-15 he says that the Gentiles who had never read the Law of God did by nature the things contained in the Law because the moral law of God is written on their hearts.

Not only has God revealed Himself on heavenly scrolls He has also revealed Himself on human hearts.

B. We can determine some things about God through general revelation.

1. There is a God. All societies and cultures begin with a belief in God. Their belief may be wrong, but there is still a belief in God. Atheism must be taught. It contradicts what we can clearly see around us and within us.

2. God is at times good to us. I’m speaking from the point of view of a person who doesn’t know the Bible.

They can look and see that God sends the rains to water their crops.

God gives them children

God protects them from death and disease.

That can be determined without a Bible.

3. God is at times not pleased with us.

They see drought.

They see death and disease.

They experience loss.

It’s then determined God is upset and some religion is invented to try and atone for sins and please God.

4. Some things are morally wrong.

That’s why each society has a list of rules. Most often they are very similar to the laws we see in the Bible. God has given every person a conscience and they can determine what is tight and what is wrong.

If God stopped with general revelation these are the things we could know about Him:

He exists.

He at times blesses people.

He at times disciplines people.

He expects righteous behavior.

C. General revelation is not enough for us to be saved.

The most we could know about God is that He exists and that we are sinners.

Why do so many religions exist?

Why do so many people have different ideas about how a person is reconciled to God?

It’s because the world knows God exists, but they don’t know much more.

Every idol come from man’s ideas about God.

Every false religion comes from a flawed understanding of who God is.

God could have left us right there. He could have left us with nothing but general revelation. Thank God He didn’t! He gave us a Bible!

2. Scripture Reveals the God Who Exists (7-9).

A. The Bible is a precious gift to the world.

It can be trusted. Peter spoke about this in 2 Peter 1:16-21.

He said we have not followed cunningly devised fables.

The Bible is not a collection of mythological tales.

Then Peter spoke about an experience he had. He was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

He was an eyewitness of the Lord Jesus being transformed in all His glory. He saw Jesus in the way Jesu will appear when He return.

Not only was he an eyewitness. He said he was an ear witness as well. He heard the voice of God say, “This is My beloved Son”.

But hold on. Peter said he had something more sure than his experience. He didn’t want them to trust him. He said:

“We have a more sure word of prophecy.”

He was talking about the Bible. He said “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Peter said he would trust the Word more than he would trust his own experience.

The Bible is precious because we can trust it more than we can trust ourselves. One thing I have learned in my life is I will lead myself down the wrong path. I can’t trust myself.

When I was lost I had what I thought were “spiritual experiences”.

Illustration: seeing George Jones in concert, feet away from stage. Thought that was about as good as life gets.

Thank God the Bible taught me what true spirituality is!

B. The Bible teaches us all we need to know about God.

1. He is a God who saves sinners.

The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul (7). God has given us the Bible so we can be saved. We were dead in our sins. We need reviving.

Romans 10:17- “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23 says “We have been born again of incorruptible seed.”

The seed of the Word of God was sown on the soil of our heart and by the grace of God the flower of grace bloomed.

You and I are saved because we heard an old, old story about a Savior who came from glory.

I know I need to be saved because of the Word of God. (Romans 3:23)

I know how to be saved because of the Word of God (Romans 10:9) “If we confess with our mouth…”

I know who will save me because of the Word of God (Matthew 1:21) “His name shall be called Jesus…”

I was convicted and converted by the Word of God. The Word of God teaches me that God saves sinners.

2. He is a God who gives wisdom to the fools.

“The Law of the Lord is sure making wise the simple.”

The word simple means unlearned, ignorant. The Bible turns the foolish into wise people.

The Word of God will teach you how to live. In fact, it will make your life better even if you’re not saved. A lost man’s life would be better if he lived by the principles of the Word of God.

The Bible teaches you things you need to know to live a good life in this world.

It teaches you how to handle your money.

It teaches you how to have a good marriage.

It teaches you how to be a good parent.

It teaches you how to be a good child.

It teaches you how to be a good worker.

It teaches you how to treat your animals.

It teaches you how to get promoted.

It teaches you about intimacy and alcohol.

It teaches you how to speak and what to watch.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. No matter how foolish or unlearned you are, the Bible can make you wise. God gives wisdom to the fools through His Word.

3. He is a God who gives joy to the believer.

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (8).

