If you noticed for our first Pillar, where we looked at the truth that there is a God, and what this incomprehensible infinite eternal God is like - most of what we discussed was based on the Bible (16 verses last week). This God speaks [Gen 1.3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.]. All these pillars, these truths we believe, these truths that undergird and support and secure our faith - they are based on, they are embedded in the truths of Scripture, the truth that God’s Word, the Word He has spoken, is entirely true. It doesn’t only contain truth, but it is totally true. Completely trustworthy. I remember, as a brand new believer in Christ, even as I was beginning to understand the life changing truths of the Gospel, these pillars, I remember this awareness that basically EVERYTHING I was learning was based on the Bible. I knew I needed to understand, how is it that we can trust that the Bible is true?
Earthquakes and barbarians. Not to mention gravity. Wind and water and time. Lightning. Forces of erosion, corrosion, decay and corruption. Given enough time, these forces are powerful enough to cause mountains to crumble, the sturdiest pillars to slowly wear away, to become entirely irrelevant. [When we studied through the book of Ephesians, we talked about the great Temple of Artemis - which today is worn away to rubble]. In the end, entropy wins. Stuff breaks down. It's the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Where can we find something, or is it even possible to engineer something that will never break down? Something that will last forever? That will withstand the sands of time? Is that humanly possible? Cuz we sure don’t need any help with the whole breaking down thing. Everything breaks down - UNLESS acted upon by an external force, but usually BECAUSE it is acted upon by an external force. That is the observed order of the natural world. With one HUGE exception - Is. 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. It stands up, remains standing. Forever. Unlike all these other manmade pillars.
Matt. 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Psa. 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Psa. 119:152 Of old I have known from Your testimonies that You have founded them forever.
Like the One Who has spoken it, God’s Word is eternal. Everlasting. But there’s more to it. What is this that we hold in our hands? The Holy Bible. The word “Bible” means “book”, but this is way more than just another book. Holy means something set apart. A book set apart. Of course, most religions have “holy books”. What is it that sets this Book, these words, apart from the rest? What makes this Book so special? 5 points, and a 6th:
The Divine Inspiration [dozens of authors… agreement/unity]
Isaiah 40:5 “Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Is. 40:8 The word of our God stands forever. The Hebrew word there for that which is spoken is davar. It’s both a verb and a noun. That which God davars is the davar of God. The sacred writings of our faith… 2Tim. 3:15-17 From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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. God-breathed. Of course this is an [internal claim]…
The Immaculate Reception [readers recognizing this inspiration]
2Pet. 1:20-21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
[The Miraculous Predictions] [of which there are hundreds, and many have been fulfilled]
Is. 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
The Singular Prescription (not religion/works, unlike all other books - the Bible prescribes Grace)
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The Incomparable Provision (Jesus - Who was witnessed by hundreds!)
1Cor. 15:3-6 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time.
[The Great (Protestant) coMission-aries] Research shows that the most good for the world has been effected by Bible-believing missionaries who have gone to the ends of the earth not only with the Good News of forgiveness/eternal life by trusting in Jesus, but also bringing with them hospitals and schools and justice that has cured countless physical and social ills.
The grass withers, the flower fades. To what is the prophet referring there? People. Isaiah 40:6-7 All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
The things we do, the stuff we make and dream up, the things we say - all our pomp and circumstance, all our lofty ideas and so-called progressiveness, all these pundits. We are as fading as the grass we walk on. The irony is that so many people, here today and faded tomorrow, hang that accusation on God’s Word. God’s Word has faded. It’s no longer relevant. You can’t trust it. The LIE comes in and specifically doubts the Word of God. Did God really say that? Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” [Many try to compare the Bible to what results from the old "Telephone game", where the original message gets entirely corrupted. Sincere seekers don't have to look far to learn that the Bible has in fact been meticulously transcribed and translated by serious scholars. It's is entirely reliable.]
The real truth is: People want a free pass. We want a [get out of jail free card] - well, we just want to get rid of the jail altogether. Cuz really, who likes the existence of that jail? Most of us would just as soon change those rules, so that you don’t have to [not pass go]. We want to collect that $200. That is why we resist this idea of truth. Rom. 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. The LIE comes in and says, there is no truth (is that true?). There is no absolute truth, they insist (but is that true?). Truth is relative, they say (but is that absolutely true?). There is no eternal truth, they declare (but is that eternally true?). You can’t even refute the idea of truth without truth. All you can do is try to ignore it or dismiss it somehow. So we suppress the truth. We hold it down. We give it the heisman, try to run around it, or run away from it. Or maybe try to run over it. Throw some shade on it.
Because the truth is, we just want to get rid of truth we don’t like. Just because we don’t like it doesn’t make it less true. But the real question is not, do we like it (or not). The bigger question is, do we trust the Source? The One speaking it.
Mom tells us don’t touch the hot stove. There’s truth behind that: the hot stove will burn us. We need to decide in that moment, and in all the moments to come - do we trust the source? Do we trust Mom enough to listen to her? Do we believe that she cares for us enough to tell us what’s true, and that her commands protect/provide for us?
When God tells us to love Him with all our hearts, it’s because He loves us. He knows that to love anything else more than Him separates us from Him - something NOT good. He also knows that life is most good when we put Him first. So the question becomes, do we trust God? Do we trust that He does care for us? Are we willing to trust that He knows (has told us) what is true? [Jn17.17]
(some verses on The Nature of Truth)
Matt. 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and 1acts on them, 2may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
1Cor. 13:6 Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.
Eph. 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.
PILLAR 2
The Bible (the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) is God’s Word, all of it inspired by the Holy Spirit, inerrant in the original writings, entirely true and trustworthy to this day. It is the only infallible source of truth and guide for living.
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