1.
The Bible is the Only Book That Can Make Us Wise unto
Salvation.The
Bible is not a book to be studied as we study geology and astronomy,merely
to find out about the earth’s formation and the
structure of theuniverse; but it is a book revealing truth, designed to
bring us into livingunion with God. We may study the physical
sciences and get a fairknowledge of the facts and phenomena of the
material universe; but whatdifference does it make to us, as spiritual
beings, whether the Copernicantheory of the universe is true, or that of
Ptolemy? On the other hand, theeternal things of God’s
Word do so concern us. Scientific knowledge, andthe words in which
that knowledge is conveyed, have no power to changeour
characters, to make us better, or give us a living hope of a blessedimmortality;
but the Word of God has in it a vital power, it is "quick andpowerful"
living and full of Divine energy (Hebrews 4:12) —
and whenreceived
with meekness into our understanding and heart is able to saveour
souls (James 1:18,21), for it is the instrument of the Holy Spiritwherewith
He accomplishes in us regeneration of character. The Word ofGod
is a living seed containing within itself God’s
own life, which, when itis received into our hearts, springs up within
us and "brings forth fruit afterits kind;" for Jesus Christ, the
eternal Word of God, is the living germhidden in His written Word. Therefore it
is written,"The
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life"(John
6:63),and
so it is that "he that heareth My words" —
that is, receiveth them intogood and honest hearts —
that heareth the Word and understandeth it,"hath everlasting life" (John
5:24). Of no other book could such thingsas these be said. Hence we say, the Word
of God is the instrument in Hishand to work in us and for us regeneration and
salvation;"for
of His own will begat He us with the Word of truth, theengrafted
Word, which is able to save your souls" (James1:18,21).
This
leads us to say that we are related to God and the eternal veritiesrevealed
in this Book, not through intellectual apprehension anddemonstration,
but by faith. Not by reasoning, but by simple faith, do welay
hold on these verities, resting our faith in God, who is under and inevery
saving fact in the Book. (See 1 Peter 1:21). It seems to me,therefore,
to be the supreme folly for men to be always speculating andreasoning
about these spiritual and revealed things; and yet we meetconstantly
even good people who are thus dealing with God’s
Word. Firstof
all, they treat the revelation as though it were only an opinion expressedconcerning
the things revealed, and so they feel free to dissent from orreceive
it with modification, and deal with it as they would with thegeneralizations
and conclusions, more or less accurate, of the scientists,and
the theories, more or less true, of the philosophers. If the Wordcommends
itself to their judgment they accept it; thus making theirjudgment
the criterion of truth, instead of submitting their opinions to theinfallible
Word of God. It is not seldom that we hear a person say theybelieve
the Word of God to be true; and then the very next instant, whenpressed
by some statement or declaration of that Word, they say, "Ah! butthen
I believe so and so" — something entirely
different from what Godhas declared. Then again, many people who
profess to believe God’s Wordseem
never to think of putting themselves into practical and saving relationto
it. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, but theynever
believe on Him or in Him; in other words, that He is a Saviour tothem.
God’s
Book is full of doctrines and promises. We declare them, and someone
says, "You must prove that doctrine or that promise to be true." Theonly
way to prove a doctrine to be true is by a personal experience of itthrough
faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ says, "Ye must be born again."Should
you attempt to master the meaning and power of that doctrine bymere
speculation, you would presently land just where Nicodemus did, andsay,
"How can these things be?" Instead of doing so, suppose you attendfurther
to what is said, namely, "Whosoever believeth is born of God"(1
John 5:1; John 1:12,13). In obedience to this Divine teaching, notknowing
how it is to be done in us, we take that Word and yield ourselvesto
Jesus Christ; and lo! there dawns upon us an experience that throwslight
upon all that which before was a mystery. We have experienced nophysical
shock, but a great change is wrought in us, especially in ourrelation
to God.
"Old
things are passed away, and behold all things are becomenew"
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
Thus
we come into an experimental understanding of the doctrine of thenew
birth. So every other doctrine pertaining to the spiritual life is byGod’s
grace transmuted into experience. For just as a word stands for anidea
or thought, so the doctrines of God stand for experiences; but thedoctrine
must be received before the experience can be had. And,moreover,
we are to receive all doctrines, all truth, through faith in Him,for
Christ and His Word are inseparable, just as a man’s
note is onlycurrent
and valuable because the man is good. A banknote is received inthe
faith of the bank it represents. Should the bank fail, the note instantlybecomes
worthless.
But
there are some things revealed in the Word of God which we believewithout
experience. For instance, we believe that this "vile body"(Philippians
3:21), dishonored by sin and upon the neck of which deathwill
soon put his foot, will in the day of "His appearing and kingdom"(2
Timothy 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:15) be raised, changed andfashioned
like unto His glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Do you knowhow
we can so surely believe these things? We answer, because God hasproved
to us so much of His Word that when He announces something yetto
be made true, on the basis of past experience we reach out toward andaccept
as true the promise of the future things. Indeed, He already makes ittrue
in our hearts, for "faith is the substance of things hoped for"(Hebrews
11:1). For even here we have a present spiritual experiencewhich
is as an earnest to us of the culmination yet future; for we arealready
risen with Christ. (Colossians 2:13; 3:1; Ephesians 2:5,6;Romans
8:11).
2.
The Bible Contains in Itself the Absolute Guarantee of Our
Inheritancein
Christ.
