Sermon series on Fundamental Beliefs #1 The Word of God
(((SLIDE))) Psalm 119:105
1 The Holy Scriptures
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration. The inspired authors spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to humanity the
knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation
of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the
trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.
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I don’t think I can ever recall a book with so much power and passion, loved and revered by so many, inspiring some of the noblest acts in human history. Its uniqueness is not derived from human reasoning and wisdom or political, cultural, or social influence but from its source and subject matter.
The Bible is God’s revelation of the unique God-man: the Son of God, Jesus Christ—the Savior of the world.
God’s holy word, the Bible, is unique among all other books. It was written by more than 40 authors living on three different continents over a span of 1,500 years—yet its words were inspired by God.
He inspired human authors, and through them, He communicated His will to the rest of humanity (2 Peter 1:20-21).
That’s why the Bible does so well at reaching people at differing points in their lives, amid different situations, and with a wide spectrum of perspectives. The Bible reveals God, but through human eyes, so we can relate.
These days, people question everything. They question the news, authority figures, and even themselves. It’s almost a default mindset when there’s so much contradictory information confronting us each day from a variety of media.
It can sometimes feel like there’s no real right answer to anything. But even amid all the confusion and noise of the world, the Bible can be the one source of information that is completely trustworthy. It teaches us the right way to live, reveals God’s character, and holds the answer to all our big questions.
(((SLIDE))) 2 Timothy 3:16
even describes Scripture as “breathed out by God,” and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (ESV).
How true that is. Scripture holds instructions, wisdom, and guidance for every decision we might face, serving as a roadmap for life. The Bible’s pages are full of wisdom, telling us what God asks of us and how He wants us to live.
A psalmist once wrote:
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The psalmist once wrote: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, CSB).
But the Bible isn’t just a collection of words and sayings; it’s a story—the story of the human race. It tells us how God created humanity to be perfect, how humanity lost that perfection, and how God has been fighting to restore us ever since.
The Bible is the story of humanity’s flaws and failures overcome by God’s love and forgiveness. Humans fall short at making things right, but God will always come through.
This is another way the Bible serves as a roadmap. It reveals our own tendencies, the flaws that came along with our fallen nature. It tells us the stories of people who struggled to live in a world full of both good and evil, the choices they made, and how God worked in their lives.
It gives us examples of both what to do and what not to do, instructing us on the reasoning behind the doctrines we practice and the choices God wants us to make.
Although the Scriptures were meant to instruct us, some parts can be confusing. Even scholars struggle with the exact meaning of some passages.
There are times when it seems simpler to just take the preacher’s word for it instead of trying to sort things out for ourselves.
That’s how many Christians felt in the mid-1800s. They were content to hear the preacher read from the pulpit and leave the difficult Bible verses for someone else to study.
But not everyone felt this way. Some truly wanted to understand the whole Bible, Old and New Testament alike. They wanted to read God’s word for themselves, experience and understand His gospel, and follow His commandments.
Out of this desire, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was born, led by Christians who wanted a deeper understanding of God’s word. The more they read and devoted themselves to Bible study, the more they learned about who God is and His love that goes into each of His instructions for us.
Throughout history, while some have questioned God’s existence, many have confidently testified that He exists and that He has disclosed Himself. So the question that comes to our minds is how has God revealed Himself, and how does the Bible function in His revelation?
(((SLIDE))) THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WILL
The more we learn about Scripture, the clearer it becomes that the Bible is not like any other book. It is God’s Word sent to human authors and passed down through generations. How else could a book written over such a long span of time by so many different people of diverse backgrounds contain one cohesive message?
There’s no way the Bible could keep its strong, united message over all that time without God’s hand guiding the process. He wanted to make sure the Bible gave its readers a clear, vivid message.
God gave us the Holy Scriptures so that He could reveal His character, and this is wonderful news! It means we don’t have to keep second-guessing ourselves, wondering what God is like and what He wants from us. He already gave us the answers in His Word.
God further revealed His will and His desire for our hearts through Jesus, His son, when He sent Him down to earth to be our Messiah.
The four gospels of the New Testament give us a detailed account of Jesus’ time on earth, demonstrating God’s character and His love for us.
God isn’t some mysterious deity wandering up in the clouds and trying to hide from us. He is our loving Father and Creator, eager to be with us, and longing that we might grow strong in our faith and grow closer to Him. That is the image of God Scripture shows us.
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General Revelation
The insight into God’s character that history, human behavior, conscience, and nature provide is frequently called “General Revelation” because it is available to all and appeals to reason.
