Not One Jot or Tittle

In John chapter 12 Jesus says that he spoke only the words. The father gave him. He received the words that he spoke from the father. He gave those words to the apostles's and their words in turn became the content of the New Testament. Can we trust the truth claims we find in the Bible to the commands we read in Scripture have authority over Renewing Your Mind. Poster bed will make it clear that every word in fact every letter is the very word of God we going to read just from Matthew chapter 5 the words of Jesus. Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a jaunt or a total or and I also Nora.will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. And then, in the words of Paul when he writes to Timothy in chapter 3. As for you Timothy continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work on 2 June 1953 I can say I remember it well. In the context of the coronation of Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was presented with a Bible and in the presentation.

These words are gracious.

Queen to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and gospel of God as the rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes, we present you with this book the most valuable thing this world before here is wisdom. This is the royal law. These are the lively oracles of God and with those words. She ascended the throne, some 2000 years preceding that, not in an Abby but on a mountainside Jesus the King declared for truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a jaunt or a tinsel will pass from the law, until all is accomplished in taking such a fine subject in a relatively short time. I want to pose three straightforward questions. First of all, what did Jesus believe about the Bible.

Secondly, what did the apostles believe about the Bible and thirdly, what do you and I believe about the Bible so first of all, then Jesus in those words there on that mountainside. He provides us with a very straightforward and clear statement of his own view of Scripture.

He says that the Old Testament is absolutely trustworthy, even down to the smallest detail when he is tempted in the wilderness by the evil one. He refutes the temptations of the devil. By using the Scriptures man will not live by bread alone, he says, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He knew that the words of the proverb was absolutely true. Every word of God proves true. And so when he is confronted is immediate resource is to the word of God itself. If we were to go with him back to his childhood home and just sit there in that amazing encounter that took place in the synagogue in Nazareth, we would've find ourselves like the rest of the congregation on the very edge of our seats when after he had read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He sat down in the position of the teacher and Luke records for us in chapter 4 that all the eyes of the people in the synagogue were fastened on him so wonderful picture is there wasn't. There was no wandering gaze what is going to come down from his lips and what is Jesus do well he says to them dramatically. Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. In other words, all of the Old Testament promises of what God was going to do now resided in him and then as the New Testament unfolded with the fulfillment of all that God has done the focus remained on him in the upper room by way of explanation when the question is unfolding about where he is going next and what will happen to them and why these things are happening. Jesus doesn't conjure something opposite where again the gospel writers remind us.

Jesus says to the group.

The Son of Man goes as it is written on for. In other words, the Lord Jesus himself use his Bible to decipher the providences of God in his own life.

The Lord Jesus used his Bible in order to grant him assurance in the face of all that was yet before him, no surprise that he is spoken so clearly on the mountainside.

And what about on the road site when after the resurrection we have that amazing encounter with those two characters. Cleo packs the person who is known as the other disciple, what a shame you get in the Bible and you don't even get your name and some of it I have a terrific time just going through in a new heaven and the new RC I'm looking for somebody I'm looking for the other disciple, does anyone know who that is. Somebody says it is his wife, and I don't know that is if we were supposed to know. We will been told is there perhaps a reminder that most of us don't have our names you see most of us are the other disciples most impact in life's live may be viewed in unvisited graves, unvisited tombstones, while actually that's George Elliott in Middlemarch.

Isn't it. I just know that I should've mentioned the big most of even recognize it but anyway there he was very wise.

Scottish education does wonders for you, but on the on the road side. What is you do what it once was a conversation he says to the mother's been a huge hullabaloo in Jerusalem really. Yes, but it's all been about Jesus of Nazareth. He past tense was a prophet and we past tense had hoped that he was actually going to be the one for whom we had been looking when we were reading our Bibles in anticipation of the appealing of the one who would come and we tell drillers about somehow another he's around there been no sign of him at all.

And surely it is of great significance that Jesus does not just go like shazam, it's me.

What is he doing he really turns to the Bible and he provides them with probably the finest Bible study that we don't actually have the tags for in all of the New Testament and when the penny dropped for these characters.

They didn't say you know I wish we had a phone because we could've taken us stealthy with them.

