Let’s say that a man drove up and parked a brand new Lamborghini Urus automobile in your drive way. Then he walked up to your door, rang the bell, handed you the keys and some paper work and walked away. Let’s say some extraordinarily rich person gave you a $250,000 luxury automobile – no strings attached. What would you do with it? You could call the nearest broker and sell it to him for half the price, walking away with a lot of cash. Or you could hide it in your garage, lest some criminal think that you are wealthy and that your house is filled with valuable antiques, gold coins and a few rare postage stamps. You could leave that car in your drive way as a status symbol for all the male neighbors to drool over. You could fawn over it, polish it, build a carport over it and dust it every day. Or you could drive the thing and pick up people to take to church with you. A Lamborghini of any model or year would be an extraordinary gift. But that will never happen. And you might say to yourself that you will never be given a really valuable gift. Is that so?
You need to understand that most of you have a wonderful, valuable gift, resting in your laps this evening. Besides the infinitely valuable eternal life which you have been given, you also possess the Word of God. David said in Psalm 19 that God’s Word was “more to be desired… than gold, yea, than much fine gold” – verse 10. The man who penned Psalm 119 – which may have been David – said that the Word of God was more to him “than thousands of gold and silver” – verse 72. He later said, “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above FINE gold” – 24 carat gold. And he said, “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” – verses 127 and 162. Elsewhere, the scripture implies of itself that it as a priceless pearl to those who love pearls.
I say that the Bible is extremely valuable. Well then, from what does the Bible derive its great value? I suppose that we could answer that question in several ways, but I’d like to suggest just one tonight. “All scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God,” and for that reason it is extremely valuable and profitable. “For the prophecy – (prophecy, Biblical poetry and divine revelation) – came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” – II Peter 1:21. Not only were God’s chosen men – His hand-crafted vessels – led by the Holy Spirit in what they spoke and penned, the very words which they used were “God-breathed,” which is the literal meaning of “inspired.” I know that no non-Christian is going to believe what I just said, and many professing Christians don’t either. But what I said is true, and yes, it requires faith to fully accept, understand and apply. A lack of faith is why unbelievers don’t believe what the scriptures say about its inspiration.
Assuming that we have been given the inspired Word of God, what should we do with it? Should we park it in the garage, throw away the keys, but make our kids sit in it for family devotions every day? Should we polish it, dust it and keep the vultures from flying over it? Among all the things which we could do with it, shouldn’t rather we take it out and drive it?
I admit that this outline is probably centuries old, but I jotted it down last year and would like to share it with you.
If the Bible has been inspired by God’s Spirit, we should STUDY it to find out what He’d like us to know.
God’s Word is the revelation of the divine will, and in another sense it is God’s will and testament. If the Lord has gone to the trouble to reveal His heart to us, then we should be “Scripture-people;” we should be “Bible-Christians.” Like a quarter million dollar Lamborghini, there are bells and whistles, blessings and promises, built into its every aspect, and we will likely never find a tenth of them unless we look for them. So Christ Jesus tells us to “SEARCH the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” – John 5:39. Where else are we going to find the original testimonies of God, if not in His own voice – His own word? Not only will the Bible fill our minds with essential, eternal knowledge, but it will fill our hearts as well. Illustrating every thing else in the Word, God wrote the two tablets of the law with His own finger, and if He went to that trouble, we should joyfully read it. In my collection of stuff, I have an envelope written to the future 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft. I value that cover. If it had been written BY President Taft it would be more valuable In the Word of God we have an autographed copy of God’s memoirs, instructions and promises.
Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of God dwell in you richly.” And we see examples of that in some people. For example there are Paul and even Apollos. How long would it take to outline all that we know about Apollos? 90 seconds? He is given half a page in my 5 volume Bible Encyclopedia. That is: there isn’t very much on Apollos. He is mentioned in seven scriptures, and some of those are as simple as Titus 3:13 – “Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.” We know very little about the man, but we do know this – he was “mighty in the Scriptures” – Acts 18:24. If that was all that was said of me by the man who was writing my obituary, I would be pleased. This was said of Apollos by the Spirit of God Himself. “Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures.”
