first corinthians ten eleven
now all these things that happen to them for examples they're
written for our admonition i've entitled
this message the purpose of scripture let me say at the outset we're
not going to be looking at what i say the purpose of scripture
is but what the scripture says the purpose of Scripture is. And I pray that the Lord will
give us a greater reverence for His Word through this message. Wouldn't that be something if
the Lord did that for you and I? First, what is meant by Scripture? Genesis 1-1 through Revelation
22, 21, all 66 books of the Bible, 39
books in the Old Testament, 27 books in the New Testament. Paul
says this about Scripture, all Scripture, 2 Timothy 3, 16, all
Scripture. is given by inspiration of God. The Bible is true. That is why it is to be believed. The Bible is true. Therefore,
we should believe it. Now, somebody may say, isn't
that circular reasoning? Coming up with your premise,
the Bible is true and then saying we ought to believe it. It's
not because the Bible is the starting place of truth. Some people try to prove the
Bible is the word of God by archeological digs and so on. See, the Bible
said this and look, that's the way it really happened. Therefore,
the Bible must be true. No, that's looking to man as
the starting point of truth. The Bible is the truth. That's what it says about itself.
All scripture is literally God breathed. The Bible is the starting
place of truth. It's either God's word or it's
a man-made document. That simple. It's either God's
word or Shakespeare or Milton, Plato, Socrates. It's either
God's word or it's a man-made brilliantly composed document,
book, story, history. Claims to be God-breathed. Scripture didn't come in old
time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost. Every word inspired by God. And that's not hard to believe. If God created the universe,
and he did, the other views of origins are unbelievable. It takes more blind
faith to believe those than to believe that God created the
universe. God created the universe, and
if he can create the universe, he can inspire men to write this
book. Now, in that passage of scripture
I just quoted in 2 Timothy 3.16, if you want to turn there, would
you please? 2 Timothy 3.16. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. All scripture, Genesis 1, 1 through
Revelation 22, 21, the verbal inerrant word of God. Somebody says, well, we don't
have a copy of the original scriptures. That's true. I'm glad we don't.
But we have copies of the original scriptures. Somebody says, how
do you know men didn't mess them up? Because the scripture says
all scripture is given by inspiration of God. And there are no doubt
translations that probably are not very good. They're not translations. commentaries on what the writer
thinks they are, but I'm talking about the scripture where men
are translating what the Bible says from the original scriptures. Now, notice Paul says all scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and it's profitable, it's beneficial
for four things, for doctrine, for proof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. Those are the four things that
the Bible is so beneficial for us. First, for doctrine. Doctrine. The doctrine of God. Isaiah 8, 20 says, to the law and to the testimony,
the written word of God. If they speak not according to
this, it's because there's no light in them. The Bible is the
source of true doctrine. The only place we get the truth
is from the Holy Scriptures. That's why I say away with man-made
confessions and creeds. We have the Bible. And if you
believe in the scriptures alone, it's going to steer you away
from these man-made confessions and creeds, no matter how true
and good they may appear. They're still man-made. And we
look to the source, the scripture, as our doctrine. The scripture are profitable
for reproof or evidence is what that word means. Evidence. What
is the proof or evidence that something is true? Scriptures. Just the scriptures. For instance,
how would we have ever known that God is one God in three
distinct persons without the scriptures? We would never have
known that. We would, and there's a lot of
other things that we would never have known without the scriptures. That is the proof that something
true. Does the Bible teach it? It is
that simple. And thirdly, the scripture is
profitable. Paul tells us for correction,
for correction, to correct our thinking as Paul
says in First Corinthians 4, 6, not to think beyond that which
was written. We always need to be corrected
in our thinking because we're always looking somewhere other
than Christ. And I need to be constantly corrected in that
sense. Every day I am tempted to look
somewhere other than Jesus Christ and him crucified alone and look
somewhere in myself and I need the correction of the scriptures. The scriptures are profitable
correction and I love this. They're profitable for instruction
in righteousness. Now what that means is we just
don't understand by nature that we're saved by the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. We think it's our own personal
righteousness that saves us. That's what we naturally think.