You know how old are they didn't want to immediately be the preoccupied even with the encounter itself no, they rejoiced in the exposition of the Scriptures and friend in a relatively short order of time. He is now present again with his disciples what is he said to them, he says these are my words and everything written about me in this book, and then he goes on and look says, and he opened their minds in order that they might understand the Scriptures. What was Jesus doing well. He was preparing them, preparing them because they were going to take the gospel to the world he received the words that he spoke from the father. He gave those words to the apostles and their words in turn became the content of the New Testament, Jesus endorsed the authority of the Old Testament, and then he in turn made provision for the New Testament by authorizing his apostles in the task to which they were called in actual fact, in writing the New Testament, the apostles were actually making it possible for them to do what Jesus had asked them to do in writing the New Testament, they were making it possible for them in and through the Scriptures to go to the end of the earth, and to continue to the end of the age. How could he possibly go to the end of the earth. How could he continue to the end of the age. How is that happening through the Scriptures, the confidence of heaven resides in the Scriptures, and surely no follower of Jesus could possibly have a less view of Scripture than Jesus himself what he Jesus believe all this is what he believed. What are the apostles believe well what is it that Peter says in his second letter.

There man spake from God, carried along by the Holy Spirit or in the verses that we read here from second Timothy in chapter 3, all Scripture is breathed out by God that when Paul gives us this and we know this is probably the classic passage on the doctrine of Scripture's inspiration and so on. I don't think that we should imagine that Timothy when he read this letter said, all while there's there's a novel thought all Scripture is inspired by God as if Paul was telling something that he didn't know Timothy knew the Scriptures he'd known them from infancy. He had been brought up in the Old Testament.

He was familiar with the fact that this is God's word. This is how God has spoken and now Timothy is about to take on the responsibility that falls to him.

As a result of the departure of Paul. The time in which he is engaged is not the easiest of times and find it is frankly difficult and it is made all the more daunting by the fight of Paul's departure because we need one another.

Don't worry. And those of us who have those to whom we look which I trust is all of us do not like the thought of them not being there. Even if they're not immediately at arms length. At access for a call or clearly concern and for that to be Saturday. Time is a significant issue and when we read the Bible and read of these individuals we ought not to forget the humanity of it all that Paul love Timothy Timothy owed his spiritual life to Paul. They were affectionate and engage with one another in the cause of the gospel and now he says the time is come Timothy from Ayanna Lucius.

I'm about to hang up my boots. I'm playing my last game here I am on my way. You know the environment in which your ministry, you know, Timothy. How absolutely essential it is that you do not drop the ball in this instance and let me remind you all the Scripture is breathed out by God to another was the very foundation of that to which he calls him is grounded in the Scriptures themselves so that although he will no longer have access to Paul. He can be assured that the Scripture is utterly reliable that it is divinely inspired that it is entirely sufficient for the fulfilling of his ministry. Now why was not so crucial and why is it so crucial. While I've alluded to it already. If Timothy were to lose confidence in the truth in the power and the relevance of Scripture, then there would be nothing for him to pass to faithful men to Timothy to who would then in turn be enabled to teach others also.

If he were to lose confidence in this, then there would be nobody who would be complete and equipped because the equipping and the completion in the fulfillment of these things is grounded in the Scriptures themselves. Although it took time for the New Testament to finally be recognized and finalized some around the end of the fourth century. We need to realize true that you don't have to fed it around in your Bible to realize that even errantly on the picture of the authoritative elements of the New Testament are quickly becoming apparent even in first Timothy, for example, when Paul is writing there and he quotes a saying of Jesus as the same time as he is quoting from the Old Testament and he refers to them both as Scriptures at Peter in the same way refers to the letters of Paul and referring to them as Scripture and in all of this. The point of it as we see in the text is that the message of the Bible in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Ritter. Bost was acquired wonderfully just a sentence when he says God did not inspire the Bible to give as a holy book but in order to bring us into fellowship with him in order to give us Christ to give us Christ is distinctly possible to be very excited about the Bible and miss Jesus in the process of a CSS M correspond any of you when you brought the member used to sing that of the Bible class make the boom lift a meal more. Show me your self within your word shortly myself. And surely my Savior and make the book lifted me. Another was eliminate the printed page is not asking for inspiration is asking for illumination in the chorus.

At least if I understand it correctly and so we need to realize this and remind ourselves of it and the wonder of it of course in the mystery of it is often a preoccupation understanding that in doing this God didn't dictate. The Bible is aware or type it out or put it on a laptop and somehow using individuals as if they were put into neutral. In the process didn't know what was going on while you you understand this, I need to spend a long time on the Bible is not an object into which God breathed something it is something which God himself breathed out and so that picture of being swept along and moved by the Holy Spirit is simply what we understand as concurrence or the dual authorship of Scripture that in the process of giving to us the Bible whether it is in the book of Amos or whether it is the gospel of Luke or whatever it may be called is 100% involved in breathing out and the writer. The human author is 100% involved in writing it down. That is why is is been pointed out for us. While it is the one gospel.

