Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at The Word of God P35 (04-27-21)
Synopsis
The bible is a unique book and it answers life’s most important questions. Who is God and what is He like? What does He expect from us? Who are we? Why are we here? It answers those age-old questions. In the word of God, you will also find the elements necessary to live above circumstances instead of being buried under them. The bible gives us counsel on how to get along with family and friends. And even how to get along with our enemies.
The bible is an autobiography of God, a study in human behavior. It is an historical account. It is a counselor’s manual, a textbook on life, and a looking glass into the future. It is a storehouse of riches. I think even more importantly it is a love letter from the Lord Jesus Christ.
When you have let the word of God speak into your heart to not simply know about God, as if just simply a book of information, but to intimately know God, then that transforms your life. The reality of a living God who loves you, who wants to communicate with you, who is living in you, that brings a peace that surpasses understanding.
When you read the bible, it is not a matter of I have to do something, that I have to get my quiet time, I have to do this or I have to do that. You cannot stop reading. If you can relate to someone you are courting in a dating relationship, someone you want to marry, that letter she sends is not something you have to read. You will read that letter from her so many times over, wanting to think all that she is thinking. You cannot get your hands off every letter she sends. And you cannot wait to meet her some day. You want to communicate back to her. So too with Christ. The word of God is like a love letter that we may know God intimately.
As we read His word, the gospel of grace, of His love for you, never ceases to amaze you. It is fresh and new the more you hear from God through His word. You keep recalling all that He has done, His death on a cross while you were still a sinner, not knowing who He was, of how He initiated His love to you by dying in your place. Your heart was melted before Him, that He should love you so. Then to know He did this so He could live in you, to be your life, of every moment of every day, as He placed His Holy Spirit, His very resurrected life in you.
Oh, the depths of His love, His peace in your heart from knowing Him. He says He will never leave you or forsake you, that He will cause all the difficulties and trials of life to work out for good, that He will live in you to live and act according to His good purposes, that He will complete the work He began in you. And when you fail Him, he remains right with you through it all. When I am unfaithful, He is faithful because He cannot deny Himself. He corrects you, trains you, builds you up. There is no condemnation for you no matter what you do, for all judgment was placed one time in history on Christ Jesus when He shed His blood on a cross, and no need for any other sacrifice again. He died for all sins back to Adam and all sins forward to eternity. Now that sin and death is out of the way, and His eternal life is in you, His commitment to you is forever. He will transform you as you let Him. He has set your heart free so that you may love Him and be a conduit of His love toward others. He is full of grace and truth, His grace frees you to come to Him and that truth is what sets you free.
We have to remember that when we are talking about the scripture that Jesus Christ is the very central issue of salvation. The questions of science, history, philosophy, they can wait. But there is one relationship that cannot wait and that is what are you going to do with Jesus? That cannot wait. You are talking about an eternal question that demands a response. A response of nothing keeps you dead and literally will. As long as that response is nothing, you will remain under the wrath of God, which is death. The response to the word of God, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life” and “Come unto me”, the response to that coming unto Him is eternal life with God.
Transcript
1 Corinthians 3:11
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
When people build a foundation on sand, that foundation will fall. But when we build a foundation on rock, which is Christ Jesus, then when the storms come, we will survive that. We emphasize the importance of building upon a foundation. You cannot build upon a foundation other than Christ Jesus our Lord.
Realize that it is not what we know but has what we heard gone down deep into our hearts. I can tell you that I know the president of the United States, but I do not know him. I know about him. I know who he is, but I do not know him. There is a difference in knowing Christ. I can know about him, know who he is, and define him as the Son of God but not know Him. So studies like this, on the Word of God, transfers what we know down to a point of really knowing.
That word “knowing” in the scripture is actually related to a relationship between a man and a wife. In other words, the ultimate of physical relationship, the intimacy of that, is knowing somebody inside out. It is a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, of spiritual intimacy.
So let us pray before we get started. “Thank you for the love of God and the living Christ that is alive living in us. I pray today as we open up your word that by your Holy Spirit, you will take the things of the Lord Jesus Christ and show them to us. We pray this in His name, amen.”