For millions around the world,
(((SLIDE))) Psalm 19:1
“the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.”
The sunshine we enjoy here in Pennsylvania, the rain, and the rolling hills and streams all testify of a loving Creator.
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Romans 1:20 declares
“For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that were made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Others see evidence of a caring God in the happy relationships and extraordinary love between friends, family members, husband and wife, and parents and children.
(((SLIDE))) It is Written
Isa. 66:13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you”
The Bible says also in Ps.103:13
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear (respect, God’s righteousness, and sovereignty) Him.”
Yet the same sunshine that testifies of a loving Creator can turn the earth into a parched desert, bringing starvation and drought. The same rain can turn into a rushing flood that drowns families. Human relationships often involve envy, anger, greed, and even hatred, leading to murder, as we recently discovered in our walk through the Book of James.
The world around us gives us mixed signals, presenting more questions than answers. It reveals a conflict between good and evil but does not explain how and why the conflict started, who is fighting, why, or who will ultimately gain the victory.
Unfortunately, sin obscures God’s self-revelation throughout creation by limiting our ability to interpret God’s testimony so the Lord. In love God gave a Special revelation known as the Bible.
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This is called a Special Revelation:
While the Holy Scripture paints a picture of humanity’s history and offers us insight into God’s will and character, it also holds many valuable morals that are just as true today as the day they were written.
That in itself is no easy feat. Society’s morals are constantly changing. What might have been considered brave or noble a hundred years ago might be viewed as foolish or small-minded today, or vice-versa.
The world’s views about what’s okay, what’s permissible, or what’s frowned upon change all the time. But God’s views don’t (Matthew 24:35).
The commandments He set down in the Old Testament will never change. Christ’s doctrines of loving our neighbors and forgiving those who wrong us will never go out of style. God’s law will always be
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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV).
The lessons and instructions God put into scripture for us will never become old and outdated. They will never be antiquated beliefs without use or practicality. God’s word transcends time and culture. His commandments will always be binding and His promises will always be true.
God’s word is timeless,
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“…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”
Even though it was written thousands of years ago, the Bible still has the same strength and impact it did when God first inspired it. He put His wisdom and love into each passage so that we might know Him better. That wisdom and love is still relevant and alive today.
God’s written word has had a tremendous impact throughout history. It has guided people, inspired nations, and changed hearts all over the world.
In 1995, the Guinness Book of World Records declared the Bible the number one best-selling book of all time, with over 5 billion copies sold and distributed around the world, and translated into 349 languages. How could a simple book become so wide-spread, reaching and impacting so many people? This is God’s word, and through it He speaks to us.
God uses Scripture to offer us a roadmap to life and give us insight into humanity’s story. He uses it to reveal His will and offer us timeless, relevant wisdom. The Bible has been referred to as God’s love letter to us, and that comparison couldn’t be more accurate. God shows His love for us by revealing His character, offering us wisdom and advice, and telling us how He sent His son to die so that we could live. What love could be greater than that?
The Bible declares the truth about God and reveals Him as a person. Both areas of revelation are necessary: We need to know God through Jesus Christ and the truth that is in Jesus. Through the Scriptures, God breaks through our mental, mortal, and spiritual limitations, communicating His eagerness to save us.
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The Focus of the Scriptures
The Bible reveals God and exposes humanity. It exposes our predicament and reveals His solution.
The Word of God presents us as lost and estranged from God and reveals Jesus as the one who finds us and brings us back to God.
Jesus Christ is the focus of the Scriptures.
The Old Testament sets forth the Son of God as the Messiah, the world’s redeemer, while the New Testament reveals Him as Jesus Christ, the savior.
Every book of the Bible, in some form or another, either through symbol or reality, reveals some phase of His work and character. Jesus’s death on the cross is the ultimate revelation of God’s character of love.
The Cross makes this ultimate revelation because it brings together two extremes: humanity’s unfathomable evil and God’s inexhaustible love. The cross reveals a God who allowed His only Son to die for humanity’s sins.
What a sacrifice.
Indeed, the focus of the Bible is Jesus Christ. He is at the center stage of the cosmic conflict. The theme of God’s love, particularly as seen in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross—the greatest truth of the universe—is the focus of the Bible. All major Bible truths, therefore, should be studied from this perspective.
(((SLIDE))) Authorship of the Scriptures.
The Bible’s authority for faith and practice rises from its origins. Its writers viewed the Bible as distinct from other literature.
They referred to it
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as “Holy Scriptures” (Rom 1:2) sacred writings (2 Tim 3:15), and the oracles of God (Rom 3:2) Heb 5:12)
The uniqueness of the scriptures is based on their origin and source. The Bible writers claimed they did not originate their messages but received them from divine sources. It was through divine revelation that thy were able to “see” the truths they passed on.
