The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture. Pt. 1
Good morning to all of our Readers....
Several professional polling groups conduct surveys of American Christians in an effort to determine the heart beat of Christianity in this country.
I want to share some of these results with you today because I sense a great need for all of us to better understand the authority of scripture and how God will use it in our lives.
In this post I will let the texts speak for themselves as they are clear and easily understood.
There must be a standard to help us distinguish between right and wrong. There must be a clear message communicating how sinners can be saved and live for Christ. There must be an infallible source of absolute truth that we can turn to for guidance and answers to our questions. That perfect source is God's Word!
Below is a picture of what happens when we make reckless choices for our lives instead of honoring God by obeying His word. We get off track or sidetracked instead of following hard after Christ.
You must be born again.
57% of regular church attenders in America say they have never had a spirit filled, life changing regeneration that totally changed their lives. This means that a lot of people are attending churches but their lives have not been impacted by the gospel.
Perhaps they have conservative values, they agree with the preaching they hear, and they even live a good moral life free from social vices. This is not enough. You must be born again is what Jesus said. We are born dead in trespasses and sins and when we are born again we receive eternal life from God.
Each time that Jesus taught truth about future judgment of sinners the sinners were doomed to spend eternity in hell because Jesus did not "know" them. The new birth establishes a living dynamic relationship with the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3:1-8 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Only the born again go to heaven.
69% of professing Christians believe that all people will go to heaven.
52% of professing Christians believe that non-Christians will go to heaven.
Like you, I have heard certain people say that all paths lead to God no matter what religion a person is in. Such a view is non compatible with the truth of scripture. The just shall live by faith and the object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. If someone has faith in any other "god" or religious system, Christ still says to them, You must be born again.
Matthew 13:36-43 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Christ left us here to be His witnesses.
74% of professing Christians say that they have never shared their faith (witnessing) with anyone.
51% have never heard of the Great Commission.
When anyone is born again, he or she is not saved from sin so that they can continue to live the same old life that they previously did. No, we are instructed to walk in newness of life because we are made a new creation in Christ through the new birth. The Great Commission from Christ is His mission for us to complete as long as He gives us life.
Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Only Jesus Christ brings salvation to man.
Only 27% of professing Christians say that Jesus Christ alone can save them from their sins.
This is a staggering reality to grapple with. It is inconceivable that a Christian would ever entertain the idea that the work of Jesus Christ to save them from sin is not sufficient for their salvation. Yet, the truth communicated by the Scripture is very emphatic in declaring that salvation is through faith in Christ alone.
Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
All people are born depraved sinners.
65% of Americans think that all people are basically good.
All of the consistent criminal activity, wars, ethnic cleansing and the hatred of one group for another group is evidence enough that all mankind is not born with some inherent goodness. No matter how much you change a person's circumstances or environment, that person is still a sinner who needs to be born again.
Romans 3:10-19 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Gospel preaching is highest priority for Pastors.
25% of American pastors think it is more important to meet a person's physical needs than it is to tell them about Jesus Christ.
If you read through the writings of the apostles you could never arrive at such a conclusion as to think that you do not need to preach Christ crucified for sinners so that they might be brought into a right relationship with God.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
The scriptures are verbally inspired.
More than 50% of young people ages 18-24 reject the verbal inspiration of scripture.
There are several thousand verses that clearly teach God is speaking to man through His Word. Young people can certainly choose to reject this truth but that does not make verbal inspiration less true.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
77% of all Americans believe that salvation is earned by good works.
The Bible is very clear that the just shall live by faith in Christ, not human efforts to earn salvation by their works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Private interpretations are not allowed.
51% of professing Christians believe that the Bible was written for each person to interpret however they choose.
2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.
Thoughts to Ponder....
The picture below reminds us that Christ said enter the straight gate and walk in the narrow way as we go through this life because this path leads to eternal life. Allowing what God says in His word to govern the choices that we make is the place of blessing for a Christian and it is where we will find happiness.