Pick up with John 8:32.
John 8:32
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free
Jesus identified Himself as that truth.
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus identified Himself as truth.
John 8:36
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
So you are talking about the whole triangle here, as Jesus identifying Himself as the truth. He said the truth will set you free because it points you to the Son, and the way you are going to learn the truth about the Son is in the word of God, that He also identified as truth in John 17:17.
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Christ said I am the truth. He said, Your word is truth. And you are going to be set free by that truth. The truth shall set you free. Then the truth will point you to Jesus, and the word of God is going to point you to truth about Jesus. So when you are going to find out about Christ, that is where we go, into the word of God.
We take things unbelievably for granted, like in a country like America, at least at this point, are free to go to a bookstore and buy a book. You cannot talk about Christ in school or public places it seems, which is a catastrophe. But at least right now we are free to have Christian radio, and at the same time to go into a book store and at least buy the bible and have it in your hands and not be persecuted because of it. That is something to be thankful for.
We are very privileged to be able to hold the word of God in our hands. This is God’s revelation to us. This revelation has been written down in book form, and has been translated into probably every language of the world. As English speaking people, we have the privilege of holding that book in our hands, depending on the Holy Spirit to teach us what it means and to learn about God. To have the privilege to learn about God. Otherwise it is just supposing. It is supposition. I have to think about God. I see nature and say maybe he is this way or that way. We do not have to do that. We can know God. When you think about that, there is not a privilege that even begins to compare with that privilege of knowing God.
The bible is a unique book and it answers life’s most important questions. Who is God and what is He like? What does He expect from us? Who are we? Why are we here? It answers those age-old questions. It is something humanity ponders that the animal kingdom does not. You do not see a group of dogs around a corner contemplating God. As humans we do. We are aware we are here. And we are aware we had to get here some way. With that, it creates an awareness and a desire to know how and to know the God who created us.
So in addition to answering these central questions, which quite frankly, is the only place you can go to get those questions answered. The bible teaches us how to have a full and meaningful life. It teaches us how to enjoy our daily life and to rise above our circumstances rather than under our circumstances. I have asked people, on different occasions, “How are you doing?” The person replies, “Under the circumstances, okay.” So I say, “What are you doing under there? God has not called us to live under the circumstances. He called us to live over the circumstances.”
Only as we begin to understand who we are in Christ and the privilege we have been given in Christ. Where are you going to find that? In the word of God, you will find the elements necessary to live above circumstances instead of being buried under them. The bible gives us counsel on how to get along with family and friends. And even how to get along with our enemies.
The bible is an autobiography of God, a study in human behavior. It is an historical account. It is a counselor’s manual, a textbook on life, and a looking glass into the future. It is a storehouse of riches. I think even more importantly it is a love letter from the Lord Jesus Christ. I have told people so many times, who emphasize that you have to study the bible and you have to do this and that, and you have to have a quiet time, then there is somebody who does not understand the love of God.
When I was courting Amy, and we were separated from each other, and she wrote me just a letter, or even just a note. A note will do. No one had to sit down and say, “Bob, you have to read that. You have to have a little quiet time, and you need to read that love letter. You need to do that. You got to do it and you ought to do it. If you do not do it, then something is wrong with you.” When you are in love with the sender, you not only read that letter, you devour it. You read it upside down and backward and forwards, and you read between the lines. You speculate what she is really thinking, which is always an exaggeration. You at least speculate that. Why? You are in love with the sender. It is the same thing when you fall in love with the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:10
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
So where do you go to find the love of God except the word of God? Of course, that is a catastrophe of much of the teaching under the name of Christianity. It is either the total alleviation of the love and grace of God or it is the commingling law and the grace of God, but very seldom do you ever hear of the purity of the grace of God. So, therefore, very few people really come in contact with the fullness of the love of God. Often, sadly, it is taught that he is the God who loves you if. There is the condition. He is a God who accepts you if. So we live with our “ifs”. And we have an “iffy” understanding of God, as if God’s love is not complete.
