So, to continue where I left off in an older post, I never got around to answering my question (posed by myself to myself), why do I believe what I believe? Specifically, the Bible? Why do I believe it's true? What makes it so special to me? And why should anyone else believe it? Is it something I just need to take in faith and because someone in authority over me told me that it's true?
C.S. Lewis, in his essay "Is Theology Poetry," said "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." Likewise, my reason for my belief is due to seeing It, and also because of It, having the ability to comprehend the world around me.
And what is "It"? The Bible, my faith, my daily walk. It is the core of my being, that internal plumb line that holds me to account for every thought, action, and spoken word.
Interestingly, today's sermon was on the sufficiency of Scripture, and it couldn't have been more timely. There is a smorgasbord of reasons scholars cite for the validity of the Bible (Focus on the Family provides a pretty good overview here). But for me personally, if I claim Christ as my Lord, and He is the Son of God, the best way for me to know Him is through the Word. And if even one passage of Scripture is errant, then the whole Bible must be tossed out as a work of fiction. For those who say they use the Bible as a guidebook for how to live a "good" life, but do not accept it as inerrant and all-sufficient, which Scriptures do you toss out? Once again, man becomes his own judge as to what is right or wrong, and the Bible is not the ultimate authority. The Bible is either true in its entirety, or merely a collection of moral suggestions that I can follow on a whim if I agree with them. And time and time again, the Bible has proved true in my life. It applies to economics, politics, and societal issues of today. It is dynamic. "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Note well though (THIS IS REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT!!!), that there are those who claim that we need nothing but the Bible to live a successful life, as it is all-sufficient. That we have no need for preachers and the modern church gathering. That there is no value in studying the works of Calvin or Luther or St. Augustine. This is not what is meant by the sufficiency of Scripture. For goodness sake, "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness," (II Timothy 3:16) and you have to preach and teach the Word in order to fulfill that verse! Those who claim that they only need the Bible and that's it are using an argument rooted in the belief of the autonomy of men. Which is unbiblical. The Word commands us to not neglect the brethren, to receive correction, to encourage each other in the Word, and to seek understanding of passages in the Bible that we do not understand. Without recent teachings of godly men, I would not have been challenged to return to Scripture and test what I know!
But never is it permissible to add to Scripture by declaring the teachings of men as binding on another man's conscience. That's the sufficiency of Scripture. It's complete, finished, and written. There are not new truths about God to be "discovered" by some self-proclaimed anointed man (Matthew 15:8-9, Mark 7:6-8, Galatians 1:6-8, 10, II Timothy 2:15) and there are not parts of Scripture that are rendered irrelevant by changes in society. The Bible speaks strongly against this in Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6, Galatians 1:9-10, II Corinthians 11:4, and Revelation 22:18-19. There is not a hierarchy among men on earth, where one man is viewed more highly than another because of the Lord's revelations to him. Even Paul, the Paul of the New Testament who was selected by God to be an apostle and messenger of the Word, and who clearly received divine revelations that were to be included in the Bible, condemned this sinful thinking, even though he was clearly a man of incredible spirituality, if you will (Corinthians 3:6-9). Paul makes it clear the God is the one who causes growth, and man is nothing, and most certainly no man is more "spiritual" than another.
For those who doubt, I would challenge you to try living your life according to the Bible. Examine today's teachings about Christianity, and challenge what you are told about the Christian walk. Read what the Bible says about how men are to live their lives and why we are commanded to live that way, study what Christ says about the Law and consequently grace, and realize that in your ultimate decision, you must either accept the whole Word as true, or none of it. There is no middle ground.
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