As the title up there indicated, I want to put your intelligence to the test today. I'm going to give you 6 questions from the 8th grade final, and I want you to see how you fare. Don't worry-no one will judge you, so be honest. I'll give you a hint: All of these questions have to do with the Bible itself.
1. What is the doctrine of inerrancy?
2. What is the doctrine of sufficiency?
3. What is the doctrine of clarity?
4. What is the doctrine of necessity?
5. What is the doctrine of authority?
6. What do we need to do to hear from God everyday of our lives?
Click this for some inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3lLYOGDsts
Finished? How'd you do? For some of you *Matt*, this was probably a breeze! For others of you *Everyone but Matt*, this was probably pretty challenging. Well, fear not-I'm about to tell you all of the answers, and my prayer is that these answers will not just allow you to pass my class, but also to enter 2015 with a deeper love and hunger for the Word of God.
1. What is the doctrine of inerrancy? The doctrine of inerrancy is one of those things that many of you probably knew but were unable to articulate "correctly." Here's a working definition for us: Whatever the Bible speaks to, it speaks to with utter truthfulness with no falsehoods attached. Think about that for a second. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that, "All scripture is breathed out by God..." All scripture-even the genealogies and histories that modern thinkers love to pick over and throw out. You will meet many a Christian who will say that Scripture is inerrant as far as (maybe) salvation and spiritual matters are concerned, but that we can no longer believe the more "miraculous" parts. They would add a clause to our definition to make it more acceptable to our world. Whatever the Bible speaks to as long as it keeps to spiritual matters and stays out of the realm of science and history it speaks to with utter truthfulness... Two things about that...1. There is nothing more miraculous than the fact that a Holy God would sacrifice his perfect Son to save rebellious sinners. 2. ALL scripture is breathed out by God, and the Bible speaks to and over all things. It refuses to be boxed into a spiritual corner and give up its authority over the rest of the world. If we can't trust the creation accounts, the story of the flood, and the parting of the Red Sea, then I'm afraid that we can't trust John 3:16 either. Hold tight to this doctrine, my friends. You're going to need it.
2. What is the doctrine of sufficiency? Simply put, the doctrine of sufficiency states that the Bible contains all that is necessary for knowledge of salvation and godly living. In other words, everything that we need is there, and there is nothing more to be said. Muslims, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses love to say that they respect the Bible, but that there is more to be said. We, along with the testimony of scripture itself, say otherwise. Jesus has come, died, risen from the dead, and ascended to heaven. There is no more to be said. How do you become a Christian? Repent and believe. How do you live as a Christian? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. The Bible does not need help from any other book or from the wisdom of man. All that you need is in these pages.
3. What is the doctrine of clarity? This doctrine is closely tied to the last one. The doctrine of clarity states that all Christians are able to understand what God expects of them through the reading of his word. Think about what I said up there about how to be saved. Was that confusing? Turn away from your sin and turn to Jesus. Believe that his death and resurrection was all that was necessary for your salvation. What about how to live? Love God with all that you have. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The Bible is not full of wisdom hidden from "ordinary" people and accessible only to "the elite." The Bible is understood by all who will come and submit to it. To be sure, NO ONE will ever understand ALL of the Bible, so if that is what you are waiting on, you can go ahead and stop now. As Deuteronomy says, the secret things belong to the Lord. The vast majority of the words of the Bible are easily understood, however, and many of the things that we don't understand will come to us if we faithfully study this book.
4. What is the doctrine of necessity? All human beings need to be saved, and the means of salvation are found only in scripture. There are people around all of us who need many things, but their deepest need is to hear the words of life that are found in Scripture alone. They don't need wise sayings from Oprah or Mark Twain. The words of Buddha or Sun Tzu won't cut it either. To save us from our sins we need to hear the words of Scripture: If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
5. What is the doctrine of authority? The Bible has the final say on all things that happen in this world. Whenever I was grading these exams, several kids put, "God has the final say..." and I had to mark it wrong. That answer is right, but it is not what I was asking them. Do you see the difference? Scripture has the final say. Scripture is not being set in opposition to God (how could it be?), but this doctrine is affirming something very crucial: God has spoken through his word, and so to disobey his word is to disobey him. It does not matter if you're a Muslim, a Hindu, or an atheist-this Bible stands in authority over you. If you ever meet someone who claims to be a Christian but who claims to obey God INSTEAD of Scripture, then you have one seriously confused person on your hands. To obey God is to obey his Word and vice versa.
6. What do we need to do to hear from God everyday of our lives? Oh, guys. Please hear me on this one. If you want to hear from God...the creator of all that is...the king of the universe...the one who dwells in unapproachable light...the one who was, who is, and who is to come...if you want to hear from him EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIVES....READ YOUR BIBLE. The Bible is not a secondary form of revelation. You don't have to open up the Bible everyday and say, "I sure wish a burning bush would appear, but I guess I'll settle for this old thing." God's word is living and active, and his voice is waiting for you everyday. Love this word. Read this word. Cherish this word. Obey this word.
God is ready to have a daily conversation with you in 2015. All you have to do is open up the book and listen.
Love you guys!
