God’s Word is perfect because its author is perfect.
Deut. 32:4-- “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
Like a rock, God is firm and immovable. His work has always been perfect, from the very beginning of time. Like a rock, He has not changed; He is still perfect today. Man, however, is like a wave of the sea; he is fickle. He is up one day and down the other.
Anything God makes is perfect. When God made man, man was perfect, sinless. It was man that took matters into his own hands and caused himself and all of nature to become imperfect and sinful. Anything man makes is imperfect. Man cannot and will never be able to make anything that is perfect.
Examples:
--The automobile: breaks down.
--The telephone: lose your connection.
--The computer: gets bugs and viruses.
--The light bulb: the light burns out.
--The television: the screen loses its clarity.
...and that’s only the beginning. Man cannot make anything perfect because it goes against his very nature. The same is true with God. God cannot make anything imperfect because it goes against His holy nature.
Let me tell you a story of a pianist. “After a long absence from the stage, pianist Vladimir Horowitz was to perform in Chicago. Franz Mohr, the chief concert technician for Steinway and Sons, was assigned to make sure the piano was in perfect condition. He did so to the best of his ability, but wasn’t able to relax until Horowitz had given a brilliant rendering of his first number. As was his custom, the pianist left the stage--but didn’t return. Mohr was summoned backstage. ‘Where have you been?’ exclaimed Horowitz. ‘I cannot play again. The piano stool is far too high!’ Mohr nervously inquired as to the size of the problem. Horowitz held up his hand, his thumb and forefinger about a quarter of an inch apart.” Mohr spent all his time tuning the piano, but he never adjusted the piano bench. Horowitz was a perfectionist.
God is the greatest perfectionist there ever will be. His Word is absolutely perfect! It’s not even a quarter of an inch off; it’s right on the dot!
God’s Word is perfect in three ways.
1. God’s Word is Perfect in Being Flawless
Psa. 119:160-- “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
Man’s inventions start as very rough pieces of work and get better over time; but when God speaks the word, it is perfect the first time. If a rocket’s trajectory is off just an inch, after going up for thousands of miles, it would be way off course. If God made a mistake back in the beginning of time, He would be way off course, and everyone would know it. But He got it right the first time; He is perfect!
God’s Word is flawless in conception, flawless in inspiration, and flawless in inerrancy. God created the perfect Word that He knew man would need.
But man in his sinful mind did not think the KJV was good enough. There are over 200 different translations in the English language alone. They are all different. They are not all perfect, for man added to them and took away from them.
Let’s compare a few:
Acts 8:37
KJV: “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
New International Version: Not there.
The Message: “As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized? (verse 37 omitted) He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.”
English Standard Version: Not there.
Darby Translation: Not there.
Many translations leave out the blood of Christ!
Pro. 30:5-- “Every word of God is pure.”
In the Hebrew, “pure” is tsaraph, which means “to fuse or refine.” Every word of God is refined to perfection. What if just one word in the whole Bible were wrong? The Word wouldn’t be perfect; it would have one spot of imperfection.
On numerous occasions, man has taken what God has given and has twisted it to fit his sinful desires. Examples:
Evolution--God gave us creation, man twisted it.
Gay marriage--God gave us marriage between a man and a woman, man twisted it.
Thus, God gave us the Bible, but man twisted it. What did Spurgeon say about men changing God’s Word?
Quote-- “Pity they were not born when God lived, far-far back, that they might have taught God how to write. Oh, impudence beyond all bounds! Oh! Full blown self-conceit! To attempt to dictate to the All-Wise; to teach the Omniscient, and instruct the eternal. Strange that there should be men so vile as to use the penknife of Jehoikim, to cut passages of the Word, because they are unpalatable. Oh ye who dislike certain portions of the Holy Writ, rest assured that your taste is corrupt, and that God will not stay for your little opinion.”
Matt. 5:18-- “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
In the Greek, jot means iota, the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet; a tittle is a marking such as a cross on the letter t. Every jot and every tittle of God’s Word is perfect! Jesus Christ is saying that His Word will never change.
A wealthy woman who was traveling overseas saw a bracelet she thought was irresistible, so she sent here husband this cable: “Have found a wonderful bracelet. Price $75,000. May I buy it?” Here husband promptly wired back this response: “No, price too high.” But the cable operator omitted the comma, so the woman received this message: “No price too high.” Elated, she purchased the bracelet. Needless to say, at her return her husband was dismayed. It was just a little thing-a comma-but what a difference it made!
Every part of God’s Word, down to the smallest detail, is flawless.
2. God’s Word is Perfect in Being Fruitful
Why? Because it yields the truth.
John 17:17-- “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Sanctification means consecration; we can only be consecrated to God through the truth. God’s Word yields the truth because God’s Word is the truth! When the truth is sown in your heart, you will bear results in your life. The results will be perfect, for the Bible perfectly converts, perfectly quickens, perfectly convicts, perfectly cleanses, and perfectly conquers!