That's as natural as breathing. And the scripture gives us instruction
with regard to righteousness, that a believer is justified
by the righteousness of Jesus Christ being given to them. And
we have to hear that over and over and over again. The scriptures, profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Now we find this phrase over
80 times in the New Testament as it is written. Talking about
the Old Testament scriptures. When Satan was tempting the Lord and no one witnessed this, but
the father. The writers of the New Testament
were inspired to write down what took place. But when Satan was
tempting the Lord after he had spent 40 days fasting, if you're the son of God, command
that these stones be made bread. It is written. That's the way
the Lord answered Satan. What a high view. he had of the scriptures. He
wrote them. And his reply to Satan, it is
written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And then Satan tempts
him, brings him up onto the pinnacle of the temple and says, tries
to use it's written with the Lord. He said jump off for it's
written. You're going to talk about it's
written? It's written. He'll give his angels charge over thee
lest at any time that you dash your foot against the stone.
Now the Bible says that. Prove it. Jump. And the Lord
says it is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Look at the view the Lord had
of the scriptures and then Satan shows him all the world in a
moment of time. I don't know how that happened,
but he saw all these kingdoms and all the things that he supposedly
could have had. And Satan said, it's given to
me, I can give it to you. And he does control the world
in that sense. He's called the God of this world. Now he's God's
devil doing God's will. I'm glad of that, but he's still
the God of this world. And he said, it's given to me.
Whomsoever I will, I can give it. Now, if you'll bow down and
worship me, it's all yours. And he said, it is written again. Thou shalt worship the Lord God
in him only shall thou serve. Now look at the way the Lord
used the scripture. Psalm 138 too, says thou has
magnified thy word above all thy name. Now in our text in
first Corinthians chapter 10, Paul has just mentioned 10 different
events in the Old Testament. Being under the cloud, the parting
of the Red Sea, manna from heaven, water from the rock, Israel's
rejection of Joshua and Caleb's testimony, lusting for meat,
the golden calf, committing fornication with the daughters of Boab, the
brazen serpent, and the death of the 10 spies. And he says,
with regard to all of these men, Now, all these things happened
unto them for types, examples, types for me and you upon whom
the ends of the world are come. This is the end. All of these
things are examples. Now we've been living in the
end time since the resurrection of Christ. And that'll all be
over when he comes back, and I hope it's soon. But at any
rate, everything in the Old Testament is a type. The Lord said, you
search the scriptures, in them you think you have eternal life,
and they are they which testify of me. Every one of them. Every
story, every event, every law, every thing. in the Old Testament
Scriptures is given to teach us something of the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And I think the most powerful
example to us is Genesis 16. If I read Genesis 16 and I didn't
have Paul telling us it represents the two covenants, I think it's
just another weird Old Testament story. I wouldn't get the gospel
out of that, but Paul tells us that the story of Sarah and Abraham
and Hagar and Ishmael are the two covenants, law and gospel. And that lets us know that every
story in the Old Testament, though illiteral, Historical event like
Galatians 4 is an allegory to teach us something of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Peter is preaching in Acts
chapter 10, he says to him, this is his first message to the Gentiles,
he says, to him, give all the prophets witness that whosoever
believeth in him should have the remission of sins. I love the scripture when the
Lord says, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded
to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. And he said, all things must
be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets
and the Psalms concerning me. When Peter preached his message
on Pentecost, He begins with, these are not drunken as you
suppose, seeing it's nine o'clock in the morning, but this is that
which was spoken by the prophet Joel. Very first thing out of
his mouth is this is what the Bible says. In Paul's first recorded
sermon in Acts chapter 13, he gives a brief history of what
was written. And when he gets to the death of Christ, I love
the way he says this. He says those that condemned
him were only fulfilling the scriptures. And then he said
in verse 29, and when they had fulfilled all that was written
of him, they didn't simply say when they took him down from
the cross. He said, when they fulfilled all that was written
of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher,
which was foretold in Isaiah 53. Now you're in 1 Corinthians,
turn to 1 Corinthians 15. Now this, the gospel is, I don't
know how else to tell you, it's a religion of this book. It's a religion of this book.
