SOLA SCRIPTURA

 

Psalm 119:1-8

 

There was something that Kevin DeYoung said this past week, which really got me thinking about what we spend the most time on as God’s children. What has been the most consuming thought of my life this past year? What are we filling our minds with during the time of lockdown? This is what Kevin DeYoung said "We must not be experts in the daily news at the expense of being experts in the promises of God."

 

I would have to say in observation of Christianity over the past year we have become….

Government officials

Medical experts

Political analysts

Political activists

Church Leaders

Lacking discernment

Complainers and Grumblers

Selfish and Demanding individuals

Fearful and Forgetful

 

Though we might be right in some these areas about this past year. What I‘m trying to reveal in our hearts is exactly what Kevin DeYoung said in his quote. We have become so involved and concerned during this lockdown, it’s consumed a great majority of our time that we know very little about the one who allowed all this to happen in the first place for His glory and our good.

 

Have I spent more time in the daily news or consumed on social media,

then I have been in the written Word?

 

Since the Reformation of the church in 1517 the Protestant church committed themselves to the absolute, exclusive authority of Scripture over every church tradition and church council. Regardless…. of what man says, it is only what God declares in His Word to be binding.

Do you and I, know more about God during this time of separation or do we know more about what is going on in the news? Now! I’m not saying we shouldn’t be up to date on the daily news or events, concerning us around the nation or the globe. But if you know more about the daily news or what’s happening on social media, then you do about God, then this quote by Kevin DeYoung should convict you to repentance.

 

Our whole existence is to know Him and His promises

as we travel this road we call life on earth.

 

“Sola Scriptura” simply meaning the “Bible alone” Sola Scriptura meant the Scriptures are the supreme authority over the church. The Bible ruled reason and tradition, because it alone was infallible as God’s word. All other authorities (including church leadership) were fallible and must submit to Scripture.

 

Christianity is based on revelation

 

The Bible is composed of Two Testaments…..from creation to the birth of His Son and the establishment of the church.  The Bible is a story….a collection of God’s revelation to humanity. The Bible is about Jesus….the Scriptures point to Him and back to Him. The Bible is God’s Word… it communicates to you and me. The Bible is complete….. and contains everything we need to know about life and godliness. The Bible is trustworthy……. because it originated with God, it reflects His character. The Bible is our lamp….. and it needs to be read and obeyed.

If God in all His sovereign majesty did not choose to reveal Himself to mankind then… There would be no true knowledge or the possibility of a true relationship with Him. In the Gospel of John this is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.' For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” John 1:14-18 The picture of the divine mind and will that we have in Sola Scriptura is dependent on revelation from God, Himself.

 

The Christian’s life is bound to Him by what He has revealed in the Holy Scriptures. God is not silent and He hasn’t left us alone without guidance in this world. God’s Word affirms that He has an eternal plan to make known the mysteries of the gospel. He has communicated in the way we understand best - By His Words.

 

Martin Luther wrote “I have made a covenant with God that He sends me neither visions, dreams, nor even angels. I am well satisfied with the gift of the Holy Scriptures, which give me abundant instruction and all that I need to know both for this life and for that which is to come.”

 

See everything in your life and my life is to be regulated by Scripture, that is, by Scripture alone. The entire life of the church must come under the divine authority of the Scriptures. As the famous words that changed everything for Martin Luther as he stood before the religious authorities at the Diet of Worms “Since then your sere Majesty and your Lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen."

 

This is why we climb the MT Everest of His Word to know Him more and the precious promises of His grace that He bestows upon us. Psalm 119 is the longest of psalms, and chapters, in the Bible it stands as the “Mount Everest” of the Psalter. This Psalm joins hands with Psalm 1 and Psalm 19 in exalting God’s Word. The psalmist declares that full sufficiency of God’s Word in the life of the believer who loves and obeys it. This is important as some churches call themselves "Progressive Christianity" which is just Liberalism repackaged that promote and contradict Biblical Christianity.

 

They say the Bible isn’t….

The Word of God

Self-interpreting

A science book

An answer rule book

inerrant or fallible

They say the Bible is….

A product of community

a library of texts

Multi-vocal

a human response to God

Living and dynamic

 

But! Psalm 119 destroys that type of idea; by praising God as the Revealer of truth. I loved how one evangelical responded to this outlandish claim about the Scriptures. He said “The Bible is: The Word of God, Hermeneutically contained (Scripture interprets Scripture), Authoritative on doctrine of creation, Our knowledge & moral authority, Inerrant, infallible, authoritative, sufficient" This Psalm destroys the skeptic and doubters by celebrating the written Word of God as the utterly reliable revelation of God’s holy law. This Psalm points our celebration to worship at Mt Sinai, where God gave the law to Moses.

 

1. The Internal Delight Of God’s Word (v1-v2)

 

Charles Spurgeon wrote “The Psalmist is so enraptured with the word of God that he regards it as his highest ideal of blessedness to be conformed to it. He has gazed on the beauties of the perfect law, and, as if this verse were the sum and outcome of all his emotions, he exclaims, “Blessed is the man whose life is the practical transcript of the will of God.”