The distinctive elements have to do with the distinctive personalities and when you read Ezekiel it does read just a wee bit different from Isaiah as well.

They were all individual, says Calvin.

The Scriptures obtain full authority among believers only when men regard them as having sprung from heaven as if they're the living words of God, where do you actually believe that the Bible is the tiller that Dobson guides the church. The primary reason we come together is not for us to say things to God but is to listen to what God has said to us in the Bible. What we have to say to God in praise is if importance were urged to, but is not as important as what God is said to us in the Bible because it is God's will is twice wonderful thing when you go into a church building and somebody stands up and says let us hear the word of God so that we might be like the Thessalonians. Paul writes to Mrs. I love you forms when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it really is the word of God and divine product produced through the instrumentality of humanity. God spoke without violating the personality of the authors and the man wrote, without distorting the divine message that they convey what Paul is doing in speaking to Timothy here in his apostolic framework is making sure that when Timothy exercises his ministry's going to be absolutely convinced of this and it is on account of that that is already issued a clear call to him to continue and what he has learned to continue in what he is firmly believed wonderful thing is the importance of ministry to and among children. I was talking with a friend some time ago and in the course of our conversation, it struck me just forcibly the huge impact that the reading of the Bible. It had upon my friend before ever anybody explained the gospel to and some of you are on the on the same timeframe as myself who've gotten less in front of us and we have behind us are already now saying in our prayers at night with the psalmist. Oh God from my youth.

You have taught me and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs all God do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation. Your power to all those to come. Surely this is the grandparents prayer. Psalms 7117 and 80, i.e. when I went to America 31 they use to invite me to speak at youth conferences. Now I speak it. Grandparents summits and for us to be excited about it. I'm only marginally excited about a more alarmed than I am excited for you see the imperative nature of what is at Mannings Donald Guthrie, who taught me in obesity New Testament I think is the one who said from a human perspective. The church at this point from Paul to Timothy trembled humanly speaking on the brink of annihilation.

There was no guarantee that it was going to make the transition from the apostolic to the post-apostolic church. That's the importance of the Scriptures as the importance of what Paul is saying, while a final word will be to Peterborough before that one other Scotsman okay is Hugh Martin.

Alas, he says that so many who are to be teachers deal as falsely and irreverently with the oracles of God is a cat playing with her kittens or kitten with the court. I am sorely afraid that that is to be a great decline in our church. A great lack of holy courage and contending for the infallible truth of the entire Scriptures and truly man that can tolerate the substitution of the natural for the supernatural of human reason for divine revelation are not only no longer were they there assessed the nation which was an important word.

At that point but are no longer worth their salt. May God raise up men taught from above and volume for every jot and tittle of divine truth, for it shall stand should have another of pass away, and if you meet any after I'm gone. Who do courageously stand for all revealed truth. Give them my complements and tell them to be strong and of a good courage, for now, even at this present time there head shall be lifted up above there follows Landon healed not to the current sentimental Christianity that would convert men's faith in a living, glorious, inexhaustible, infallible word into empty headed empty hearted speculations no better than Chinese puzzles or active charades. God will avenge such trifling the Scripture cannot be broken is the testimony of hidden who is himself the eternal word and Peter says all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, the flower forms the word of the Lord remains forever, and this is the work that by the gospel is preached that his elves to bed with a message titled, not one jot or tittle. Thanks for joining us for the Tuesday edition of Renewing Your Mind.

I'm Lee Webb in this week rearing highlights of the first conference that regular ministries has hosted in London that we held it in 2019. Our theme was the light of the world and our speakers focused on core truths of the Christian faith. Jesus said he is the light of the world and if we follow them, we will not walk in darkness and that you'll find great encouragement in these seven messages from speakers including Sinclair Ferguson, Burke Parsons, Albert Mohler, and as we heard today. Alister bag will be happy to provide you a free digital download.

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You'll find us when you search at our YM radio tomorrow will hear from Dr. Sinclair Ferguson and his message. My yoke is easy, as he was yesterday, so she is today. Unsold key is tomorrow so this is what Jesus is line in his inviting person is allowed into his own self interpretation of who he is unpopular slowly, we hope you'll join us Wednesday for Renewing Your Mind