This book is the word of God. We don't go to this book to try
to prove what we believe. We go to this book to find out
what to believe. This is the word of God. Now look in 1 Corinthians 15,
I'm sure this is a familiar passage of scripture, but he says, moreover
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, which I preached
into you, which also you've received and wherein you stand, by which
also you're saved. If you keep in memory what I
preached into you, unless you believed in vain, for I delivered
unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins, according to the scriptures." Abel's more
excellent offering. Abraham's sacrificial lamb that
was offered in the stead of Isaac, the Passover lamb. I love that
scripture where God said, when I see the blood, I will pass
over you. That's how the Christ died for
our sins, according to the scriptures, the great day of atonement, Isaiah
chapter 53. It's not just believing in the
historical facts of the death, burial and life and resurrection
of Christ. It's having some understanding
of how that he died for our sins, according to the old Testament
scriptures. Now these types, every event
of the Old Testament, every law was written for our admonition,
Paul tells us back in our text in 1 Corinthians 10. Verse 11, all things that happened
unto them for examples for us, they are written in the scriptures
for our admonition. Now I know this, I need continual
admonition. because I am continually tempted
to look in here instead of to him. I need continual admonition. And that's what the gospel preaching
is for, admonition. We're continually tempted to
look somewhere other than Christ, and it is written for our admonition. Now here, let me give you what
the scripture says its purpose is. Not what this church says
its purpose is, Not what this church says about the scriptures,
not what some man-made document says about the scriptures, but
here's what the scriptures have to say about themselves. Now,
first, I think of when the Lord said to the Sadducees when they
tried to trip him up and said, Man had seven wives. They didn't
believe in a resurrection. You know the story. Man had,
a woman died and you were supposed to give, if she died without
children, she would go to her dead husband's brother and so
on. They were supposed to raise seed to her. She went through
seven brethren, or husbands, and no one was able to give her
a child. Why should she be in the resurrection?
I love the way the Lord answered him. He said, you do err not
knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. God in his infinite
glorious person, Jesus Christ in his infinite glorious person. God the Holy Spirit in his infinite
glorious person cannot be known apart from the scriptures of
truth. You do err not knowing the scriptures
nor the power of God. Now we just could not know God
without the scriptures. We know some things about God
without the scriptures. Romans chapter 1 verse 19 says,
For that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for
God has showed it to them. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. And you can look at this creation
and you can conclude from that, somebody made this. And whoever
made it was all powerful. He had to be all powerful to
make this matter had to come from somewhere. He made it and
nobody made him. He is eternal. I can know that
about God without the scriptures. But I can't know if you'll save
sinners apart from scriptures. I can't know how he can be just
and justify the ungodly apart from the scriptures. I can't
know his true character apart from the scriptures. Turn to
John chapter 20. Verse 30. And many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book. Now, that word signs is miracles. And I'm looking
forward to preaching on this when we get there and preaching
through John. But the gospel of John is developed around seven
miracles that the Lord performed. Turning water into wine, the
nobleman's son being healed, healing the man who had had a
spirit of infirmity 38 years and couldn't walk, feeding 5,000
with five loaves and two fishes, walking on the water, giving
a man that was blind from birth sight, and raising Lazarus from
the dead. Now, he said, these are written for this purpose.
There's many other signs, many other miracles. He did a lot
of other miracles. Many other signs, truly, did Jesus in the
presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book,
but these are written. Here's the purpose of scripture.
These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life through his
name. Now, this is why these things
are written, that you, you might believe that Jesus is God's Christ,
God's prophet, God's priest, and God's King that you might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That's what faith
is. It's believing who He is. You
say, I don't believe who he is. Okay, but that doesn't change
the fact that that's who he is. Jesus is the Christ, the son
of the living God, and that believing you might have life through his
name. That's the purpose of scripture, that you might believe. Wouldn't it be glorious if everybody
in this room believed the gospel? That's God's purpose in writing.
Now turn with me to Romans chapter four. I want to say this. The Bible's written that you
might believe. But what if I'm not one of the
elect? What if Jesus Christ didn't die
for me? What if God never calls me? Quit thinking like that. That's not your job. Your job,
if I can use that kind of word, is to believe. Believe the gospel. That's why the Bible was written. Quit trying to make up objections.
