Signposts Of Significance

"Signposts of Significance"

Hosea 5:10-15

Scripture Reading

Hosea 5:10 The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. 11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. 12 Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. 13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. 14 For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. 15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Hosea 5:15 "I will abandon my people until they have suffered enough for their sins and come looking for me. Perhaps in their suffering they will try to find me." GNB

Introduction: What happens to a society or a culture when the basis for its moral, ethical, and cultural standards is changed, (removed)? When this happens its moral moorings are loosed, creating drift and its foundations, its underpinnings are undermined creating uncertainty, and ultimately leading to the collapse of the culture. We have to ask ourselves, "is there one landmark in particular that we could point to that would have such a devastating effect and impact on our world?" Now this landmark did not get moved overnight but has been eroded gradually starting in the 19th century with so called "higher textual criticism."

Biblical criticism, defined as the treatment of biblical texts as natural rather than supernatural artifacts, grew out of the rationalism of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century it was divided between the higher criticism, the study of the composition and history of biblical texts, and lower criticism, the close examination of the text to establish their original or "correct" readings. Wikipedia

I believe that there is a way for me to illustrate the consequences for our faith by using a quote from R. C. Sproul:

"Does it matter whether the Bible is errant or inerrant, fallible or infallible, inspired or uninspired? What's all the fuss about the doctrine of inerrancy? Why do Christians debate this issue? What difference does an inerrant Bible make?

Before answering that question, we should consider in what way inerrancy doesn't make a difference. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy states:

We affirm that a confession of the full authority, infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture is vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith. We further affirm that such confession should lead to increasing conformity to the image of Christ. We deny that such confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that inerrancy can be rejected without grave consequences both to the individual and to the church (Article 19).

The statement strikes a delicate balance. It affirms that the doctrine of inerrancy is "vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith" and that to deny it has grave consequences for the individual and the church. However, this statement also makes clear that belief in inerrancy is not necessary for salvation. While inerrancy is crucial for understanding the Christian faith and "increasing conformity to the image of Christ," a person does not have to hold to it to be a Christian."

The Authority of Christ

But what difference does the inerrancy of Scripture make? Why does it matter? There are many ways in which it matters a great deal. However, ultimately, the inerrancy of Scripture is not a doctrine about a book. The issue is the person and work of Christ.

Allow me to illustrate. Years ago I was speaking in Philadelphia on the question of the authority of Scripture. After my lecture I came down to the front of the church, and I saw a man making his way toward me. Instantly, I recognized his face, even though it had been about twenty years since I'd seen him last. His name was Charlie. We were roommates in college and prayer partners. We made our way through the crowd and embraced one another.

We dismissed ourselves from the conference and went out for dinner. As we sat down, Charlie said to me, "Before we have a conversation, there is something I have to tell you." I said, "What's that?" He told me, "I don't believe any more what I used to believe about Scripture when we were in college together. Back then I believed in inerrancy, but I've been to seminary and have been exposed to higher criticism. I just don't believe that the Bible is inerrant anymore. I wanted to clear the air so that we can go on from there." I replied, "Fine, Charlie, but let me ask you this. What do you still believe from the old days?" And triumphantly Charlie said, "I still believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Lord." I was happy to hear that, but then I started to ask questions that clearly made Charlie uncomfortable.