The Authority of Scripture

Coming up today on Renewing Your Mind.

Satan is a liar he is a deceiver.

He incessantly propagates lies that destroy God's truth. One of those lies is that the Bible is not the word of God and that lie, of course, is at the foundation of everything, absolutely everything is risky business to do to claim that the Bible is proof fully works even among some professing Christians say the Bible is inerrant and sufficient.

So is it worth the ridicule to be really claim that the Bible is our ultimate authority in faith and practice.

Our teacher today on Renewing Your Mind is Dr. John MacArthur.

I'm a friend who is probably the single most significant collector of antiquity Bibles in the world. He has the single greatest private collection in existence. And he gave me what he thought would be a treasure and is next to the living, breathing humans in my house. It is the greatest treasure. I possess their he gave me the first Bible ever printed in Scotland. The first 115 76 is an amazingly good condition are all what that says about the people who had it, but nonetheless it now sits in a beautiful handcarved cherrywood pulpit model.

After some etchings of the Puritan pulpit and handcrafted by a gentleman who wanted to make me a cherrywood pulpit that would be a replica of the Puritan pulpit not using any nails purely tongue and groove. No blue. Nothing. And when you lift the lid of that pulpit you're exposed to this immense treasure of the word of God. It isn't that I need that Bible to get to the truth.

I have Bibles that are much easier for me to read. Frankly, it is that I need that Bible to remind me of the heritage. If the printing press was invented in around 1545. That's not too many years after the printing press to realize the painstaking involvement of hand carving every single letter dropping them in some kind of a frame in the right sequence so you spell the words on the page, putting down the big flat piece of paper rolling the roller across it so that it was inked taking it off and then dumping all letters and starting on the next page you understand what they went through to produce that what is remarkable about that Bible is it's got to be one of the first study Bibles.

It has as many notes and footnotes as the Geneva study Bible.

They were so afraid somebody would mess up the interpretation of the text and all kinds of helps beginning and end. It was a treasure beyond all treasures with finally found its way into the churches where the people could come and read it and here it expanded. We have a great heritage. We take the word of God for granted. We have more Bibles than we need but we stand as the beneficiaries of some people who basically give their life for the word of God, my friend the Bible collector has a Bible that is his most treasured possession of all he keeps in a special place in his museum and when first he let me look at it. He didn't tell me what I was looking at. I opened it and he said just leaf through it and it was published a little before the one that I have the translators of that particular translation had to flee from England because of the persecution against them, and under the protection of John Calvin were able to do that translation and then come back and have it printed with this Bible was a Bible that was still a part of the time of persecution and as I went through it I noticed that it had been submerged in liquid and books look when they been wet.

About two thirds of the way up. It had a wavy line where it had been dipped but it wasn't brown like water. It was pink and I said what is this and he said well the story of this Bible that comes with it sort of tucked in from centuries by gone is that when martyrs were executed for their faith. It was not uncommon for them to be cut before they were burned in their blood. Fill a bowl in the Bible, thrown into the bolus testament to what happens to those who adhere to this book.

The battle for the Bible for those folks was a bit more threatening than it is for us, but certainly no less important.

Satan is a liar he is a deceiver. He incessantly propagates lies that destroy God's truth. One of those lies is that the Bible is not the word of God and that lie, of course, is at the foundation of everything, absolutely everything. I counted a privilege and an honor and an overwhelming responsibility to speak to you on the authority of Scripture to do that. I am drawn to the Old Testament, which in recent months I have come to love more than ever, but nothing to me is more clear in the Old Testament than that the Scripture is the word of the living God. Now there are basically two places that I could go where this is most clearly dealt with. One is Psalm 119. And you would all die while I was still in it.

You know anything about me.

So I dropped it out for Psalm 19. Open your Bible if you will to that Psalm Psalm 19 is a Psalm about Revelation. The first part of the Psalm is about what theologians have called general Revelation. It's about the heavens declaring the glory of God and their expanses. Evidence of the work of his hands. It's about that revelation of God that comes to the created universe which reveals as Romans one says his Godhead is power and leaves men who deny his existence.

Inexcusable. The second half of the Psalm is about special Revelation written Revelation Scripture and that begins in verse seven, and it is to that that I want to draw your attention reading from the new American Standard verse seven the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.

The judgments of the Lord are true. They are righteous altogether, they are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them, thy servant is warned in keeping them there is great reward who can discern his errors acquit me of hidden faults also keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins.

Let them not rule over me, then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression with the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer.