The Bible was written that you might believe. Now look here
in Romans chapter 4 verse 23. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him. Now go back to verse Three, for what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God that was counted unto him for righteousness,
imputed unto him for righteousness, that to him that worketh is the
reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. If God imputes righteousness
to you because of something you do, that means he owed it to
you. That simple. Verse Thy, but to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness." Now, would that be you? Are you somebody who you're convinced
that you can't be saved by your works? You believe that from
the depths of your heart? If salvation is according to
what you do, you're toast. You work not, but you believe
on Him who justifies the ungodly. You actually believe that what
Christ did on the calvary's tree justifies ungodly sinners, makes
it to where you're not guilty, to where you've never sinned,
to where you stand before God without guilt. What a glorious
gospel. You're not gonna find that anywhere
but in the Bible. There's nothing like that in man-made religion,
how God can be just and justify the ungodly. He says a lot more
about that in this chapter, but let's go back to verse 23. Now
it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to
him, but for us also. To whom it shall be imputed if
we believe on him that raised up Jesus, our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our
justification. Now that Abraham having righteousness
imputed to him, me and you too. If we believe on him that raised
up Jesus Christ, our Lord from the dead, we know why he was
raised from the dead. He was delivered for our offenses and
he was raised for our justification. And that is all of our salvation. That's why this is written. Look in Romans chapter 15, verse four. For whatsoever things were written
aforetime." Romans 15 verse 4. For whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience
and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now, hope. It's so simple. The Bible says
hope that seems not hope. Hope is not something you can
see. but you hope for it. And that hope you have comforts
you. And what is my hope? My hope
is that when Jesus Christ said it is finished, my salvation
was accomplished. That comforts me. My hope is
that everything, according to the scriptures, my hope is that
everything is working together for my good and his glory. That
comforts me. That gives me patience. I don't
have patience any other time, only when I'm made to really
believe and I'm reminded that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. Turn to first Corinthians chapter
four, verse six. Now, in the context of this,
there were people in Corinth saying, I'm of Paul, I'm of Apollos,
I'm of Cephas, and then the real pious one said, I don't follow
any man, I just follow Christ. And Paul is addressing that situation,
and he says in verse six, and these things, brethren, have
I in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your
sakes, that you might learn in us not to think of men above
that which was written, that not one of you be puffed up for
one against another. He said, who is Paul? Nothing.
Who is Apollos? Nothing. And I've said these
things that you might not think of men above that which is written,
but I want you to know this, of men is in italics. Pull that out. That was put there
by the translators, and I can see why they said it, by what
was going on, but pull that out and read it like this, that you
might learn in us not to think above that which is written. Well, I can infer from what is
written, this must take place. Don't do it. only believe that
which is written." Well, this seems like a logical conclusion
that this would take place. No, only believe that which is
written. And it is wrong to try to come
up with a doctrine from an inference. Here's a very stark example of it. Boys were circumcised in the
Old Testament. Therefore, infabaptism takes
a place. That's only logical, isn't it?
I mean, it seems like you do that. That's not even logical, really. But at any rate, the point is,
never believe something because you infer from something. Only believe that which is written. Don't go beyond what is written. Our logic, I believe in logic,
and I also believe our logic can be very flawed. I know mine
can be, I know yours can be, and the only safe thing is to
believe what is actually stated in the word of God. First John chapter one. Verse four. These things write we unto you
that your joy may be full." The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace. Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance, joy. Now, there are many times in my life
when I don't feel joy. I'm not even thinking about joy. I ought to rejoice all the time
under every circumstance. Rejoice always. Again, I say
rejoice. But let me tell you where I always
rejoice. Whenever it's brought, when the Lord brings it to my
mind, to think that I'm complete in Christ and that all God requires
of me, I have. And I stand before God as one
who has never sinned and always pleased Him because of the righteousness
of Christ being my righteousness before God. I rejoice in that. I rejoice that all my sins have
been washed away by the blood of Christ. This is not just a,
well, I agree with that. There's joy in this. And John said, these things write
I unto you that your joy may be full. Look in first John chapter
two, verse one. My little children, these things
write I unto you you sin not. That's the reason for writing.