I have had people take exception to using the word unconditional love. It is not in the bible, they say. Yet these same people are continually on shows of prophecy using the word rapture, which is also not in the bible. In other words, is that not something. They set themselves up as an authority on end times, using the word rapture, then complain for you using unconditional love, which is also not in the bible. But unconditional love is constantly through scripture as it is in scripture we will be snatched out of here some day.
The bible was given to us in order to show the wrath of God under the law and to show the mercy of God that was extended to us at the cross, in order to usher in a brand new covenant today, whereby He was able to say their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. Sins were taken away for the entire world before and after the cross. There was only one time sin was totally forgiven. Forgiveness for the entire world, from the cross back to Adam, from the cross forward to eternity. There was only one time sin was ever forgiven and that was at the cross. Prior to that it was covered. Forgiven, taken away, propitiation took place, one time for the entire history of the world, at the cross of Jesus Christ. If that is not love then it is not raining in Indianapolis in the summertime. I look at that and say it is a love letter. It is not that I loved Him but He loved me first. In coming to grips with His love, we come to know Him.
It is a library of answers given to us out of the heart of a loving God. It contains all of the riches and treasures He has given us as His children. The word of God, therefore, I believe will fill every need of the human heart. That is why it is important to use this extremely unique book.
2 Peter 1:3
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
In 2 Peter 1:3, we read that we have been given everything we need for life and godliness. That is what He means. We have been given everything we need. If we are complete in Christ, then how in the world are we going to add to completeness. If I am complete in Christ, why would I be seeking answers from another human being as to why I do not feel complete? If I do not feel complete, it is either because I am not in Christ or I do not know when I am in Christ. Once you know you are in Christ, and once you know your inheritance in Christ, you are complete. You know you are complete and therefore you feel complete.
When we do not have that confidence, we will be seeking every other person, every other thought, every other philosophy, every other psychology, every pill produced, or every new bottle of booze put out in order to try to cover up the pain and hurts of humanity, and not realizing there is Christ to this very day calling with His arms stretched out saying, “Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden. I know your problems. I know your hurts.” Man is saying, “No. Come unto me. Of course I charge but that is okay.” Christ is still there saying to you and me, every moment of the day, “Come unto me.” When you lay there and are heavy laden, He says “Come unto me and I will give you rest and peace for your soul.”
Matthew 7:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
So the word of God has given us everything that we need to learn about the love of God that is contained in Christ Jesus our Lord. How then do we respond to someone who says “I do not believe the bible is the word of God? I do not believe the bible is true? Do you believe that bible is true?”
I remember one time sitting on an airplane flying from Dallas to New York, sitting next to a guy. I had no plans or anything. I happened to be reading the bible. The guy looked over and said, “Do you believe that stuff?” He opened up the conversation. “I sure do. Don’t you?” “No, I do not believe the bible is true. Why do you believe the bible is true? You do not really believe Jonah is in a whale do you?” “Let me ask you a question? Who do you think Jesus is?” “What does that have to do with my question?” “It has everything to do with my question?” “Why is that?” “Jesus claimed to be God, and as God, He said Jonah is in a whale. If He is God and Jesus says Jonah is in a whale, then Jonah is in a whale. Now, if He is not God who cares if he is in a whale or not. You and I can get along on this flight quite well whether or not Jonah is in a whale or not. So I ask again, ‘Who is Jesus?’” “I guess the Son of God.” “Let me show you what the bible has to say about that.” I opened up to the gospel of John. “I do not believe the bible is true.” “That is okay. I do.” “Well, I do not.” “That is okay. That is your opinion. Let me read it to you. ”
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
What does the bible say the word is? The word was with God and the word was God. Who is the word? It says he is God. What does it say the word of God did? Well, he became flesh and dwelt among us. The only begotten of the Father. Who is that? “That is Jesus. ” “Well, if the word is God and the word of God became flesh, and that is Jesus, then who is Jesus? ” “I guess God. ” “Yes. ” “I did not know that.”