Let me paraphrase and add to what one old seventeenth century Puritan had to say about the Bible. He said, “There is a melody in Scripture. This is that blessed harp which drives away sadness of spirit.” I’ll add that Saul, hired young David to play and sing to sooth his troubled soul. He employed David for that work for a short time. But you and I can hold David in our hands as long as we want, along with a dozen other sweet singers. “Hear the sound of this tune” – I Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – “He took not only our flesh upon him, but our sins.“ Is there anything more comforting than that? Learn the tune; study the lyrics; sing the song. And Matthew 9:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “How sweetly does this harp of Scripture sound, what heavenly music does it make in the ears of a distressed sinner, especially when the finger of God’s Spirit touches this instrument… It is a rock of diamonds, a mystery of piety (spirituality). The lips of Scripture have grace poured into them. The Scripture speaks of faith, self-denial, and all the graces which, as a chain of pearls, adorns a Christian. It excites to holiness; it treats of another world, it gives a prospect of eternity.” For most people music is a learned skill. It takes work; it takes study; it takes practice. But this scripture music is freely available to all of us.
Paul says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The scripture is profitable for all things. When we feel alone it is there to comfort us. If we are pursued by Satan or other spiritual enemies, the Word is the Sword of the Spirit. If the cancer of sin is eating us up, it is there to cleanse and to cure. BUT it cannot be the blessing it could be, if we don’t pick it up and study it.
And remember to read God’s word with reverence, because it really is God’s word – inspired by His Spirit. Do you remember the Ark of the Covenant from the history of Israel? Inside the Ark was a copy of God’s law, and no mortal man was permitted to touch the Ark and to live. It was that holy. But the Bible isn’t just a container for God’s Word; it is God’s word. It should be held in more reverence than the Jews did the Ark, and yet we can pick it up and look inside. God’s word is represented in the lamps inside the Tabernacle – holy light with which to serve the Lord. But those lights had to be tended – trimmed and fed with oil – or the light would go out.
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should TREASURE them; we should PRIZE them.
As I’ve already pointed out, David considered the word of God to be of more value than gold. It might be argued that, as a king, David had plenty of gold so he could look beyond his bank account. But you and I don’t have the wealth and luxuries of a king. I would rather argue that since David knew and understood gold, his opinion about it is real, intrinsic value should be considered. God’s Word is of more value than gold, silver and precious stones.
It may be apocryphal, but I have read that when the first Queen Elizabeth was being inaugurated, part of the ceremony involved a gift of the Word of God. I have read that as she received it, she took it with both hands and laid it over her heart, saying, “This book has ever been my chief delight.” It was of value to her when she was struggling to survive the chaotic politics of the day, and it was more valuable than all that her royalty provided her.
And then there was her mother Eve. What did Eve sacrifice in order to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge? Instead of fellowship with God, she chose sin. She paid for her knowledge with her life. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” – Genesis 3:6. Today we can freely possess what our first mother sinned to have – but failed to have – spiritual wisdom. What Adam and Eve infinitely lost, we have gained by God’s grace – through the gift of His word.
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should BELIEVE what it says.
Here is perhaps the middle hinge upon which this massive doctrinal door swings back and forth. Human beings are born atheists – “there is none that seeketh after God” – and that spiritual denial is expressed in several ways. But it might be argued that many disbelieve the Word of God before they disbelieve in God Himself. The only way for us to truly learn about the Lord is through what He reveals to us. Studying the intricacies of the universe through science may prove to some people that there is a God. But creation itself is never going to reveal true nature of the Creator. For that we need the Lord’s own revelation – the Scriptures – the “holy writings.” In the pages of the Bible we learn about God’s omnipotence, which we can see in creation. In God’s Word we are taught about His holiness, and we see good men shudder in fear when they stand before Him. And we also read about the grace and love of Jehovah, all the way from Genesis 3 into the Revelation. So why are there so many agnostics and atheists in the world? Among the reasons is their lack of faith in what the Bible tells us. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” – Hebrews 11:2. And by faith we know that “by faith Noah… prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” In just the same way, we need – we must – believe what the Holy Spirit inspired God’s men to record for us
The Lord Jesus’ instructions in Luke 16 have so much to teach us. At the end of the chapter He speaks about the death of two men – an insignificant beggar and a rich and powerful man. Jesus describes the rich man’s conversation with Abraham, as the torments of hell devour him. He said, “I pray thee therefore, father (Abraham), that thou wouldest send (Lazarus) to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” Would the brothers of this man have repented if someone arose from the dead to speak with them?
