AW Tozer, in his spiritual classic, “The Knowledge of the Holy,” said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
Whether we are spiritually immature or a spiritual giant, whether we are a skeptic or a non-believer, our conception of God drives the things we think, say, and do. If we don’t worship God – it will have an impact. If we worship God – it will have an impact. If we worship a false god – it will have an impact.
Thus, we should seek to gain an understanding of God. The Bible is the place to gain such an understanding.
The church I pastor, the First Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs, Texas, has public statements on our core beliefs. Here is our statement on the Scriptures:
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that it is without error. It is the final authority in matters of faith and life for every believer, and it provides God’s perfect counsel for everyday life. (Psalm 119:10-11; Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13).
The Bible is composed of 66 books. We find 39 books in the Old Testament, largely written in Hebrew with small Aramaic portions. We find 27 books in the New Testament, written in Koine Greek, the language of the common people of the day.
You can say a lot about the Bible but let me make a short summary statement at the forefront: The Bible is comprised of 66 books written by God, using human authors, and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The “Word of God” is my favorite name for the Bible. It is a name that needs no interpretation. It’s clear. It is not the word of man or opinion of man.
The Bible is authoritative (1 Thessalonians 2:13; Joshua 1:7-9)
Because the Bible has authority, we should obey it. The Bible establishes truth. The Bible prescribes practices and behavior. It is the final authority in matters of faith and life for every believer, and it provides God’s perfect counsel for everyday life.
The Bible is sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Bible is not outdated or old-fashioned – it is sufficient. Modern-day hot topics have been settled in the pages of Scripture for a long time. The Bible is the sufficient word on issues of sexual ethics and sexual identity, racism, the family, and matters of life and death. With a proper understanding of the Bible, you are sufficiently equipped to live out your faith in the home, workplace, and community.
The Bible is effective (Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible delivers upon its promises. It peers into our lives, observes, judges, convicts, comforts, molds, shapes, and transforms. You might say that we don’t read the Bible, but the Bible reads us. Many people don’t read the Bible because it is too effective at pointing out sin. Many people don’t read the Bible because it is too effective at pointing out a lack of spiritual understanding and spiritual depth.
The Bible leads us to Jesus (John 5:39)
To read the Bible and not fall in love with Jesus is a tragedy. To read the Bible and fall in love with Jesus changes your eternity. We don’t read the Bible to win Bible drill competitions. We don’t read the Bible to complete a spiritual checklist. We read the Bible to gain salvation through the crucified and resurrected Savior. We then continue to read the Bible to become more and more like Him each day.
Jeff Gravens 