1003. Sola Scriptura

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville South Carolina just over 500 years ago, in October 15 17, Martin Luther wrote his 95 theses, which is considered to be the beginning of the Reformation for the next several days on The Daily Platform will be studying some of these doctrines in a series called truth tryouts.

Let's listen to today's message preached by Dr. Mark Minnick Bob Jones University seminary professor Mark is going to help us understand the concept of soul in Scripture, or the sufficiency of Scripture as our supreme authority in all spiritual matters. I like to ask you to open your Bibles this morning to the first Psalm Salter and the first passage. The issue that we are concerned with this morning has to do with the most important decision that we ever make in life. It's not a one-time decision like our commitment of life and eternity to Jesus Christ.

It's actually a decision that precedes even that one. It is not a one-time decision. It is a decision that we have to make again and again you have to make it every time that the road of your journey through life comes to a fork or a tiny conduit of roundabouts and you realize that there are 12345 possible ways to continue your journey and that most important decision is the decision of who is going to govern is really in humanly and is going to be the final determiner of my way. And folks, that decision is the personal daily application of what is come out of the Reformation as the understanding of soul. Scripture. What is Sola Scripture. Of course, you're probably aware of the fact that that is a Latin expression in the first of those words Sola has reference to something that is unaccompanied.

It's all by itself. Shakespeare used that word in the margins of these place when he gave directions to actors or stagehands. He used that word to indicate that in this point in the drama someone so was Sola on the stage all alone or we would say this is the solo and that of course doesn't mean that there aren't any other people on the stage and it doesn't mean that the other people are important just means that in a particular plaintiff.

This is the voice this is the character and of course when you apply that to Sola to the Scripture itself. What has reference to the ascent on the one hand, that there aren't any other important authorities in life, parents, pastors, and educators.

Civil people and civil position.

All of these are authorities, but it actually is the Scripture itself that tells us that the members all of those authorities are recognized and respected by us because solo voice tells us to do that Scripture is the final determiner is called the Norma norms than the norm for all the norms and that's the contention of Sola Scripture, and it is a contention we have to remember that it is always a contention in a fallen world and for us as people who still possess the flash. It's not just a concept.

It's a claim in the face of opposition. That's what contention is and for the reformers this was a dogma. It's the thing about which they were dogmatic. It was the foundation of their whole position. So that's what Sola Scripture has reference to the Bible alone.

In the end is the final determiner. It's the ultimate voice.

It's the statement that ends the argument closes the door on the controversy what staff the Scripture that Sola Scripture this morning when I would like to do is take up to questions that very naturally arise from that in the first of them is one that I was confronted with a student here when I am not a carload of fellows went down the Clemson University one night to try to evangelize and I find myself as a freshman standing underneath the streetlight talking to an upperclassman at Clemson University and he really challenged me about continuing to speak of the Bible and the issue in his mind was why do you reference the Bible as being the authority as a really important question.

Does the Bible itself actually teach this. Is this a claim that the Bible makes for itself well we approach that will broadly you can look at it this way, even when you open your Bible and you read just the first few pages and Satan says that he you will not surely die. That's the issue is what God said the final voice and you know of course that right through this present hour what God warned Adam in the would take place is taking place.

Many times, even as remain right now.

That's the beginning of my advisor to the last book of my Bible and the very last chapter of my Bible. It's the same thing all over again. It's God warning and he saying when it comes to this book. If you add to the words of this book, no matter how well-intentioned you may be. If you add anything to this book, I will add to you the plagues that are written in this book and it works the other way to if you subtract anything from this book, no matter how prudent it may seem, no matter how much more in keeping it may appear to be with your peer group. If you subtract anything from this book I will I will take away your part in the book of life and from the holy city, the point Fox is from beginning to end. This actually is the whole story line of the Bible isn't that we need proof texts just a few specific statements here and there and are Bible proof texting is very very helpful.

Our Lord David all the time but actually the whole Bible is about this. It's the issue of whose word is going to prevail with me to whom in the final analysis will I listen but there are some very, very specific passages that are extremely helpful and I will call your attention to three of those today, do it this way you know of course that there are five great solace and in our New Testament. Four of those are dealt with pretty much by whole books of the Bible. There are book length explanations and arguments for the other four soulless we don't have that for Sola Scripture.

We don't have a whole block basically is arguing that point but we do have is a book of our Bible that has major passages on this issue and that's this Old Testament book of Psalms the Psalter, the Psalter begins this way.

That's what I've had to turn to someone relook at it just a moment. There are three great water called horror Psalms that is Psalms about the construction of the Lord, we would say word of God. Psalms soon as I say that you can probably think of at least one other of those in probably the other two as well will I would like to do is just reference all three of those this morning in order to show us in our Bibles a different aspect in each song a different aspect of Sola Scripture. The first of those right out of the gate when you open your Psalter is in verses one to you. Look at this wording. Blessed is the man that walk is not in the counsel of the ungodly standards in the way of sinners or sit up in the seat of the scornful blot in the body is about of contrast. There's a great contrast here, in contrast, all those other actors there counsel their ways, their parliaments, their sittings officially to decide his delight is in the prologue of the law.