 

The blessedness of the person who walks according to God’s holy Word. “Blessed” are the believers whose daily path is carefully directed by God’s Word. Blessed pronounces the overflowing joy or delight one has when reading and obeying God’s Word. It’s a deep seated joy; it’s my supreme satisfaction that I experience by following after Him in His Word. Its lovers of God’s holy Words, because it transforms us into the image of His Son. As Paul said “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Rom 8:28-29

 

The Scriptures point to us… God and His glorious Son who is supreme over our lives and who gets the pre-immense in our lives through the saving Gospel. It’s a habitual lifestyle of pursuing daily obedience to the authoritative law of God. The blessing of God’s holy Word preserves us from defilement. (v1)

 

“Blameless” is a picture of the child of God who desire the way, the right way, the way of the Lord. And they keep that way, walking with holy carefulness and washing their feet daily. Observing their own lives lest they be found spotted by the flesh. That’s the power of God’s Word as it operates in various ways to transform your life daily.

 

God’s Word Is Described As A Lamp. “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

 

God’s Word Is Described As A Hammer. “Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” Jer 23:29

 

God’s Word Is Described As A Sword. “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,.” Eph 6:17

 

Paul says this sword takes down strongholds. “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” 2 Cor 10:3-6

 

God’s Word Is Described As A Seed. “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-25

This transforming power of the word of God becomes and consumes the entirety of our hearts. (v2) The hidden and inward being, our intellect, our emotions and our will.

 

2. The Moral Direction Of God’s Word. (v3)

 

The Scriptures directs the believer into God’s ways, restraining you and I from wrongdoings. The Scriptures will and are to direct you and me into the very center of God’s will.

 

The Scriptures direct us away from

evil and wrong. (v3)

 

By God’s word they walk in His ways, which indicates an outward practicality of following after Scripture daily. Walk indicates a habitual lifestyle or a well-marked path of God’s will.

 

It’s being diligent in reading Scripture more

than doing anything secular.

We ought to read our Bibles with more diligence than trying to dig for worldly gold and hidden treasures. It demonstrates walking the wiser path because of His grace through the gospel. “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:7-10

3. The Eternal Demands Of God’s Word. (v4-v11)

 

God’s Word is authoritative and must be fully obeyed.  “You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently” this statement unmistakably affirms the divine authorship of Scripture. Meaning! God alone has given it, not man. “Precepts” is a synonym for “Word”; this indicates the precise accuracy with which the Scriptures speak. See! We are not called out of darkness to give the Bible a little dabbles ever once and awhile. We are called out of darkness to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures to know Him more.

 

We are called to this and the Psalmist 

confirms that we are to….

 

1. Read our Bible….. The Scriptures are to be read thoroughly line by line. Precept by precept. We are to set out daily to read His word, not when we feel like it, or when times are tough. Your life is filled with trouble, that will never change; but God’s Word sustains, directs our paths to overcome and press on for His glory. “With my whole heart I seek You.” (v10) and (v11) he goes on to say “I have stored up your word in my heart.” Careful attention should be given to every nuance and detail. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Rom 15:4

2. Study our Bible….. As you read have a pen and paper in hand, underline, circle your bible. And go into your studies and know Him more personally, passionately, so that His word transforms you and breaks you into His image. Approach the Scripture with excitement to learn. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11

 

3. Interpret the Bible…… We are to always seek to determine what the passage means by what it says. Steve Lawson said “Avoid superficial interpretations that spiritualize the passage. Instead, always understand the text in its normal, literal, historical, grammatical sense. As the Golden Rule of Biblical Hermeneutics says “If plain sense makes common sense, seek no other sense.” As Paul reminded Timothy. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.” 2 Tim 2:15-17

 

4. Apply the Bible……orthodoxy is very important but so is orthopraxy. Live the Scripture and it will transform your life. As Paul said “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:1-2

 

Every Christian is greatly dependent on the ministry of God’s Word for you and I to grow in the fullness of God’s Will.

This psalm declares the full sufficiency of God’s Word, in the life of the believer who loves and obeys it. The Bible is the supreme authority, sufficient, and clear. All three are essential to the life of God’s people. May we…. Spend less time studying the problems of the culture on social media. And spend more times studying the Scriptures knowing the God of the Bible.

 

So that we can face today’s problems with courage

and strength through the written Word.

 

By doing so……. We will be reminded about this firm foundation of the One True God, who loved us, saved us, and promised us an eternal home with Him in glory through the Gospel. Sola Scriptura is something we celebrate as the gift of God’s Torah, or God’s covenant instruction, as the perfect guide for our life. As Paul told Timothy in His final letter of instructions “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:12-17

 

As J C Ryle said this about importance of the Scripture. “It takes a whole Bible to make a whole Christian.”