I give you my word!” How often have we heard this? We hear it from politicians, salespersons, recruiters, unlicensed contractors, and unreliable people in general. When people give us their “word,” how dependable is their word? When they make claims and promises, we need to know their basis of authority. If they’re led by personal interest and guided by their own, questionable principles, they may well be untrustworthy. If they are led by God’s word, we can be pretty confident that we will be treated honestly and fairly.
In the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah. Since Mary was a virgin, she asks how this would happen. She does not ask how could this happen. Mary does not doubt the angel. However, she feels too insignificant to find such favor with God. Still, she knows that God can do anything and use anyone. Gabriel reassures her. His pronouncement is from God, and to emphasize the significance, he declares in verse 37 that “No word from God will ever fail.” God’s promises can be trusted. In some translations verse 37 reads, “Nothing is impossible with God.” Both are accurate.
The authority of Scripture is crucial to our faith. The Bible is either God’s word or mere human opinion. I was conversing with a very liberal Army Chaplain about something the Apostle Paul wrote in his Epistles. He laughed dismissively and declared that “Paul was full of baloney most of the time.”
The mark of evangelicals is holding to Scripture as our “firm foundation.” God is the ultimate Authority and Scripture is our basis of authority. II Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.” The Bible is the ultimate standard of truth and our final authority. Our confidence in God rests upon His unfailing word. This is no minor doctrine. We are “People of the Book.” The divine origin of Scripture is a “hill to die on.” When we open our Bibles we are encountering infallible truth. To say the Bible is infallible means it is incapable of error. All the words of Scripture are God’s words. When we hear sermons, read religious books, and sing hymns, we appraise them by how true to Scripture they are.
I remember hearing a preacher who apparently thought he had immaculate perception. He declared: “If you disagree with me, you’re disagreeing with the Bible!” I wanted to stand up and say “No, I disagree with your interpretation of the Bible.” No preacher--myself included--gets it right all the time. Our tombstones should read: “Straightened out at last.” In a Peanuts cartoon, Snoopy is writing a book of theology with this title: “Have you ever considered that you might be wrong?” When I get to that great Bible Study in the sky I’ll find out just how right and wrong I was.
The Virgin Mary was the supernatural means by which God-the-Son was born. Mary embraced her role in history. “May it be to me as you have said,” verse 38. This is Mary’s “yes.” Her consent is a statement of faith. Luther said the Bible is the crib in which the Christ Child comes to us. II Peter 1:21 says that “No prophecy in Scripture ever came from a prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. The prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” He superintended the writing of Scripture. The Bible is inspired, preserved, and trustworthy. It contains hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled.
This isn’t a Christmas sermon. My focus this morning is not on the Virgin Birth, though we need to understand that God is not limited by human biology. He created us, and He can alter the laws of nature and procreation. There is nothing illogical about the miracle of our Savior’s birth or the miracle of God giving us His word. “No word of God will ever fail.” People may fail us, situations may disappoint us, but we can count on the Bible to give us unfailing guidance, comfort, and strength.
Besides Scripture’s own claims, we see that the Bible is accurate and consistent. It has a unified message. It changes lives and has influenced the course of history. It has unmatched beauty and depth. It is the force behind civil rights, charitable giving, fidelity in marriage, peacemaking, social justice, human dignity and worth.
Journalist A.J. Jacobs decided to obey every commandment in the Bible for one year, chronicled in his delightful bestselling book The Year of Living Biblically. But to do so, he had to first read it. Jacobs admits: “I am officially Jewish, but in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant.” He was struck by the gravitas of Scripture. He says, “The more I read, the more I absorbed the fact that the Bible isn’t just another book. It’s the Book of books.” You’ll have to read A.J.’s book to see how his year of living the Bible turned out.
There are two ways to approach the Bible: Either it is merely a book of human speculation about God, or divine revelation from God. Two Jewish scholars were engaged in a public debate on the Bible, Alan Dershowitz and Dennis Prager. Dennis made a comparison; he said: “When Alan reads something he doesn’t like in the Bible, he thinks the Bible is wrong and he is right. When I differ with the Bible, I believe the Bible is right and I am wrong.” Dershowitz agreed with this assessment. Prager went on to say: “Those who believe God is the Source of the Bible’s commandments are far more likely to obey them than those who believe they are all man-made.”
Greg Koukle wrote a book on defending the faith titled Tactics, a book every Christian should read. He says that “Most people who believe in the authority of the Bible did not come to this conviction through argument, but through encounter.” We need to invite people to simply read the Bible and let the Holy Spirit open their eyes and persuade them of its authority. If I take out my pocket knife, you may not think its sharp, but you’ll likely change your mind if I poke you with it! The Bible is like a double edge sword, sharp and powerful, whether people believe it or not.
The longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119 in each of its 176 verses upholds the truth of God’s word. Truth is neither your opinion nor mine. Skeptics oppose the authority of Scripture. Thomas Jefferson literally cut out the passages of the Bible he didn’t like. St. Augustine pointed out, “If you believe what you like in the Bible and reject what you don't like, it is not the Bible you believe, but yourself.” And R.C. Sproul stated, “You don’t have to give up your intellect to trust the Bible. You have to give up your pride.”
But maybe you’ve read something in Scripture and wondered, “How did that get there?” There are some hard sayings in Scripture we struggle to grasp. Some teachings are mysterious, and fellow-believers don’t always agree on what they mean. Nonetheless, “we’re required to believe what the Bible says is true, not what we want the Bible to say is true” (Sproul). Still, some passages raise unanswered questions. The problem isn’t the Bible but our limited understanding. The more we ponder, and the more we pray for illumination, the more light we’ll receive.
We find Christ through Scripture. Peter reminds us: “You have been born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God,” I Peter 1:23. The church is subordinate to Scripture. We do not govern ourselves. We are to read, preach, sing, and pray the Scriptures as we gather for worship.
Mary knew and trusted God’s word. After the angel Gabriel departed, she visited her relative Elizabeth and sang a hymn of praise--the Magnificat--in verses 46-55. She alludes to numerous Hebrew Scriptures in her song.
I saw an article on Facebook yesterday giving creative ways to cheat and steal. Without moral absolutes people feel free to do whatever they like. Do we respond to life from a Biblical perspective? Trying to live the Christian life without the Bible is like trying to play soccer without a ball (Alistair Begg). God’s revelation gives us meaning and power for this life and assures us of eternal life to come. In this fallen world where people make their own truth we have the comforting certainty of “Thus says the Lord.” But we can’t know the Bible until we are willing to be changed by it. As God accomplished His purpose in the writers of Scripture, He can do the same in the readers of Scripture.
Prayer: Author of Truth, Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. May we delight in Your word and hide it in our hearts. May we meditate on it day and night, and hold fast to the word of life. We are not wandering aimlessly; we are governed by Your absolutes; and in keeping Your word there is great reward. Be glorified as we seek to communicate Your teachings through our words and actions; in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
