14th July: The Authority of Scripture

Speaker: Chris Laws

Nothing has an in-built authority over men like God’s book. Its demands provoke unbelievers, and its truths bring souls to life.

God’s Word has remarkable features. It is self authenticating.
Authority of Scripture was a great objective of the Reformers. Sola Scriptura – key issue.

Formidable authority
Heb 4.12 “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Unlike any other book. Given not just to satisfy our curiosity but to stir conscience. Calvin: ‘Our consciences are summoned as guilty before God’s tribunal…The Word of God is a living thing and full of hidden power.’

It informs and it summons. It has its own authority. What other book can do that?
The Scripture gave mankind the Ten Commandments. For all time, all men.
All men also have “the law written within their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another” (Rom 2.15).
      The Word makes demands on everybody. Thou shalt not kill, steal, commit adultery.
      Not merely a moral code. Insists on it. People know what is wrong.

The Word is an offence because it declares men sinners with authority.
      Were it a foolish message (fairies at the bottom of the garden) all would ignore it.
      But its authority provokes, makes the unbeliever resentful, angry.
      Atheists rage against it. Anger at opposition to LGBTQ.
      Nothing else has authority like the Word.

Take heart from opposition – it shows the Word’s effectiveness.
It is troublesome to rebellious man because it’s authority stings.
Luke 19.14 “We will not have this man to reign over us.”  At the last day it will summon all to the great tribunal of God.

Christ’s ministry
Christ taught “as having authority and not as the scribes” (Mark 1.22).
His word calmed storms. “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4.41).
“Lazarus come forth.”
Unique “never man spake like this man”. What about now?
Christ now absent still speaks with the same authority through the Word.
He is the living Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God” (John 1.1).
He left His words with mankind for all to hear. He promised the HS would “bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14.26).

He still has authority to raise souls to eternal life. 3000 converted on the Day of Pentecost.
How? By ministry of the Word. The preacher depends on the authority of the Word. The sword of the Spirit.
No oratory or human reasoning can convert a sinner.

Compared with man’s authority
1. Crime. Political party manifestos – promise to reduce.
      Politicians powerless. No authority over crime.
      Morally unregulated. Society continues downhill.
      The Word alone breaks the corruption in lives, reforms. Revivals change moral tone of society.

2. Guilty conscience. No therapy or medication can remove guilt. Won’t respond.
      Charismatics cannot command it to leave, cast it out. Meditation cannot.
      Scripture alone has the authority to command it to leave, free the soul. No longer condemns/ accuses us.

3. Forgiveness. Someone dies...can’t reconcile.
      Psychiatrists advise telling the deceased you are sorry.
      Word guides us to full pardon, and you know you are forgiven everything.

4. Personal sin in life. Individuals discover they cannot change themselves.
      Sin takes no notice of their determination to improve, to throw it out.
      The Word commands out sin like the demons in the man of Gadara. No longer possesses/ rules us.

5. Doubts. Gaussen, Swiss theologian had 1000 doubts about the Word.
      He found no relief in anything except the Word itself! Divine book.
      Dispels doubts “that we henceforth be no more tossed to and fro...” (Eph 4.14).

6. Death. None can avoid it. No doctor can prevent it.
      The Word alone has authority to make death open the gates of Heaven.
      “O death where is thy sting?”
      No other religion or philosophy has authority to bestow eternal life. Sets it apart from all other religions.

Personal experience
At conversion it exercised authority in your life.
You heard its message of salvation and it laid your heart bare.
      It didn’t ask your opinions, but convicted of sin. No arguing, you knew it was true.
      Declared you were pardoned. You were born again – profound experience.
      Changed your life. Explained the world.
2 Thess 2.23 “When ye received the word of God...ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

Satan has mobilised his forces against the Word
In Christ’s day, the Scribes and Pharisees attacked but were defeated.
Attacks have continued ever since.

1. Science. The fear of science drives people to abandon the Word.
      It declares how the world was made, how old the universe is. It doesn’t know. Changed its mind often.
      Increasingly obvious that evolution is powerless to explain life.
Lloyd-Jones (died 1981) ‘If you study the history of science, you will have much less respect for its supposed supreme authority than you had when you began.’

2. Atheism – the rebellious spirit of man. Wants to liberate himself from any authority outside himself.
      Promises complete freedom. It cannot give it, disintegration of society.
      Freedom: “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8.31-32)

3. Higher criticism – tried to dismantle Word. Theologians devoted whole lives to their theories.
      Tried to decide which parts are inspired and which not.
      Confusion! Theologians differed, views changed.
      Word like a massive rock at sea which shrugs off all waves.

4. Charismatic revelations and visions. Undermines the Word.
      At loggerheads with each other, nothing dependable. So often wrong.
      Be sure you understand that revelation ceased with the apostles.

5. RC Church. Pope ultimately decides. Brought in the Apocrypha.
      Church came after revelation. Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

6. Inner light. So many contradictory ideas.
      Near-death experiences. Men do not know about the afterlife.

Fruits
We live in a hard, arrogant generation. Nothing will move people except the authoritative Word of God.
God’s Word can never return unto him void (Isa 55.11).
In witness, in preaching depend on the Word. It polarises people – the savour of life to some, death to others.
Spurgeon: like a lion. No need to defend it. Just let it out of its cage.
Read it daily to experience wonderful blessing in your own life you won’t get anywhere else.