Bob
Several professional polling groups conduct surveys of American Christians in an effort to determine the heart beat of Christianity in this country.
I want to share some of these results with you today because I sense a great need for all of us to better understand the authority of scripture and how God will use it in our lives.
In this post I will let the texts speak for themselves as they are clear and easily understood.
There must be a standard to help us distinguish between right and wrong. There must be a clear message communicating how sinners can be saved and live for Christ. There must be an infallible source of absolute truth that we can turn to for guidance and answers to our questions. That perfect source is God's Word!
Below is a picture of what happens when we make reckless choices for our lives instead of honoring God by obeying His word. We get off track or sidetracked instead of following hard after Christ.
You must be born again.
57% of regular church attenders in America say they have never had a spirit filled, life changing regeneration that totally changed their lives. This means that a lot of people are attending churches but their lives have not been impacted by the gospel.
Perhaps they have conservative values, they agree with the preaching they hear, and they even live a good moral life free from social vices. This is not enough. You must be born again is what Jesus said. We are born dead in trespasses and sins and when we are born again we receive eternal life from God.
Each time that Jesus taught truth about future judgment of sinners the sinners were doomed to spend eternity in hell because Jesus did not "know" them. The new birth establishes a living dynamic relationship with the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3:1-8 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Only the born again go to heaven.
69% of professing Christians believe that all people will go to heaven.
52% of professing Christians believe that non-Christians will go to heaven.
Like you, I have heard certain people say that all paths lead to God no matter what religion a person is in. Such a view is non compatible with the truth of scripture. The just shall live by faith and the object of our faith is the Lord Jesus Christ. If someone has faith in any other "god" or religious system, Christ still says to them, You must be born again.
Matthew 13:36-43 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Christ left us here to be His witnesses.
74% of professing Christians say that they have never shared their faith (witnessing) with anyone.
51% have never heard of the Great Commission.
When anyone is born again, he or she is not saved from sin so that they can continue to live the same old life that they previously did. No, we are instructed to walk in newness of life because we are made a new creation in Christ through the new birth. The Great Commission from Christ is His mission for us to complete as long as He gives us life.
Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Only Jesus Christ brings salvation to man.
Only 27% of professing Christians say that Jesus Christ alone can save them from their sins.
This is a staggering reality to grapple with. It is inconceivable that a Christian would ever entertain the idea that the work of Jesus Christ to save them from sin is not sufficient for their salvation. Yet, the truth communicated by the Scripture is very emphatic in declaring that salvation is through faith in Christ alone.
Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
All people are born depraved sinners.
65% of Americans think that all people are basically good.
All of the consistent criminal activity, wars, ethnic cleansing and the hatred of one group for another group is evidence enough that all mankind is not born with some inherent goodness. No matter how much you change a person's circumstances or environment, that person is still a sinner who needs to be born again.
Romans 3:10-19 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Gospel preaching is highest priority for Pastors.
25% of American pastors think it is more important to meet a person's physical needs than it is to tell them about Jesus Christ.
If you read through the writings of the apostles you could never arrive at such a conclusion as to think that you do not need to preach Christ crucified for sinners so that they might be brought into a right relationship with God.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
The scriptures are verbally inspired.
More than 50% of young people ages 18-24 reject the verbal inspiration of scripture.
There are several thousand verses that clearly teach God is speaking to man through His Word. Young people can certainly choose to reject this truth but that does not make verbal inspiration less true.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
77% of all Americans believe that salvation is earned by good works.
The Bible is very clear that the just shall live by faith in Christ, not human efforts to earn salvation by their works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Private interpretations are not allowed.
51% of professing Christians believe that the Bible was written for each person to interpret however they choose.
2 Peter 1:19-21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.
Thoughts to Ponder....
The picture below reminds us that Christ said enter the straight gate and walk in the narrow way as we go through this life because this path leads to eternal life. Allowing what God says in His word to govern the choices that we make is the place of blessing for a Christian and it is where we will find happiness.
Bob
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