There is no more concise tributes to the authority of Scripture than this, God with an economy of words says everything that needs to be said to encompass the length and breadth and depth and height of Scripture sufficiency.

Obviously the Bible has been in battle on a number of fronts.

The cat on frontal attack against its inspiration and I think we've done pretty well encountering that an answering that there has been a rear assault in recent years from the experiential us to want to say yes. The Bible is true, but so are my visions and revelations, which attacks the singularity of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. There have been the side attacks that say well, the Bible certainly is true, and certainly is the word of God, but it lacks contemporary psychological, sociological, sophistication and, therefore, it suffers a little bit from relevancy problems. We've done our best to address that. I think all of those things, have seen their day. But the battle today being waged with regard to the Scriptures, a battle with regard to its sufficiency doesn't really cover everything. Is it really all we need and that is what this Psalm primarily addresses. If you look at verses seven, eight and nine will approach those verses is the core of what I would like to say to you, you will notice there are six statements about Scripture to in each of those three verses, and those six statements have parallel characteristics. Scripture is given six titles described with six characteristics which produce six effects six titles six characteristics producing six effects Scriptures call law testimony precepts commandment fear and judgments its characteristics are. It is perfect. Sure right clear, clean true the effects it restores the soul makes wise the simple rejoices the heart enlightens the eyes endures forever, and the last one produces comprehensive righteousness that really covers the issue of scriptural sufficiency and I think you'll see is that against to unfold. When we discuss it but sick the first thing the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul Scripture is law it is written by God as a manual for man's life is the manufacturer's manual. It is the maker's manual. He has designed us.

He has made us and he is laying down the laws of operation for maximum benefit is God's law for men. That's one of the facets.

One of the viewpoints of Scripture as you look at any says as God's law for man is perfect, wanting to know what that word meant. I spent a whole afternoon chasing around the Hebrew Mexicans, and after about 2 1/2 hours discovered that what it actually means is perfect.

Frankly, it was a bit disappointing, but that in itself needs a definition because the perfection of which it speaks is not perfect in the sense of that which is opposite imperfect but perfect in the sense of that which is opposite incomplete.

In other words, the Bible is comprehensive. The Bible is complete.

In fact, one lexicon gave an excellent definition of the Hebrew word it was this all cited SI DED all cited so as to cover all aspects of something. The Bible is comprehensive. It covers all aspects related to what the rest of the verse. The rest of the statement restoring the soul. Now we all know the Hebrew word Nefesh is the word translated soul in the normal English versions of today. It is probably translated by about 20 to 23 or 24.

In some cases different English words, soul, spirit being part self a number of English words are used to translate Nefesh in the Hebrew but always mean the same thing. The inner person the inner person as opposed to the body. The inner person that eternal being Scripture is comprehensive so that it can take the inner being and restore it. What is that word mean it can mean renew, but the best meaning is to transform the word of God is so comprehensive it can totally transform the whole inner person. That's what Scripture claims for itself.

That is why Peter says we are begotten again by the word. That's why Paul says faith comes by hearing a message about Christ is the word that produces the life and the energy of the spirit of God.

It totally restores transforms the whole inner person is more powerful as the writer of Hebrews than any two-edged sword. It can pierce to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit in joints and marrow, and has a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It can cut to the core and convict and transform. That's the power of the word Timothy you have known from a child. The holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise under what salvation that's the power of the word.

I was in Florida some years ago and was preaching over in Sebring and afterwards a man came up to me. I'll never forget his name was Tim Alina and he said I have to talk to you.

I have to talk to and I said great, let's sit down and talk. We set down on chair in the church and he said I gotta tell you about my life. He said I'm a fifth-generation Jehovah's Witness. My father is in charge of the Jehovah's Witness movement in the state of Florida and I work for the Jehovah's Witnesses. I train all of their local pastors and he said just a matter of a few weeks ago I was driving across alligator Alley down the South Florida and he said I turn on the car radio and you were preaching and he said I didn't know who you were, but you were preaching and I listen to you and all of a sudden you said Jesus is God and you read some scripture to support it, and I restored my radio and turned it off and said that's a lie and then I got curious and I turned back on again and he said it was a Monday and you kept talking about the fact that the Bible says Jesus is God, then you said you're going to be talking about that.

The rest of the week on your radio program and I was compelled to listen every day and then on Friday you said that you were going to continue the series on Monday.