These things write I unto you that you sin not. Now somebody is going to be thinking that's impossible to not sin.
We have an evil nature that we still possess. How can we be
called upon to sin not? I mean, I sin all the time, and
yet the Bible tells me to sin not. Yeah, the Bible tells you
to sin not. Tells me to sin not. And every one of us, by the grace
of God, ought to make it our goal and aim to never commit
a sin again. You believe that? I know it's
so. Do you think the Bible would
say, well, salvation is by grace, therefore sin's okay? Of course
it won't say anything like that. These things write I unto you
that you sin not. I'm glad it didn't stop there. And if, and that same word if
is quite often translated when, when you do. We have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." Now, I'm writing
this to you that you don't sin. When you do, we have this glorious
Advocate with the Father, this Lawyer before the Father. He's
no corrupt lawyer, He's Jesus Christ the Righteous. And what
he pleads is his propitiation, his sin removing sacrifice. He is the propitiation for our
sins and not for ours only, but also the whole world, Jews and
Gentiles. He's the propitiation for our
sin. Look in verse 21 of this same
chapter. I've not written unto you because
you know not the truth, but because you know it. And that no lie
is of the truth. I love that. I've written unto you because
you know the truth. You know, one of the glorious things I
think about the truth is if you're a believer, you know it's the
truth when you hear it. You know. You know. And you know
that no lie is the truth. Anything that's contrary to the
scripture, you just know it's not true. Don't you love this book?
We have this book to tell us what's true and what's not true.
And I'm not just talking about moral maxims. People say, I'm
trying to go to the Bible to find out how to live. Well, that's
fine, but this Bible tells me, it gives me instructions in righteousness.
It tells me how I can be righteous before God. And I know that anything
that leaves me looking to myself is not true. We know the truth,
and that's why John says, I've written to you. The Lord said,
everyone that's of the truth hears my voice. Not everyone's
of the truth, but those who are of the truth, they hear his voice. First John 2, 26, here's another
one. These things have I written unto you concerning them that
seduce you. Seek to lead you astray, away
from Christ. Now I've written you these things
concerning those who seduce you. You know how you can know when
you're being seduced? If something's contrary to the word. That simple. If something's contrary to the
word. And I've written these things concerning them that seduce
you because you do have those people who are seeking to seduce
you. They're nice people. But they don't know God. And
they're seeking for you to look somewhere other than Jesus Christ
alone. Now, one more, 1 John 5, verse
13. Now, these are the reasons the
Bible gives for its writing. 1 John 5, verse 13, these things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God. Isn't that what faith is? believing
on the name of the Son of God. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life, comma, and that you may believe on the
name of the Son of God. Now, these things have I written
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that
you may know you have eternal life. But he doesn't leave us
there, because if he does, I'm going to start looking, well,
do I have eternal life? He takes us right back to what
he said at the very first. to believe on the name of the
Son of God. You know how you know you have
eternal life? When you believe on the name of the Son of God.
You believe His name is your only entrance into glory. You're
resting in His name, who He is and what He accomplished. That
is having eternal life. And if you start thinking, well,
do I have eternal life? You'll start looking at all kinds
of other reasons, try to convince yourself you do or you don't.
And that's just, I love the way God the Holy Spirit Inspired
John to say it just the way he said it and These things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God
that you may know That you have eternal life and that you may
believe on the name of the Son of God That is eternal life to
believe on the name of the Son of God How thankful we are for
it is written, truly, for lack of a better word, our
religion. And you know that most religions
wicked, but there's true religion and undefiled before the father.
James says that it's a good word. Our religion is a religion of
this book to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not
according to this word, there is no life in them. Let's pray. Lord, we're so weak, we're so fallible,
we're so ignorant, we're so liable to
Look every way, but the way you tell us to look, we ask that
you would give us a profound reverence for your word, a profound
reverence for your son, a profound reverence for your spirit. a profound reverence for thee. We ask that you would give us
the grace to tremble at thy word. In Christ's name we pray, amen.