Scripture acts as the authority upon which all matters of life and doctrine rest. It testifies of itself as the literal God-breathed, sufficient source of truth for things pertaining to the salvation and on-going sanctification of all (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Central to its proper understanding is its proper respect – as the inspired Word of God to His people. What the Bible says is what God says, and should therefore be honored as such.

The Bible is not an antiquated, unrealistic set of rules and standards that no longer applies to the unique progresses and pressures of 21st century living. Rather, it is the timeless truths of God applicable to all generations, all races, all socio-economic classes, all ethnicities, all political persuasions, and all nationalities. The relevance of Scripture to daily living is never the question; our ability, or even moreso our willingness, to submit our lives to the weight of truth in Scripture, is the more pressing question. To criticize the Bible as irrelevant or unpractical is ultimately a smokescreen, masking your fear of being drawn into the light and fully exposed for who you really are.

The Bible speaks to matters on money, marriage, sex, parenting, friendships, forgiveness, work environments, racism and discrimination, anger, anxiety, government, being a good neighbor, temptation, and so on. There is no issue, question, circumstance or situation in life you have or will ever face that God has not spoken into with full authority.

Establishing the fact that the Bible is authoritative is one thing; asking precisely how this authority functions is another. In what manner does the Word of God rule as the sufficient authority in our lives? For many, the Bible was a weapon used against them as a means of regulating morality and restricting certain behaviors – don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t cuss, don’t have sex before marriage, don’t do this and don’t do that. The Bible, however, as the divinely inspired heart of God towards His people, is not restrictive in nature, but redemptive in purpose and scope. It’s intent is not so much to restrict what you do as much as it is to redeem who you are.

God’s authority over us functions for our good and ultimate joy. The Psalmist declares to God, “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches” (Psalm 119:14), and ”I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (Psalm 119:32). The heart of God is not to prevent us from engaging in certain behaviors as much as it is to protect us from the joyless consequences of settling for anything less than Him. In His commands He sets us free to find our ultimate satisfaction in Him alone. Take for example the Ten Commandments. God says don’t murder. Is His intent to steal the joy of taking another man’s life away from us? Certainly not. His heart is to protect us from the devastating consequences of taking the life of someone else. Likewise, God is not restricting us from coveting as much as He is redeeming our desires back to finding contentment in Him above all. As it pertains to adultery, God is not trying to minimize our sexual pleasure by restricting adulterous conduct; He is maximizing our sexual experiences by aligning them with His design and purpose.

The Bible is the loving and gracious heart of God authoritatively applied to all matters of life. It draws the darkness into the light and offers freedom, joy and redemption in Jesus. When properly read through these lenses it becomes the ultimate source of sustenance and fulfillment that nourishes our hearts and set us free to run on a path of joy-filled intimacy with a God who loves us enough to protect us from anything that is not His best for us.

Join us this Sunday, May 1st as we start a new series at Woodlands Point called, “Sola”. To learn more about this series and get location information, click HERE.

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Tags: Acts 29, authority, bible, church in the woodlands tx, divine inspiration, gospel centered church, scripture, sola scriptura, the woodlands tx, woodlands point community church

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 at 3:40 pm and is filed under Pastor's Blog.