These writers pointed to the Holy Spirit as the one who communicated through the prophets to the people.
(((SLIDE))) 2 Sam 23:12
“the Spirit entered me”
Eze. 2:2; 11:5
The Spirit of the Lord fell upon me”
Micah 3:8
I am full of the power of the Spirit of the Lord”
The New Testament recognized the role of the Holy Spirit in the production of the Old Testament. In Mark 12:36 “Jesus said that David was inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
Paul believed that the Holy Spirit guided all the prophets, not just a few. At ttimes the writer faded into the background even, and th real author –the Holy Spirit was recognized.
(((SLIDE))) Hebrews 3:7, 9:8
“The Holy Spirit says…By this the Holy Spirit indicates”
So God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, has revealed Himself through the Holy Scriptures. God wrote them, not with His hands, but with other hands—about 40 pairs—over a period of more than 1,500 years. Since the Holy Spirit inspired the writers, God is its author.
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Inspiration of the Scriptures
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2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God.”
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The Greek word theopneustos,
translated as “Inspiration, literally means God-breathed or God-breathed truth into the minds of humans that He chose. Inspiration, therefore, is the process through which God communicates His eternal truth.
(((SLIDE))) The Process of Inspiration.
Divine revelation was given by inspiration of God to “Holy Men of God” who were “moved by the Holy Spirit” 2 Peter 1:21
God inspired men—not words.
So one must ask the question were the prophets as passive as tape recorders that replay exactly what is recorded? In some instances writers were commanded to express the exact words of God, but in most cases God instructed them to write what they saw or heard.
In the latter cases, the writes used ther own language, patterns, and style.
Paul observed in 1 Cor 14:32 that “genuine inspiration does not obliterate the prophet’s individuality, reason, integrity, or personality. To some degree, Moses's relationship with Aaron illustrates the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the writer. God said to Moses, “I have made you as God to Pharoh, and Aaron, your brother, shall be your prophet.”
So Moses informed Aaron of God’s message, and in turn, Aaron communicated them in his own vocabulary and style to Pharoh.
The Bible is not God’s mode of thought and expression.
People will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, inlogic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penman, not His pen.
Inspiration acts not only on the person’s words or expressions but also on the person themselves. Those who are under the influence of the Holy Spirit are imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impression of the individual mind.
The Bible, then, is divine truth expressed in human language.
(((SLIDE))) Inspiration and the Writers.
The Holy Spirit prepared certain persons to communicate divine truth.
The Bible does not explain in detail how He qualified these individuals, but in some way He formed a union between the divine and the human agent.
Those who had a part in writing the Bible were not chosen because of their natural talents.
(Let's face it: I was not chosen to pastor based on my preaching skills.) There are many more gifted pastors out there,) but I try my best.
Nor did divine revelation necessarily convert the person or assure him of eternal life. Balaam proclaimed a divine message under inspiration while acting contrary to God's counsels (Numbers 22-24).
David, who was used by the Holy Spirit, committed great crimes (cf. Psalm 51). All the writers of the Bible were men with sinful natures, needing God's grace daily (cf. Rom. 3:12).
The inspiration the Biblical writers experienced was more than illumination or divine guidance, for these come to all who seek truth. In fact, the Biblical writers sometimes wrote without fully understanding the divine message they communicated!
The writers' responses to the messages they bore were not uniform. Daniel and John said they were greatly perplexed over their writings, and 1 Peter 1:10 indicates that other writers searched for the meaning of their messages or those of others. Sometimes, these individuals feared to proclaim an inspired message, and some even debated with God.
(((SLIDE))) The Method and content of Revelation
Frequently the Holy Spirit communicated divine knowledge by means of visions and dreams (Num. 12:6). Sometimes He spoke audibly or to the inner senses. God spoke to Samuel "in his ear" (1 Sam. 9:15). Zechariah received symbolic representations with explanations (Zechariah 4). The visions of heaven that Paul and John received were accompanied by oral instructions (2 Cor. 12:1-4; Revelation 4, 5). Ezekiel observed events transpiring in another location (Ezekiel 8). Some writers participated in their visions, performing certain functions as a part of the vision itself (Revelation 10).
One of our Elders testified that the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart that he should go talk to the woman at the bookstore!
As to contents, to some the Spirit revealed events yet to occur (Daniel 2, 7, 8, 12). Other writers recorded historical events, either on the basis of personal experience or through selecting materials from existing historical records (Judges, l Samuel, 2 Chronicles, the Gospels, Acts).
