Clear As Mud or Crystal Clear?
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
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Alternative Introduction for WPRZ
Hi Everyone and welcome to the weekly community message on WPRZ. My name is Jay Nickless, Pastor of Gateway Bible Church in Gainesville, Virginia and it’s my honor and privilege to bring you this week’s community message.
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Introduction
Good morning and welcome to part 3 of our June message series entitled: “(Re)Discovering God’s Word.
When Josiah was king of Judah he ordered the temple to be renovated. During the process of the “Extreme Makeover Temple Edition” an old book that had been discarded was discovered and read to the twenty-six year old king. The Scroll was none other than the Word of God, and upon hearing its contents, the young king repented and called for a sacred assembly throughout the land to hear the contents of the sacred scroll. For up until that time, a cloud of darkness had spread throughout the land and ruled the people’s hearts. Idol worship, sexual immorality and even human sacrifice were among the lewd practices of the masses. Even the Temple of God itself was littered with obscene shrines and indecent memorials to false gods. But after being enlightened with God’s Word, King Josiah set in motion a series of reforms throughout his kingdom whose likes had never been seen before or since. Like a light dispelling the darkness, the discovery of God’s Word of God exposed the darkness and illuminated the pathway to right living.
And God’s Word continues to impact our lives in the same way today. The Psalmist described the impact of God’s Word in Psalm 119:105 when he stated,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
Psalm 119:105, 130 (NIV)
Literally every day people are discovering and rediscovering the impact and power of God’s Word for daily living. To say the least, there’s no other book that even comes close to being like it in content or influence.
And so far in Parts 1 & 2 of our series, we have discovered that . . .
1. The Bible is God’s “Inspired” Word.
2. The Bible is Completely Reliable and Trustworthy.
And according to the Barna Research Group, the percentage of American adults who read the bible is increasing. And while this is encouraging, I have come to realize that reading the bible and understanding the bible can be two totally different concepts.
I find that many people today are much like the Ethiopian official in Acts 8 who was reading from the bible when Philip came near his chariot and asked him a very important question,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
How about you? What if I were to ask you this same question today? “Do you understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian official was blatantly honest in his response:
“How can I (understand it) unless someone helps me?”
Have you ever felt like that? Boy I sure have. And interestingly enough, even the Apostle Peter admitted to having some trouble understanding Scripture. Listen to what Peter wrote concerning some of Paul’s Letters:
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
2 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)
So if you’ve had trouble understanding God’s Word, you’re in good company. You’re certainly not alone. Unfortunately, some have given up reading the bible out of frustration. Others are convinced that the bible is a secretive and mysterious book known only by a select few.
Listen to God’s Word in 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT)
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Did you catch that last phrase? “…he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” That includes you and I.
The truth of the matter is that God greatly desires for all of us to Understand His Word. For you see, God’s Word, the bible, is His primary way of speaking to us.
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God Greatly Desires For All Of Us To Understand His Word.
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Maybe like the Ethiopian official in Acts 8, you’re asking,
“How can I unless someone helps me?”
Well that’s exactly what I hope to be able to do through this message today, to help you better understand the bible, God’s Word. And so for our remaining time together, I would like to share three crucial principles on understanding God’s Word.
In order to understand God’s Word, we must
consider the following three principles:
The first crucial principle for understanding God’s Word is …
1. The Principle of Illumination.
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
Psalm 119:18 (NIV)
The first crucial principle for understanding God’s Word is what we call “The Principle of Illumination”. By definition, Illumination is the supernatural influence or ministry of the Holy Spirit, which enables all who believe in Christ to understand the Scriptures.
The fact of the matter is that we cannot and will not be able to understand the bible without the help of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because all of us are born with natural blinders that prevent us from comprehending God’s Word.
(1) Blinded by The Light
The first thing that blinds us to God’s Truth is the blinding effect of God’s Word Itself. Here’s how it works.
High Beams
Have you ever had the experience of driving down a dark road at night, come to the crest of a hill only to be blasted by the brilliant high beam lights of an oncoming vehicle in the other lane? It’s blinding isn’t it? Why? Because your eyes are so adjusted to the darkness, that when a brilliant luminescence hits you, it’s impossible for the rods and cones in your eyes to adjust quick enough resulting in being blinded by the light.
A similar thing happens when we try to read God’s Word without the help of the Holy Spirit. The bible tells us that we are born in sin. Which basically means that each of us are born with the tendency to want our own way and to live independently without God in our lives. As we grow up this way, our spiritual eyes are so accustomed to the darkness of our sin that when the Light of God’s Word hits us, it has a blinding effect. The Light’s there, but instead of helping us see, it has a blinding effect. And just as Isaiah prophesied we are …
“ever seeing, but never perceiving”
Isaiah 6:9 (NIV)
(2) Blinded by Sin
Another way in which we are blinded to God’s Word is by the darkness of our own sin. John tells us in his first letter that …
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
1 John 2:11 (NIV)
Sin certainly has a darkening effect that keeps out the Light of the Truth. While it’s certainly not an exclusive in its ability to blind us, I find that one of the most blinding of all sins is pride. That’s why James 4:6 tells us
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6 (NIV)
We can be blinded by the Light, by the darkness of our own sin but we can also be …
(3) Blinded by Satan
Notice what Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4 about spiritual blindness:
Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
How does Satan blind us?
