The Word of God or the Word of Men - Part 2
1 Thessalonians 2v13
6th August 2021
We've been thinking about this verse:
1 Thessalonians 2v13
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God,
which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it
actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
We've seen, I hope, that the Bible is not as the word of men, but... the word of God and that, although there is a sense in which men wrote the Bible, their words were inspired by God. God was totally in control of what they wrote, so that every word of the Bible is exactly what God intended it to be.
I've been a Christian for 48 years. All that time, I've studied the Bible. For most of that time, I've had the privilege of preaching and teaching Biblical truth. Every year, I've been more and more persuaded that the Bible is what it claims to be. I've proved it in my own life. The Bible is the inerrant, perfect word of God.
There have been many passages in the Bible that I didn't understand at first. There have been some that troubled me. There were some that seemed to contradict others. It's so easy in our sceptical culture to make this mistake, "I don't understand how this document is true. Therefore it's false". But that gives far too much weight to the value of my understanding. Who am I, that I should understand the things of God? Instead, we should say, "I don't understand how this document is true. Therefore my understanding is incomplete". And our understanding grows when we read the Bible.
It's a question of faith, especially early in our Christian life. Do I put my faith in my own understanding? Why on earth would I do that? I don't even understand how cars work, or how viruses spread, or what Chinese writing means, or how to cook a soufflé. Why would I imagine I could understand God? Why would I think that I'm wiser than God is, or His Book is? Or do I put my faith in the beliefs of the society around me: my schoolteacher, university lecturers, newspapers and television? Or do I put my faith in God, and in the word of God? I've made my mind up.
From time to time, someone will tell me that they're happy for me that I have what they call "a religion" or "a faith". They say they're glad that my "faith" is a comfort to me. Of course, it's not my religion, or even my faith that comforts me, it's Jesus who comforts me. But today I want to think about another mistake they're making. If the Bible, and its message that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of the world, is true, then it's true for them as much it is as me. Either it's true, or it's not true. Either they should embrace the wonderful message of Jesus themselves, or they should be very sad for me because they think I believe a lie.
There was a philosophical movement called "Postmodernism", which rejected the idea of absolute truth, and replaced it with the idea that "my truth" can be different from "your truth". This is madness, of course, but it has now passed into the mindset of much of the population. It only takes a moment to see that this is dangerous nonsense, though. If two people driving in opposite directions on a rood have different beliefs, different "truths" about which is the right side of the road to drive on, they'll collide.
This is surely Satanic in origin, because it's an intellectual excuse for anarchy, for every person doing what is right in his own eyes, and because it makes intellectual space for the idea that I can reasonably believe in Jesus, and you can reasonably not believe, and we can both be right, that religion is subjective, not real.
Is the Bible message true, or is it false? When we die, will God will accept me into the heavenly dwellings because I have God-given saving faith in the Jesus's redeeming sacrifice on the cross. Or will He refuse me entry? Or is there no God and no eternity? On the day we die, there will be no Postmodernism. The reality of Christ, the power and authority of God, and the existence of Heaven and Hell will be seen by all. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2v10-11). They'll be no opinions on that day. The truth will be seen to be the truth. And there's only one truth.
The Bible is the God-breathed, infallible, inerrant truth. It's completely trustworthy, and every word in it is, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 3, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. As Paul also says in that passage, God gave us the Bible so that the man [or person] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When you buy a piece of equipment, like a computer, or a car, or a phone, or a washing machine, it comes with a set of manufacturer's instructions. These days, you may have to go on the internet to find those instructions, but they're there. The manufacturer of that equipment knows how it's supposed to work, and he offers you free instructions for using it in the best way. God is our maker. He knows how human work best. And the Bible is, among other things, the instruction manual for humans. It contains no errors. All its advice is good advice. We will live longer, happier and more productive lives if we follow its instructions. But the Bible is much, much more than a set of rules. It's a body of wisdom, a gift of understanding. It draws us nearer and nearer to God, and it teaches us how to be the best people we can be.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 19:7-8
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Of course the ungodly want to re-write the Bible, taking out the passages that condemn their lifestyles. Some of them would like to ban the Bible altogether. But we, God's holy but flawed people, surely want to embrace the Bible, trust it, love the God that it teaches us about, and live in accordance with every word of it.
The basis of Christian life is repentance and faith. To repent is to change your mind. In particular, it's to decide that the person who determines what is right and what is wrong, and who decides how you should live your life, is not you but God. Faith is firstly trust in the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, but also trust that God knows best. And the way we find out what God thinks – or, rather what God knows – is to trust the Bible. God doesn't have opinions. God has absolute wisdom and absolute knowledge. And the Bible is full of His wisdom and knowledge, shared with us.
Please don't read the Bible because you think you're supposed to; read it because you're seeking God in it. The Bible opens for us a whole new universe of truth, of experience, of wisdom, of knowledge. The Bible tells us who God really is. Who are we that we should receive such a splendid gift? Who are we to refuse or neglect such a gift?
The Bible also tells us who we really are. That can be very uncomfortable, but it's necessary. When we find out who we really are, we repent, and we grow.
The Bible is the most wonderful book ever written. Of course it is. God wrote it. The Bible teaches us about the nature of God, the nature of man, the nature of creation. It teaches us about right and wrong, good and bad, life and death. It teaches us about kindness, forgiveness, hospitality, generosity, sacrifice, love, peace, hope, healing and reconciliation. It teaches us about the beginning of the world, the history of the world and the end of the world. It teaches us about life after death. It teaches us about people finding eternal life-giving relationship with God. It teaches us about God Himself.
The Bible is a big book. At first, it can be difficult to find your way around it, to understand some of its basic concepts, to see how one part relates to another. It can seem confusing at first. Some people give up reading the Bible. But the more experienced Christians can help younger Christians to understand it, and begin to study it for themselves.
Paul writes that the word of God is at work in you who believe. The writings of well-meaning humans can do us some good, but the Bible is the word of God. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to believe the Bible, and He gives us faith to obey it. In this way, the Bible changes us.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
As we prayerfully read and study the Bible, the God-breathed, inerrant holy scriptures, the Bible tells us when our thinking or our attitudes need to be adjusted. When we read the Bible honestly, it tells us when to repent, and how to repent, to think differently, to think God's way. And every time we choose to accept what the Bible says, and give up the ideas we had before we read it, and believe instead what the Bible teaches, we become better, more godly, more spiritual, happier people.
Studying the Bible is enormously worth the effort. Soon, it becomes a great joy. I love reading the Bible. Stick with it. Speak to your pastor if you need help or if you have questions. Persevere. You'll be very glad you did. And you'll grow into the person that God intends you to be. You have so much potential, in this world and the next. If you will allow the Bible to judge the thoughts and attitudes of your heart, if you will respond by thinking differently and changing your attitudes, you will find fulfilment, peace, joy and purpose in Christ. Your relationship with Him will deepen. You'll become the person you're capable of becoming. You'll become Christlike. You'll fulfil your destiny.