All right, well, we've been doing
a study in the book that Don Fortner wrote, The Basic Bible
Doctrine. And in that book, the first chapter,
we looked into the importance of studying doctrine. And then
we came to the second part of that book, the second chapter
of that book, which is the Word of God, the importance of the
Word of God. And Don uses this verse from
Psalms 138 verse 2, I will worship toward thy holy hill and praise
thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth, for that magnify
thy word above all thy name." Now, this is the third part of
that chapter, and in the first part, we spent our time considering
the importance, or the declaration of God's word, that it is His
word. This book is the word of God. It declares so, and we spent
our first study looking into all the different scriptures
wherein scripture itself. He declares, this is the Word
of God. And one of those verses that
we looked at, you're very familiar with, John 1, 1. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God, and
the Word was manifest in the flesh, verse 14. So we spent
our time considering those things. how important it was to consider
this to be the Word of God. And Don, he wanted to bring out
five things. And that first one, of course,
is the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and errant Word of
God. The Bible claims divine origin.
And just a couple verses that we looked at there is 1st 2nd
Timothy 3. The Bible claims to be the necessary
revelation, Romans 10 and 1st Peter 1. The Bible claims to
be the sufficient effectual means by which chosen, redeemed sinners
are called to life, and you can read that in Isaiah 55, 2 Timothy
3, Hebrews 4, and James 1. The Bible also claims both authority
and finality as the Word of God, as it says in Isaiah chapter
8 and Revelation chapter 22. We also studied these in our
previous looks at this, in the Word of God, the book was given
through weak and sinful men, but their weaknesses and sins
and humanity does not affect the Bible's infallibility. And
we also looked at how important that was, that we saw that they
were weak and infallible men, just like you and I. Yet God
had used them to write his Word. We also consider the evidences
and the arguments for the divine origin. First, that the Lord
Jesus accepted the Old Testament, the Old Scriptures, where He
was quoting from where it is written. Every time you read
that word, that phrase from the Lord Jesus in the New Testament,
He's speaking about the Old Testament, and He's speaking about His Word. The Bible alone gives us an account
and the revelation of God's character. The Bible alone gives us an account
of man's origins. Those who wrote the words of
Holy Scripture were from virtually every walk of life. Judges, priests,
kings, prophets, prime ministers, all these things, Don brought
out how, through God's word, it points to the fact that this
is his word. There's only one explanation.
for the existence of the Bible. And that's written in God's Word
in 2 Peter 1, verse 21, For the prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost. This morning, We're going to
look at the doctrine of the Bible's inspiration and infallibility
and how it has very serious consequences if we don't treat it as such.
It's important for us to take the things that God says in His
Word. We've been studying, I was just sharing this with Mike and
Shirley, they were not able to be with us on Friday night, how
Friday night in Matthew chapter 23 the Lord goes through teaching
the multitudes and His disciples How much he detests false religion. You know, that's what Gene Harman
was beat up for the most in people that I knew. Those that I knew
who knew Gene Harman from my family and my friends, oh, well,
we don't listen to him because he beats up the other religions
so badly. He spends all his time talking
about the Jehovah Witnesses, how they're so wrong in this
and wrong in that. Maybe he spent too much time in it, maybe he
didn't. All I know is this, that our Lord devoted an entire chapter,
and I know that the Lord didn't, we put the chapters in ourselves,
our own interpreters, translators, but he devoted an entire section
of teaching his disciples and the multitude about how much
he detests false religion. So if we just go about through
the world like some do, and I know some who do, who just say, well,
it's just a false religion, it's not hurting anything. That's
not true. It deceives many. The grace of God is that it hasn't
deceived us because of His grace and His mercy. Some of us have
come out of those religions and know how much we were deceived. So taking this as God's word
is very important. And Don says this. He says, if
the Bible is indeed the word of God, its authority cannot
be questioned. I agree with that. If God inspired,
like we just read a moment ago, men of old to write the word
of God, then it is the Word of God and there's nothing for us
to argue about. I don't argue with people. My sister wants
to debate different things of the Scripture. I'm not going
to debate it with her. I may have conversations of what
she thinks of this or what she thinks of that, but I'm not going
to sit there and say, you're wrong. If she asks me, I'd be happy to
help her turn to Scriptures that shows her something different,
a truth. All that it says must be received
as true, submitted to, and obeyed to the best of our ability. Its
words must be candidly, honestly, and faithfully interpreted. There
must be on our part a docility of spirit before God's holy word. We must bow before God as he
speaks in his word with hearts willing to be taught of God forever for thy servant heareth,"
1 Samuel 3, 9. As this book is of divine origin,
so too our understanding of it is that it is the gift of God. Every time we open it, let us
pray for grace from God, the Holy Spirit, to enlighten and
eliminate our hearts that he might open our understandings
and cause us to understand the Scriptures. Turn over to Psalm
19. Let's look at several verses
that point us to that very point. Psalm 119. In Psalm 119, verse
18, We're praying for the Lord's
understanding and for the Lord to cause us and illuminate our
hearts to his word. Psalm 119, I'm in 119, that's
why it's not making any sense, there we go. 119, verse 18, open
thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Let's look at another one, shall
we? Turn over to John, chapter 16. John chapter 16. Several verses there. In John
chapter 16, beginning at verse 13, we read this. How be it, this is John 16, 13,
how be it when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide
you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever
He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show unto
you the things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall
receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you." This is the Holy
Spirit. speaking to our hearts, revealing the truth of God's
Word to us. Look at verse 15. For all things
that the Father hath are mine, therefore said I, that he shall
take of mine, and shall show it unto you a little while, and
ye shall not see me. And again, a little while, and
ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. One more, if you
would. Turn over to 1 Corinthians. Keep
going to the right. Just past the book of Romans.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Just two verses here for us to
read. Look at 1 Corinthians 2 verse
11. For what man knoweth the things
of a man, save the spirit of man, which is in him? Even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now
go to 14. But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. So that was our third point that
Don made. He was making four points about
how the Scriptures are of God and how we should pay attention
to them, and these points that should bless our hearts. This
blesses my heart to see that it is the revelation of the Lord
Jesus that brings us to know His Word. It's not something
that we got smarter. We've read the Bible five times
and we're smarter about it. Oh, yeah, it's finally clicking
into me. If it is, it's from Christ and
Christ alone. If the Lord is opening up a scripture
to us, it's because it is He determined to illuminate our
hearts with it. The last point he brings out
in this is the metaphors used to describe the scriptures give
us a hint of their great value, their usefulness, and their profitability
in our lives. It is both interesting, writes
Don, and profitable to carefully study the various metaphors given
in Scriptures for the Word of God. For instance, the Bible
is compared to a lamp or a light. Look again back at Psalm 119. Go back again to the Psalms and
look at 119. It's compared as a light. that the
Lord uses to describe His Word. In Psalms 119, we read in verse
105, 119, verse 105, Thy Word is a lamp
unto my feet. Now, what does a lamp do? It
turns on and off. Think about that for a moment. This is the
Word of God. Think about how that applies to your own heart. We're talking about basic Bible
doctrines, basic Bible teachings. The Word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path. Let's look at another one, shall
we? Go back to, look at verse 130 of the same psalm. The entrance of thy words, this
is Psalm 119 verse 130. The entrance of thy words giveth
light and giveth understanding unto the simple. When we read
things about the light of God's word, what do we think of? We
think of Him revealing His word to us, illuminating. That's what
illuminating means. It means shining His light in
our hearts. I've got another one here for
you. Turn over to Proverbs. It's just one book to the right
there. You've got Psalms and then the Proverbs. Go over to
6th Proverbs. Proverbs 6. And let's look at one verse over
there, verse 23. Proverbs 6, verse 23. For the
commandment is a lamp. And the law is light. That's
talking about God's Word. The commandments of God. The
law of God. The law of Moses. The law is
a light. And reproof of instructions are
the way of life. So we see here the Bible is compared
to a lamp or a light. It's also called a mirror. Turn
over to 2 Corinthians chapter 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. It's considered a mirror. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18. But we all, with open face, beholding
as in glass, or mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord. Another one there is that points
us to that as a mirror is over in James. Keep going to the right,
just past Hebrews. Hebrews, James, chapter 1, verse 25. But whosoever looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, looking into the law
of God, the mirror of God, the word of God, and continueth therein,
he being not forgetful here, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deeds. So we see it as being a mirror.
Here's another metaphor. We look into the Bible, and we
see ourselves, not what we think we are, But what we really are,
sinful, corrupt, depraved, lost, ruined, and utterly helpless,
Holy Scripture is compared to a ladder or a washbowl in Ephesians
chapter 5. Look over there if you would,
Ephesians chapter 5. I know we've got a lot we're
looking at here in Scripture, but that's okay. That's a good
place to be looking at, isn't it? In Ephesians chapter 5, Verse 26,
we read these words, that he might sanctify and cleanse. This is talking about the Word of God as a metaphor
in washing us, and cleanse it with the washing of the water
by the Word. That's pretty clear, isn't it?
See how the Word of God uses these different things to talk
about His Word, to express His Word? It's compared to bread. for food, as we read in Job 23.12. And I'll leave that for you to
look up in your own time. It's bread for hungry, milk for
babes, strong meat for men, honey to the sweeten of our lives,
of those who experience bitterness in this world. The book of God
is compared both to fire to melt, warm and comfort, and it's also referred to as
a hammer to break. Look over at Jeremiah 23, verse
29. Is not my word like as a fire,
saith the Lord, and like as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces. So we see here, as metaphors,
our Lord uses his word to describe many different things, and describing
us as verse 17, and it's called the
good seed, which is sown by the preaching of the gospel in Luke
8-11. The thoughts of man are lies. The word of God is true. To bow to that is to be wise,
to hear and fear and do. Let me quote for you from Psalms
19, verses 7 through 10. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is
sure. These are all things that are
pointing us out of God's Word to God's Word. The testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the
Lord is pure. enlightening the eyes. The fear
of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the
Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than
gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and a
honeycomb." And that's our whole point of chapter 2. Don sums
it all up in that one verse from Psalm, in those verses from Psalm
19 verses 7 through 10. Let me read that again. Listen
clearly. Actually, I'll give you a moment. Turn there and
read it with me if you would. Turn there and read it with me. I
always think, you know, when we read things together, sometimes
it just sits better, doesn't it? We're talking again about
the importance of God's Word. Listen to the psalmist. Read
it for yourself. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord, these
are all pointing us to the Word of God, is sure, making wise
the simple. The statutes of the Lord are
right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than
gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb. Is that the way the word of the
Lord is to you? Isn't that why we come here?
Is that not why we're here this morning? You didn't come here
to hear John. You didn't come here to hear in his studies that have brought
these things out in this, and I'm thankful that he put it in
writing so we can come by afterwards and do so as well. But we're
here for one thing. To study God's Word. To get to know more of our Lord
and Savior. It's called growing in grace,
and what? And in the knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what we're here for. Worshipping,
getting to know our Savior better. Isn't that true?