• He keeps us distracted and preoccupied with selfish and sinful pursuits.
• He causes heartache and trouble in our lives and convinces us that it’s God’s fault.
• He fills our minds with unbelief, doubt, discouragement and fear.
• He creates confusion by distorting and twisting the Truth of God’s Word.
Can you see why we need the Illumination of the Holy Spirit? We’re blinded! In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul told the Corinthians that when God spoke to Moses and gave him His commands, the people had to put a veil over Moses’ face because it was too radiant for them to look at. And Paul tells the Corinthians that …
15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil,
and they do not understand.
2 Corinthians 3:15 (NLT)
The truth is that all of us have that same veil over our hearts that prevent us from understanding God’s Word. And verses 16-17 of the same text tells us that there’s only one thing that can take that veil away.
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)
Friends, this is Illumination at its finest! Have you ever experienced the Illumination of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Pete Lackey has. And he has been generous enough to come and share this experience with us this morning. Please give Pete a Gateway welcome as he comes to share.
Personal Testimony From Pete Lackey
Friends, when it comes to understanding the bible, our starting block is the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 …
14 But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)
In Psalm 119:18 the Psalmist makes a very simple, yet profound request that I believe is applicable for all of us when it comes to reading and understanding God’s Word:
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
Psalm 119:18 (NIV)
Illumination is the supernatural influence or ministry of the Holy Spirit, which enables all who believe in Christ to understand the Scriptures.
Application:
• We need to turn to Christ and allow the Spirit of God to give us freedom and insight into God’s Word.
• We need to ask the Holy Spirit to Illuminate our hearts and minds or as the Psalmist said “Open our eyes” to understand God’s Word.
The second crucial principle for understanding God’s Word is …
2. The Principle of Preparation.
In order to understand God’s Word we must start with Illumination. But that’s just where it starts. The second crucial principle for understanding God’s Word is what I call The Principle of Preparation. While the Holy Spirit will illuminate our minds, that is no excuse for shoddiness or lack of preparation.
If you want to understand the Word of God then you need to commit yourself to the process of preparation. What does this process look like? Well in the Old Testament, there was a man who modeled the process of preparation for understanding God’s Word. His name was Ezra and he was instrumental in helping God’s people return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple of God. But tucked away in the middle of the book that bears his name is a very insightful verse on this Preparation Principle; it’s found in Ezra 7:10 which says,
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
Ezra modeled the Preparation Principle in Three Specific and Identifiable Ways:
Ezra devoted himself to …
(1) The Study of God’s Word
The first aspect of Preparation in order to understand God’s Word has to do with the Study of God’s Word. Ezra devoted himself to the study of God’s word. And friends, we live in a day when there are more tools available for studying God’s Word than ever before. When you think about the idea of studying what comes to mind? For some people, they think of coffee, caffeine and all night cram sessions. But when it comes to studying the bible, I would like to encourage you to think of it like an adventurous explorer searching for hidden treasure.
1 Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. 2 Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. 3 That’s right—if you make Insight your priority, and won’t take no for an answer, 4 Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, 5 Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-GOD will be yours; you’ll have come upon the Knowledge of God. 6 And here’s why: GOD gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
Proverbs 2:1-6 (The Message)
I love the pictures of gold and treasure; these pictures tell me how the valuable truths of God get into my life. You don’t find gold just lying around on the ground; you have to dig and search for it. You don’t find hidden treasure without a map; you have to search it out and dig it up. God gives us his Word and says “X marks the spot.” Here is the place where you can find the hope you need, the power to love, and a deeper faith than you ever imagined. But you have to open the Bible, and read it. And many times you have to dig a little. Understanding doesn’t come immediately; it take thought and prayer and study.
(2) The Observance of God’s Word
Not only did Ezra devote himself to studying God’s Word, he also devoted himself to observing or “doing” God’s Word. And if you really want to understand the Bible, you need to do what it says. James, the Lord’s half-brother says it this way…
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
(3) The Teaching of God’s Word
The third aspect of preparation that Ezra modeled for us is not only did he devote himself to studying and observing God’s Word, but he also devoted himself to teaching it to others. Listen to what Colossians 3:16 says:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.”
Colossians 3:16 (NIV)
Teaching God’s Word to others will keep you from growing stagnant in your faith.
In Israel there are two seas. In the north is the Sea of Galilee, and in the south the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is a beautiful body of water, still a vacation spot in Israel, filled with fish and teeming with life. The Dead Sea is called dead for a good reason. It is so filled with minerals that little can survive in or around this desolate site. What’s the difference? Water flows into the Sea of Galilee from the northern mountains and then out through the Jordan River. The Dead Sea has no outlet, so if fills with sediment and minerals.