The instruction of the Lord, thoughts, the contention here, try captured in one word in this psalm as you know, promises a universal kind of blessing to a man who delights in and meditates on the word of God on the Scripture, the contention of these two verses is the exclusivity of Scripture that on the stage.

There is an exclusive part that the Bible claims that nothing else place. Now that has to be clarified. It doesn't mean that the Bible addresses every single subject.

It doesn't mean that we don't learn from other sources you're being here, and all the classes that you're taking in the subject matter is testimony of the fact that you understand that there are things that the Scripture doesn't directly address and that you learn in the classroom when it comes to various subject areas.

There is however an exclusive place that the Bible has and that is that whenever it does speak about something, anything, it is the voice and if anyone else differs from that he is referred to as ungodly word ungodly in the Scripture doesn't just refer to somebody who's a notorious conspicuous band that were criminal in his sin is refers to people are like God, they actually may be very polite nice people. The kind of people you love to have live across Europe over the back fence but they don't think like God and their worldview wasn't God's. And if you listen to their counsel about any subject of the Bible touches on you have to very clearly and carefully govern what they say by the Scripture. The Scripture has to be the filter in the Bible is the only book like that in all the world.

It has an exclusivity to it in your Bible thoughts never comes to you and tries to reach common consensus with you, not with you or your church or your denomination, your mission Lord conclave of friends. It's never interested in doing that. It's interested in telling you the mind of God its exclusive in that respect in the value of all other books that have anything to do with the Scriptures, the degree to which that they line up with the voice of God in Scripture. Now that was Luther at the diet of worms. When he stood there. He's 37 years old. He had testified later in life that he was 20 years old before he ever saw my 17 years later he's standing there before the Emperor. This huge gathering of ecclesiastics he knows that he's almost certainly facing death by fire.

If he continues to disagree with these people and he stands there.

Finally, on the second day and he says, was certainly my conscience is captive to the word of God its exclusive in its authority in my life. That's the claim. At the very opening of our soul will ask you to turn to the second of these great word of God.

Psalms it's the 19th Psalm and the portion I want to call your attention to is one that perhaps many of you have memorized.

If you've not certainly is a passage that every believer would do well to lock in his heart, and it begins with the seventh verse and runs down through verse 11, and what you have here are statements about the effectual mass. The use of Scripture in a life. The law of the Lord, there is again the Koran the law of the Lord is perfect, that means it's completed is missing anything so it can entirely convert the soul from everything that is wrong.

The testimony of the Lord towards testimonies or when he bears witness to something versus key bears witness to origins. Nobody else was here so no one else can bear witness but God was here and he did it so he gives his testimony as to how it happened. That's what this word has reference to an whenever you find the Lord's testimonies to something there absolutely sure. And they will make you wise, the statutes of the Lord arrived, rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is clean and lightning your eyes. This is reference to what happens to your conscience so the lights go on in a world where there hardly any absolutes anymore.

People are actually free now to self identify what gender they want to be the Lord will turn the lights on in people's hands about that now. The point of this passage, capturing this one word sufficiency if the Scriptures take care of my soul. If the Scriptures take care of my mind.

They make me wise if the Scriptures take care of the emotional aspect of my life, they rejoice.

My heart if the Scriptures turn the lines on if they actually make if they actually recalibrate my conscience so it registers the way I had to do then there utterly sufficient because they meet every nut of my soul.

The Bible is the exclusive authority in the end, and it is utterly sufficient for the entirety of my being a wonderful thing and that brings me to the last of these tour songs and you would've known this was the longest chapter in your Bible which Psalm is that not someone not Psalm 19. But some hundred 19.

I will ask you to turn their portion. I want you to turn to is the 128th verse Psalm 128 this is a verse that many, many years ago.

Perhaps all the way back when I was a student, but certainly not long after that, we just lit out for me one day.

I think I probably have it underlined in every English copy of the Bible that I use is the writer of this passage giving to you.

She is estimation. This is his viewpoint. This is the conclusion he's reached. If the Scripture has the exclusive governing voice and it is all sufficient.

Then look at this statement I esteem. As for me, this may not be the view of others. But this is my conclusion I esteem all my precepts concerning all things notice those all those are Universalists all your presets. No exceptions to that concerning all subjects that are addressed by the Bible. No exceptions. That all your presets concerning all things I esteem them to be right about, you know, for your reading the 119 Psalm that this is just one of eight major words that are used in the Psalm for the Scriptures and every one of those words is a little different nuance to, for instance, the word testimonies is one of those words that is in you got words like statutes and commandments and promises and salon, but what this Psalm and the rest of the Bible say about the Scripture. No matter which of those terms is used. What this verse says about presets is what the Bible and this Psalm says about all aspects of Scripture whether it's God's promises he will never ever fail, whether comes this testimonies are his commandments. It's all this, we are presented with this decision is the decision that I started a message with this morning.