When you know the full counsel of God’s Word it will give you a joy like nothing else.

Illustration. I remember an inmate in Mayo Fl. He was from France and spoke with a thick accent. Everyone called him Frenchy. He was in prison for selling drugs. He had come from France to work at Disney World in Orlando and got caught up in drug trafficking. He had become a Christian and he always had a smile on his face. One day he came and told me his story.

He had been an atheist. When he was in the county jail a man came by giving out bibles. He took one and was captivated by it. He started at the beginning. By the time he got through the law he realized he was a sinner. He started asking the jailers for a lamb. He told them he needed a sacrifice for his sins. They thought he was crazy. He kept reading. He said he got to the gospel of John and saw the Lamb! He started shouting for joy.

That’s the power of the Word of God! When you see what God has done for you in Christ it rejoices your heart!!

4. He is a God who transforms the saint.

“the commandments of the Lord are pure enlightening the eyes (8)”.

Some believe this refers to an enlightenment regarding discernment or information. I’m not sure. I think this enlightenment is connected to the joy just mentioned. I think it refers to the countenance of a person.

Psalm 13:3 says “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God, lighten my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death.” The context there is David needs to be refreshed.

Ezra 9:8 asks God to “lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

When you look at a person in the eyes you can tell if they are tired or happy or filled with sorrow. The eyes reveal a lot.

The joy that God’s Word gives can transform a person so that joy can be seen in the individual.

Think of Stephen as he was being stoned. The Bible says his countenance shone. He knew he was about to die yet he was bold and confident.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 says “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

and the hardness of his face is changed.”

There are saints who never flinched when they lost their livelihood.

There are saints who never flinched when the doctor said they only had six months left.

The Bible is filled with promises that transform the saint into a confident soldier of the cross. They can say with Job “Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him!”

5. He is a God who does not change.

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.”

What God has said He will keep saying. If you are waiting for a new and updated Bible you will be waiting a while. There will be no recall. The Author will not put out a new and improved version.

That’s good news.

What the world tells you today will be contradicted in the next generation. Those of us who have lived a few years know that to be true. This world is constantly changing what it believes to be true.

Thank God for the bible. I got news for you. The Bible isn’t going anywhere.

You can burn it.

You can laugh at it.

You can ridicule it.

You can debate it.

You can’t outlive it.

The Bible will have no:

Death

Obituary

Pallbearers

Coffin

Funeral

Grave

The Bible will outlive me and you both. The Bible shows us that our God does not change. He endures forever.

6. He is a God who is completely righteous.

“the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether (9)”.

God’s Word is true and righteous because it is a reflection of who He is. This book is a Holy Book because it’s Author is holy. When you read the Bible, the holiness of God stands out. God is altogether different than we are.

3. Scripture is a Valuable & Rewarding Gift (10-11).

A. The worth of Scripture (10).

Scripture is more valuable than gold. Not just gold but. Much gold. Not just much gold, but much fine gold.

Scripture brings pleasure. In the day this Psalm was written honey was about the sweetest thing a person could get. It was a pleasure food. It brought a pleasure other food could not.

Your Bible is the most valuable thing in your home. Your Bible can bring more pleasure than anything else in your home.

Illust: When my mother and father were married, they were given a gift of a Bible by a family member of my father. They strayed married a very short time. I never remember meeting my father. He died when I was around nine or ten. I lived a life of rebellion but was saved in my early 20’s. After I was saved I remember my mother giving me that Bible. I searched for it and found it and I began to devour it. I read it every day. I took it with me to work.

I had no idea I had something so valuable and so precious in my home. This bible was given as a gift and lay unopened for over 20 years. When it was opened it was as fresh as could be.

B. The Reward of Scripture (11).

1. The Bible warns us. Anyone who cares for you warns you. The Bible keeps us from a lot of trouble.

2. The Bible rewards us. The only people who die with no debt are those who obey the Bible. Not only do we have no debt, but we have reward. It’s a great reward.

The reward of heaven.

The reward of reunion.

The reward of seeing Christ.

The reward of crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus.

One of God’s greatest gifts is Scripture. He has given us this gift.

Have you opened this gift?

Have you experienced the salvation, joy and hope it gives?

The message of this book can be summarized with these words:

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus has come into the world to save sinners.” (1 Tim. 1:15)