(((SLIDE))) Inspiration and History
Now you all know I love history so I must add a small discussion on Inspiration and history.
The Biblical assertion that "All Scripture is inspired by God" or "God-breathed," profitable and authoritative for moral and spiritual living (2 Tim. 3:15, 16, RSV; NIV) leaves no question about divine guidance in the selection process.
Whether the information came from personal observation, oral or written sources, or direct revelation, it all came to the writer through the Holy Spirit's guidance. This guarantees the Bible's trustworthiness.
The Bible reveals God's plan in His dynamic interaction with the human race, not in a collection of abstract doctrines. His self-revelation stands rooted in real events that occurred in a definite time and place.
The reliability of the historical accounts is extremely important because they form the framework of our understanding of God's character and His purpose for us. An accurate understanding leads to eternal life, but an incorrect view leads to confusion and death.
God commanded certain men to write a history of His dealings with Israel. These historical narratives, written from a view-point different from that of secular history, comprise an important part of the Bible (cf. Num. 33:1, 2; Joshua 24:25, 26; Eze. 24:2).
They provide us with accurate, objective history, from a divine perspective. The Holy Spirit gave the writers special insights so that they could record events in the controversy between good and evil that demonstrate the character of God and guide people in their quest for salvation.
(((SLIDE))) The Accuracy of the Scriptures
Just as Jesus "became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), so, in order for us to understand truth, the Bible was given in the language of humanity. The inspiration of the Scriptures guarantees their trustworthiness.
How far did God safeguard the transmission of the text beyond assuring that its message is valid and true? It is clear that while the ancient manuscripts vary, the essential truths have been preserved.
While it is quite possible that copyists and translators of the Bible made minor mistakes, evidence from Biblical archeology reveals that many alleged errors were really misunderstandings on the part of scholars.
Perceived discrepancies, then, should not erode confidence in the Scriptures; they often are products of our inaccurate perceptions rather than actual mistakes. Is God on trial when we come across a sentence or text that we cannot fully understand? We may never be able to explain every text in Scripture, but we do not have to. Fulfilled prophecies verify the Scripture's reliability.
In spite of attempts to destroy it, the Bible has been preserved with amazing, even miraculous, accuracy. Comparison of the Dead Sea scrolls with later manuscripts of the Old Testament demonstrates the carefulness with which it has been transmitted. 4 They confirm the trustworthiness and reliability of the Scriptures as the infallible revelation of God's will.
(((SLIDE))) The Scope of Scriptural Authority
Contradictions between Scripture and science are frequently the result of speculation. When we cannot harmonize science with Scripture, it is because we have "an imperfect comprehension of either science or revelation . . . but rightly understood, they are in perfect harmony."
All human wisdom must be subject to the authority of Scripture. The Bible truths are the norm by which all other ideas must be tested. Judging the Word of God by finite human standards is like trying to measure the stars with a yardstick. The Bible must not be subjected to human norms. It is superior to all human wisdom and literature. Rather than our judging the Bible, all will be judged by it, for it is the standard of character and test of all experience and thought.
Finally, the Scriptures retain authority even over the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, including guidance through the gift of prophecy or speaking in tongues.
The gifts of the Spirit do not supercede the Bible; indeed, they must be tested by the Bible, and if not in accord with it, they must be discarded as not genuine. "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them"
(((SLIDE))) The Unity of the Scriptures (Conclusion)
A superficial reading of the Scriptures will yield a superficial understanding of it.
Read in such a way, the Bible may appear to be a jumble of stories, sermons, and history. Yet, those open to the illumination of the Spirit of God, those willing to search for the hidden truths with patience and much prayer, discover that the Bible evidences an underlying unity in what it teaches about the principles of salvation.
The Bible is not monotonously uniform. Rather, it comprises a rich and colorful diversity of harmonious testimonies of rare and distinct beauty. And because of its variety of perspectives it is better able to meet human needs through all times.
Though written generations apart, the truths of the Old and New Testaments remain inseparable; they do not contradict each other. The two testaments are one, as God is one.
The Old Testament, through prophecies and symbols, reveals the gospel of the Savior to come; the New Testament, through the life of Jesus, reveals the Saviour who came—the gospel in reality. Both reveal the same God. The Old Testament serves as foundation for the New. It provides the key to unlock the New while the New explains the mysteries of the Old.
God graciously calls us to become acquainted with Him by searching His Word. In it we can find the rich blessing of the assurance of our salvation. We can discover for ourselves that the Scriptures are "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Through them we "may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