It's the most important decision of life and you don't make it one time you had to make it. When you gave your life to Christ and you have to make it again and again and again every time that you wrote for us every time that there are alternatives to your roundabout every time you have to ask yourself does the Bible address this doesn't address it in any way in terms of what God testifies to his records of history, the precepts that he gives the promises that he makes the inclinations of his heart principles that seem to be displayed here is the Bible address this event does eyes seem to be right settles the issue and I want to summarize this aspect of soul Scripture and the word and see books. The reason that the Bible is the exclusive governor and that in the end it is meet every need of our human condition in our fallenness is because it is absolutely without there is an infallibility to what the Scripture says that is taught here and that is really what you will, the ability of the reformers to stand in face whatever they had to well most famous books that came out of that era. Of course, is the record panned by an English reformer of what those who were left behind in England face. When Henry VIII's oldest daughter Mary began to execute people for this position and there were hundreds of English people who believes all Scripture and the corollaries of Sulla, Scripture, and they fled to the content that many men and they went to Geneva to be underneath the ministry of John Calvin and then John Knox is that an English congregation. There wasn't, fled the continent gathering the stories of the martyrs. These people are being burned and their friends are sending the accounts and this brother is recording them what they said in the fire. The fact that when somebody said to them, if God is within you in the fire make a sign and the man stands there and burns with his finger pointed at Orrie Baines's hands in the flames and then scrubs his cheeks God's with you in the fire make a sign John Fox records. All of this and when Mary dies and her sister Elizabeth comes to the throne, who allows the Protestant Reformation go forward.

Fox publishes all of this in the most famous books in Christian history John Fox faced his own pressures. They gave him a high position in the church but he wouldn't fully subscribe to the articles of the Church of England is called in before the Archbishop of Manning Parker and Parker just reasons with him very kindly appeals to Fox's position is influence. Finally, John Fox just pulls a little Greek New Testament of his pocket and he holds that and says to this.

I will subscribe. That's it folks that is similar Scripture when you're pressures like that and the Bible addresses the subject and you strongly suspect that what you're hearing is the Council of people who don't think like God.

This is the exclusive voice on your stage. And it is right, it is inerrant that brings me to this.

Lastly, what really do we do with this, ask you to turn same Psalm, but just turn back to the way it begins.

And while you're turning back. I want to give to you the possibility of a little scriptural exercise, you know, when we read 119 Psalm we get the impression that just goes around and around and around they keep saying the same thing, just in different ways. Matthew Henry wonderful English commentator actually spoke of it that way.

He said it's like a chest full of golden rings that aren't really attached to each other but they are all about the same thing is whether all the same, just but I think what you will find is if you study this Psalm is that there is connectivity between the stances and that actually what you have, from beginning to end is a kind of a spiritual journal of the journey that you will experience if you start out the way the Psalm starts out if you will put your foot on the path of Sulla Scripture. This is the way it's gonna work for your life and there are some things that can be repeated all along the way. That's why sometimes the Psalm seems to say the same things because what happened to me when I was a student here still keeps happening to me now, but there is a progression. And if you asked the question of what I do with Sulla Scripture.

This is what you're faced with. Let's just read the opening of the song.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord what it's saying, basically, is this. It's like the writer is looking at other people saying you know I've observed this about those people those people who walk in the way of the word are blessed just like someone snap so verse five. This is what I come to know that my why he's were directed like that dear young people, especially when their faculty and staff years with that's it every day. I can testify to you as a father and a grandfather and a pastor and a common ordinary Christian. That's what I'm faced with every day and the pressures are great and the voices are many. One of our former respected colleagues on the Bible faculty here and went to be with the Lord used to commonly pray in his Lord's day morning pastoral prayer Lord deliver us from the jargon of voices and many of you are going on in the business life and what you had to be confronted with something that doesn't seem right to you but when you going to talk about it. You can be told that this is the corporate standard. This is the industry expectation or this is just an executive privilege or young people, you're gonna hear from your teenager. What I hope you have not said to your own parents.

You stand there flat-footed on the linoleum of your kitchen floor and your 13-year-old son look you right in the eye and say dad that's just generational. Well, it might be. There are things like that and that's when you need to do then what we need to learn to do now and that is to go to the Scriptures and see that's the Scripture address this. What is the word of God about it and when we find it in here than Fox.

This is the only position for you.

I hope for you in your house for you in your house for you and your marriage for you and your kids for you and your church. As for me and my house will serve the Lord Sulla Scripture make God behind our consciences to the let's pray together dwelling. Lord, thank you for our time together and pray that you would develop a mass, a deep conviction about this grand prize precious name of the man you been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Mark Minnick a Bob Jones University seminary professor. Thanks for listing and join us again tomorrow as we continue the series about the Reformation here on The Daily Platform