Here the guy just said he does not believe the bible, but when you read it to him, he says “I did not know that. ” That is the power of the word of God. The issue is with someone who does not believe the bible would be the same way that if I would have been sitting there in that chair and I had a sword in my hand. What is that? It is a sword. It does not look sharp to me. It would be dumb to sit there for three hours on a trip from Dallas to New York, it would be dumb to argue if the sword is sharp or not. Just poke him with it, and he will know if it is sharp or not. That is what you do with people who doubt, you just poke him with it. Hopefully you use a little anesthetic before it enters, and that is love. The word of God is truth and we need to administer that truth with love. That is the anesthetic. If I had to make a choice between the two, I would eliminate the anesthetic.
Ephesians 6:17
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
As we left off with poking people with a sword. The bible defines the word as the sword of the Spirit. That is what the truth of the word of God is. That is to be administered in love. But again, love is kind of like the anesthetic. The sword is the truth. If we were in a situation where if I was a surgeon and your appendix was bursting, and they had to come out or you were going to die, that operation had to take place whether I had anesthetic or not. Obviously the desirable situation is to numb you before cutting you open. There is no question about that. But if you had to choose between the two, you better choose the cutting you open.
That is what takes place when people become more feeling oriented than they are truth oriented. Because then the thing is, you are such a nice guy. You look healthy. Your head looks good. Your arms look nice. Your legs look good too. It is just that stomach that does not look too well. So let us just give you some novocaine, but we will not operate because I hate to cut you open. We will just make you feel good and make you numb for a while. Quite frankly, that is what a lot of counseling is today. I do not want to cut you open just numb you and in the meantime watch you die as your appendix bursts and you end up dying.
You got cancer in there but I cannot stand to cut you open. I will just give you some stuff to make you feel good so you just do not know you have cancer. I will just make you feel good. That is what the world is after today. That is why many times we talk and talk so I can make you feel good. That is what the entirety of counseling is around, to make you feel good. I can make you feel good by saying that you are the victim, and you have been abused, and you have been this and that is why you are the way you are. I can make you feel good by doing that. But if I do not give you truth and operate I have not done anything for you but give you a quick fix.
Of course, we live in a quick fix generation. Instant coffee. Instant tea. Instant spirituality. Instant relief from anything. I do not want a headache for over 3 minutes. I want instant relief in every aspect of life. That is the world we live in today. We would not be without the influence to buy instant relief and without advertising that says you are not supposed to have pain in any shape or form.
We live in that kind of a mindset so when it enters into the spiritual and emotional ills of man, we are in the same way. Give me a quick fix. I do not want it operated on. Do not stick that sword in me. I do not want anything to do with that sword. But give me something to make me feel good while I am dying. So if you have to make a choice between the sword and an anesthetic will you sacrifice the anesthetic? I do not want to operate without it, but if I have to I will. But what I will not do is give you anesthetic and not take out your appendix if it is bursting. That is the mindset as far as I am concerned in regard to using the word of God in your own life as well as administering it into the lives of others. I too do not want to sacrifice the truth of the word of God for Mr. Feelgood.
We have to remember that when we are talking about the scripture that Jesus Christ is the very central issue of salvation. The questions of science, history, philosophy, they can wait. But there is one relationship that cannot wait and that is what are you going to do with Jesus? That cannot wait. You are talking about an eternal question that demands a response. A response of nothing keeps you dead and literally will. As long as that response is nothing, you will remain under the wrath of God, which is death. The response to the word of God, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life” and “Come unto me”, the response to that coming unto Him is eternal life with God.
It is a decision that cannot wait. You are either this very day eternally dead at this point, or you are eternally alive at this point. If you are dead in your sins and in the uncirumcision of your sinful nature, come to Christ, and let Him make you alive, receiving forgiveness of all of your sins.
There is no need to hide the fact that we believe the bible to be true and trustworthy. We can hold to this without apology. Knowing that the facts clearly lead to such a conclusion, however, the real demonstration of the power of God’s word is not in logic, but in the ability to give that new life to the one who has exercised faith in Jesus Christ.