The Bible has a lot to offer. It gives us perfect strength, perfect hope, perfect faith, perfect wisdom, perfect understanding, perfect light, perfect love, and offers perfect salvation from a perfect Savior! Don’t tell me that’s not a fruitful book!
Charles Spurgeon said, “O Bible! It cannot be said of any other book, that it is perfect and pure, but of thee we can declare all wisdom is gathered up in thee, without a particle of folly. This is the judge that ends the strife where wit and reason fail. This is the book untainted by any error; but is pure, unalloyed, perfect truth. Why? Because God wrote it. Ah! Charge God with error if ye please; tell him that his book is not what it ought to be.”
What fruit does the Bible yield?
It yields truth, trust, and time.
Isa. 55:10-11-- “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it.”
God Himself stated that His Word will be fruitful. If you’ll spend time reading the Word, you will come away from it bearing fruit. God’s Word cannot return void. Do you want a prosperous life? Read the Word. Do you want a successful life? Read the Word? Do you want a fruit-filled life? Read the Word.
3. God’s Word is Perfect in Being Forever
Psa. 119:89-- “For ever, O LORD, they word is settled in heaven.”
God settled His Word a long time ago. Right now His Word is settled in heaven. And it will always be in heaven. It will last for all eternity. So why not get used to reading it now?
God’s Word will forever stand; it will forever shine; it will forever proclaim the truth. Your soul will last forever. But your soul is not perfect; not yet. When you get to heaven, the perfect Savior will make you perfect too.
Sinful man did not always think the Bible would last forever. In fact, some people tried to destroy the Bible.
Voltaire, a French writer of the 1700s, stated that “In 100 years, the Bible will not exist.” But shortly after his death in 1778, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his home to print Bibles. God has faithful to preserve His Word, and will continue to preserve it.
Psa. 12:6-7-- “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
For centuries, God protected and guarded His Word from those who wanted to destroy it. God used men like William Tyndale to translate the Word and keep it moving. God has given us a perfect testimony because His Word is with us; He preserved it! You hold within your hands an eternal book; the ONLY eternal book!
Famous quotes:
“It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible.”
--George Washington
“Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today--if only we would read and believe.”
--Ronald Reagan
“Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the well, not from the streams that flow from the well.”
--Amy Carmichael
“Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your heart, and practice them in your lives.”
--U.S. Grant
These people realized that the Bible is an eternal book. It is settled in heaven forever; it is preserved forever; it will live forever; it will shine forever. It is perfectly forever!
CONCLUSION
So what can we learn from this perfect book? Everything! We have everything to gain, everything to learn! Why should we read the Bible?
II Tim. 3:16-17-- “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instructor in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
The Word of God can make you perfect because it is perfect; and when its perfect roots are planted in your heart, you can be sure that perfect fruit will grow on the vines.
T. Hall said this about the Bible: “Here is food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, wine for the wearied, bread for the weak, raiment for the naked, gold for the poor, eye-salve for the blind, and physic for the sick. If thy heart be dead, this will quicken thee; if hard, this will soften it; if dull, revive it. In all our temptations, this is a David’s harp that helpeth to still them. We should therefore with joy draw water out of these wells of salvation. We see how worldlings delight to view their bills and bonds, their leases and indentures, by which they hold their lands and livings; and shall not we delight to study the Scripture, which assureth us of never-fading riches?”
Matt. 5:48-- “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Wait! That’s impossible! We can never be perfect. The word “perfect” here means “mature.” Jesus desires that maturity would be our standard. The closer you get to Jesus, the more mature you will be.
Col. 1:28-- “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
The Apostle Paul’s goal was to present every man perfect (or mature) in Christ. Is this your standard? Or have you just been going for the “better-than-the-other-guy” standard?
We must strive to be mature in Christ; this will only happen if we spend time in the Word. God’s Word will perfect your mind; it will perfect your heart; it will perfect your soul; and it will perfect your strength.
What you’d get if 99% were good enough:
--No phone service for 15 minutes each day
--1.7 million pieces of first class mail lost each day
--35,000 newborn babies dropped by doctors and nurses each year
--200,000 people getting the wrong drug prescriptions each year
--Unsafe drinking water three days a year
--Three misspelled words on the average page of type
--2 million people would die from food poisoning each year
It’s not enough to strive for a 99% standard. Go for perfection, go for the gold! How much of the Word of God do you read? How much do you memorize? How much do you write down? How much do you care? Read it. Hide it. Live it.
If you’ll learn the perfect Word of God, you’ll live the perfect life! Truly, the Christian life is the perfect life to live! Set a standard of maturity; and by the grace of God you’ll attain it.