Through the next week and so I made sure I heard the next five and on Friday I was in a motel not far away from here. He said, as I was traveling around doing my training of all the local JW leaders. I was in a motel and I looked up to God and I said if you Jehovah indeed came into this world in the form of Jesus Christ. Would you let the light break on my heart. And by the morning. I given my life to Jesus Christ. He said I'm a Christian and he said that's only been about four or five weeks sick and he said now I've been going back around all those same places and I only know one message and it's Jesus is God and he said I just want to ask you to do something, would you pray for my father and my mother and would you pray for my wife and three grown sons all Jehovah's Witness I said I will and within six months I got a wonderful beautiful letter from him telling me they were all in Christ.

God works through his word. How do you reach a pastoral trainer in the JW. How clever do you have to be about just holler at them for 10 straight days of Jesus is God and shown it to them in the word. I had a man call me. My church he said I have to see you right away I'm desperate said great come on Sunday before the Sunday night service became at 4 o'clock he walked in he said my name Steve on the doctor. He said I got some serious problems. You help me I said I'll do what I can be said you got a notice on Jewish and I don't believe in Christianity but I've been coming to your church before Sunday's. I said what I said because I have so many problems. Some guy told me to come here and he said all four Sundays you been doing this series on delivered to Satan, which is not seeker friendly.

You can imagine, so he said you were talking about me. I know I'm damn I see what you say. That is well I'm an abortionist, I kill babies for living that's my practice. Last year my clinic did $9 million worth of abortions. He said if a woman doesn't have a reason I give her one to get her money that's being honest. He said furthermore I divorce my wife married my second wife and nine living with a woman is not my wife and M got the courage to go back to my second wife because I actually like her better. He said I just bar mitzvahed to my kids.

I been under psychiatric care for year and I'm facing bankruptcy. Can you help me I said no.

Are you kidding I you going to help a Jewish abortionist was under psychiatric care. I said but I know someone who can transform your life, he said, who I said Jesus Christ is. I said I thought you'd say that. I said well look, if you don't want transformation. It's that your choice, but if you're interested, I'd like to introduce you to Jesus Christ. He said I don't know who is.

I so let's start with I resort picked up a Bible open it to the book of John is and see this book all John he said yeah I see you take this Bible with you.

You read John every day and when you know who is you call me because these things are written that you might know, right as the thesis say what no tapes you you just turn that guy over to the Bible get confused in the word of God is like a line you don't defend a line just let it out. It will be all right. As day calls me is see us and come in on Sunday same time 4 o'clock, he walks to the door don't even look at me got this Bible and is in walks by me since down on chair and look some cyst I know who is. I said you do you see it ice will. Who is he says God Jesus is God.

I said Steve you gotta be kidding me. You your 50-year-old man you been in Judaism all your life you this is Thursday from last Sunday. This is a big change.

Never forget what he said. He said he has to be God. He said because nobody could do what he did or say what he said if he wasn't God's given me back exactly what John said if you can't believe my words leave my works begat by the power of the spirit of God. He got it yet me got and then he said visit and do you know what else he did. I said no.

Why, he said he Ross from the dead and then I don't know I said this place, if any, did pass like it's struck him. You know I mean it is fastest three days, but if you're reading it's a minute and 1/2, you're out of that chapter he's out of so I said Steve I said so is God's holy king wanted to come became to die Whiting come to diking to die for my sin. I do know that he said you know I found this book: Romans the red Roman law of the Lord is comprehensive enough to totally transform the full and I said well was just me. Peace and what it means is, my wife is meeting me for church tonight and I've written this afternoon a resignation letter as part of the word of God telling him about you, but stories like that through me the power of the word of God on display.

Referred a great message from Dr. John MacArthur today on Renewing Your Mind this week were concentrating on the essential truths of the Christian faith series in which Dr. MacArthur along with Alastair begged Sinclair Ferguson James Montgomery boys spend RC Sproul explained some of the key truths of biblical Christianity. We like to share the entire series with the contact us today and request the USB drive. There are 12 messages plus will include a bonus series. The classic collection by Dr. Spruill you get both of these with your gift of getting about when you contact us at 800-435-4343.

You can also make a request to give your gift online and Renewing Your Mind.org Dr. MacArthur's more than 50 years of pastoral ministry have given him great insight into God's word and its power in the lives of Christians and we are always grateful to have them here on Renewing Your Mind. Again, you will benefit from this insight as well. When you request the series essential truths of the Christian faith. Our phone number again is 800-435-4343 or web address Renewing Your Mind.org for the Bible tells us that faith without works is dead but what role do those words play in our salvation. We do not want thought, our salvation, but we ourselves didn't salvation of become dogs, workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepared in advance that we should do our teacher. Tomorrow is Dr. Sinclair Ferguson and we hope you'll join us for Renewing Your Mind