These two seas are a good parable for your life as a Christian. If you only take God’s Word in, you’ll soon find yourself growing stagnant in your faith. The most exciting truth in history will seem stale. It is as you share the truth with others that the living water continues to flow in fresh and inspiring ways through your heart.
The third crucial principle for understanding God’s Word is …
3. The Principle of Interpretation.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)
Like me, you’ve probably heard people say that the bible is so confusing because there are so many interpretations. But this statement is not really accurate. There is a big difference between the interpretation of the bible and the application of the bible. You see, while people will certain apply the bible in a lot of different ways there is really only one true interpretation of the bible. Interpretation has to do with the author’s original intent. And I don’t know about you but I find it amazing how people will try to twist the Bible to say anything they want, often throwing out rules of common sense. You can’t just ignore all the rules for understanding a language or a book when you pick up the Bible. As we get to know the Word, it’s vital that we understand a few simple guidelines for interpreting the Bible.
While certainly not exhaustive, here are seven guidelines for understanding the Bible that will help you to follow God’s command in Timothy to be a workman who is “handling accurately the word of truth.”
Seven Guidelines for Interpreting God’s Word
(1) Faith and the Holy Spirit are necessary for proper interpretation.
To make sense of the whole of what the Bible says and means, you have to have a personal relationship with the author. And for someone who is not yet a believer, even the smallest step of faith will give them insight to understand God’s Word.
(2) Allow The Bible To Interpret Itself. Learn to do cross-reference studies.
When someone asks me, “What’s the best commentary on the Bible?” my first answer is always, “The Bible”. You have to look all the way through the Bible to see what the Bible teaches. Scripture best explains Scripture.
(3) Understand the Old Testament in light of the New Testament.
The Old Testament can sometimes be a scary place without the light of the New Testament. Picture it like this: The Old Testament is a dimly lit room filled with treasures. The New Testament brings more light into the room. It allows you to see the real beauty of the treasures contained in the Old Testament.
(4) Understand Unclear Passages in light of Clear Passages.
People violate this guideline all the time. They find one verse they don’t understand, decide how to interpret it, and then try to make other verses fit with their unique interpretation. Mark Twain once said, “It’s not the things that I don’t understand that bother me about the Bible. It’s the things I do understand that bother me.”
(5) Understand Words & Verses in Light of Their Context.
This is an absolutely essential rule for accurate interpretation! When we read a passage of Scripture we have to ask the question, “What was the author’s original intent?” There are so many words on so many subjects in the Bible. It’s easy to take a few of them out of context to prove just about anything you want.
(6) Understand Historical Passages in Light of Doctrinal Passages.
We must be very careful not to try and make the Bible say something that is not doctrinally accurate. For instance, when we look at how several Old Testament kings married many wives we have to ask ourselves, “Is this a biblical practice?” But when we compare the historical passage with a doctrinal passage we can readily see that these men were acting in disobedience. Genesis tells us that the two shall become one, not that three hundred and one shall become one! And Deuteronomy specifically warned the king, “The king must not take many wives”.
(7) Understand Personal Experience in Light of Scripture.
This is probably the guideline that believers tend to break the most often. We tend to understand Scripture in the light of personal experience, and we make our personal application of Scripture into a command for others to follow.
Romans 13:8 says, “Owe nothing to anyone”. I know of a person who upon reading this passage felt strongly prompted to cut up their credit cards and toss them in the trash. She then began to teach others that the bible was clearly instructing everyone to do the same. Well, what about people who use their credit cards in a beneficial manner and pay off their credit cards at the end of each month?
Conclusion
G.K. Chesterton was one of the great Christian minds of the early twentieth century. He had a way with words not unlike Mark Twain. Chesterton once said, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.”
Chesterton was asked what one book he would want with him if he were stranded on a desert island. Everyone of course expected him to say “The Bible,” with a wonderful explanation why. His surprising and exceedingly sensible answer was, “Thomas Guide to Practical Ship Building.” Of course! If you were stranded on an island, a guide to ship-building would show you what to do to safely get home.
We are all stranded, in a way, on this island we call Planet Earth. We long for the day when we will be together in heaven, but we are not there yet. While we wait, God has given us an amazing gift, the Bible, the one book we need.
It is a book that gives us hope.
It is a book that gives us direction.
It is a book that will see us safely home.
Pray with me:
“Lord, I need the truth of your Word. Forgive me for those times when I’ve relied on my thoughts rather than seeking out what you have to say. I make a fresh commitment to read and study and follow the truth of your Word. I know, Lord, that this will not be easy. I’m asking for your strength, and I pray for the wisdom to remember to look for answers in your Word, to share what you’re teaching me with others, and to act on what I hear. Grow in me for the rest of my life a deepening love for your Word.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