We’ve all seen pictures of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. I think that I would recognize either of them if they walked into our auditorium this evening. But since they both died years ago, I’d be very surprised and skeptical. As someone who believes in God’s ability to raise the dead, I’d still have a hard time believing the words of someone who appeared and claimed to be George Washington. And as Abraham said, for the average person, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets” – that is, if they refuse to listen to the written word of God – “neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
We have a more sure word of prophecy, of exhortation, of instruction than messages from any human grave. We have the living Word of God – the inspired Word of God. Believe it.
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should LOVE them.
The Psalmist should have been speaking for us all when he said in 119:97 – “Oh, how love I thy law.” What do you do with the things you love – how do you treat your family for example? Don’t you enjoy spending time with them? Don’t you set them on a pedestal whenever possible? Don’t you pull out pictures to show to others when their names are spoken?
In speaking of God’s words, that same Psalmist said, “I will meditate in thy statutes – which I love.” Don’t you remember when you first fell in love with that special person in your life? Weren’t there days when you couldn’t concentrate on anything but the one you loved? He, or she, was constantly on your mind. You wrote notes; I wrote love letters. You couldn’t keep quiet about her. Everyone knew who your love was. Again, the Psalmist said, “I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold” – verse 127.
Perhaps there are even places and days of the year which are special to you because they bring your heart back to the one you love. For us we shouldn’t stop with a love for the Word of God – which is not a bad thing in itself. But rather there should be an ever revolving love of God for His Word, and a love for the Word which reveals our God.
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should CONFORM our lives to what it tells.
With that divine inspiration comes divine authority. You may love the United States of America for its freedoms, its heritage, and it is physical beauty. You may say that its form of government, with its checks and balances, is the best in the world. There are some who make statements like that, and yet they would like to see it destroyed and remade. They make these claims, but they don’t actually live by its laws or enjoy its privileges, like voting.
If you, as a Christian, claim to believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the very word of God, then logically you should pattern your life according to the rules and privileges of that Word. Obedience is perhaps the best way to say, “O how I love thy law.” How are we better for having God’s word, if we don’t direct our lives by its inspired principles?
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should CONTEND for them.
I’m not saying that we should be contentious people, but we should be willing to defend it, if that is the right word to use. But wasn’t it Spurgeon who said something about not needing to defend a lion? Whoever said it, he was suggesting that the only thing we need to do to defend a lion is to release it. Contending for the faith, or contending for the inspired Word of God, means first and foremost – sharing it, testifying of it, and preaching it.
Since the scriptures are inspired by God we should be unceasingly THANKFUL.
The Lord was under no obligation to reveal anything about Himself to us. In the garden in the cool of the evening, the Creator had fellowship with Adam and his wife. When those two chose to rebel against the Lord’s will, God had even less reason to reason with them.
What a mercy it is that Jehovah has not only revealed Himself and His will, but He has actually taught us. There were times when He spoke to individuals through visions. Men like Ezekiel knew of that sort of thing. And then Peter, James and John learned something special when they were privileged to witness the transfiguration. But later as Peter looked back on that day comparing it to his ministry, and he said, “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Satan has published his delusions in many forms, and he’s still cranking them out today. But for modern children of God, there is only one essential message from the Lord – His Word. We must be thankful for God’s promise it keep His word available to us. And that leads logically to one more point –
We should ADORE and WORSHIP the LORD for the gracious gift of His inspired Word.
If you have felt the Lord’s hand upon your heart, I would venture to say it was weighted down with the Word. And if when that word has done its perfect work, and you humbled yourself before God, you should have been filled with praise. The Psalmist said, “Thy word hath quickened me.” James said, “Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth…” I don’t believe that anyone has been truly saved apart from the Holy Spirit’s ministry of the Word in that person’s heart.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God for His inspired Word.