Suppose
we should come to you some day and call in question yourownership
of your house, and demand that you give it up —
a homesteadbequeathed
to you by your father. "Why do you make such a demand uponme?"
you ask. "Because," we reply, "it is not your house; you have noright
to it; at least you do not know that it is yours." "Oh, yes,"
you reply,"I
am quite sure it is my house." "How do you know? What is your reasonfor
believing it is your house?" "Why, because my father lived here
beforeme."
"That is no good reason." "Well, I have lived here undisputed
for fiveyears
myself." "It does not hence follow that the house is yours."
"But Iam
very happy in it; I enjoy myself here." "Well, but my dear sir, that
youmay
do, and still have no right to it." At last, pushed to the wall, you takeus
with you down to the court-house, and show us your father’s
will, dulywritten,
signed, sealed and recorded. This may serve to illustrate the point.
A
great many Christians are at a loss where and how to ground their"title."
It is not in the fact that you are a descendant of a saintly father, achild
of believing parents, for, as old Matthew Henry says, "Grace does notrun
in the blood;" nor is it that you have membership in the visible Churchof
Christ; nor is it to be found in delightful frames and feelings —
in aword,
not even a genuine Christian experience constitutes your
"title-deed."
Where
then are we to bottom our hope? Why, just in the naked bareWord
of God. It is written,"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that
heareth My words, andbelieveth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting
life," etc. (John5:24).
Straight
to the record do we appeal for a final test as to our possession inGod."This
is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and thislife
is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hathnot
the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:11,12).Our
faith lays hold on the Son of God, in whom we have redemption(Ephesians
1:7) by means of and through the recorded Word ofpromise, for this
record was"written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son ofGod;
and that believing ye might have life through His name"(John
20:31).
The
Scriptures are the covenants, old and new, in which God hasguaranteed
to us, by word and oath (Hebrews 6:17,18), sealed with theblood
of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28), an inheritance among the saints.We
do not emphasize this point in any wise to underrate Christianexperience
(for it is most blessed and true), or undervalue the blessing ofbelieving
parents, or the Church and her ordinances, but only to draw yourattention
to "the more sure Word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:19), which isbetter
to us for confirmation than visions and voices, frames and feelings,parental
benedictions, and church sacraments.
3.
The Word of God is the Means Appointed for the Culture of
OurChristian
Life.
James
tells us (1:18) that the Word of truth is the instrument of ourregeneration,
and Jesus tells us that the truth not only "makes us free," butprays
the Father that we may be "sanctified through the truth" (John6:32-36;
17:17-19). And Paul tells us, in words which the Holy Ghostteacheth,
that "Christ loved the church, and give Himself for it, that Hemight
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word," etc.(Ephesians
5:25,27). "This is the will of God, even your sanctification"(1
Thessalonians 4:3), for God hath not called us to uncleanness, butunto
holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7). After regeneration, nothing can bemore
important than this. We are told in the Bible and we believe it —
thatby
and by we shall be in another state of existence —
in heaven in thepresence of the loving and glorified Jesus; that we shall
see His face, andHis name shall be on our foreheads (Revelation 22:4), that
we shall bewith
the angels, an innumerable company, and with the spirits of just menmade
perfect, the saints of all ages (Hebrews 12:23), that we shall knowthem
and be in their society (Matthew 17:3; 1 Corinthians 13:12),that
we shall be absolutely untainted with sin, as glorious as the uncreatedlight
of God. (Revelation 21:4,27; Matthew 13:45). This being theplace
and the company toward which we are being borne along so rapidly,we
want to be prepared for both place and society.
Ah,
friends, you are anxious to be cultured for this world and its "bestsociety,"
in its knowledge, in its customs, and in its manners. Yes, youlavish
time and money upon yourself and your children, in order that theymay
be furnished with the accomplishments and culture of this world. Yousay
when you appear in good society you want to be at ease, to be a peeramong
the most accomplished, and you wish the same for your children.Were
you invited to go six months hence to take up your abode at theCourt
of St. James, as the guest of England’s
noble king, you wouldransack all the books at your command that
treated of court etiquette andmanners; you would brush up in English history,
so that you might not betaken unawares either in your knowledge of the
affairs of the country, or incourt ceremonial. But in a little while we are
going to the court of the Kingimmortal, eternal, in the kingdom of glory. We
know not the day nor thehour when the Lord will come, or call us hence;
and we want to be ready,both as to purity of character and the courtly
culture of the heavenly city.
We
wish to be familiar with the history of redemption, and with themysteries
of the kingdom. We should not want to appear as an awkwardstranger
in our Father’s house of light. We
can only get this sanctificationof character and culture of life and
manner by constant familiarity andcommunion with God and the saints through
the Word.
Men
of the world are anxious that they, or, it may be, that their children,should
appear well in the society of this world. To this end they devotethemselves
and them to the schools of the world and fashion; the dancing schooland
the academy, they fancy, is the only place where polite mannersand
courtly grace may be acquired. Believers, too, are anxious that theirchildren
should be cultured and accomplished in every way worthy of beingthe
King’s sons or daughters, as by grace they
are. But they should notthink of seeking for them the entree of what is
called in this world the "bestsociety", or sending them to
fashionable finishing-schools and dancing academies,in
order to such end. If they may have their hearts filled withthe
dear, great love of God, and the sweet grace of Christ; if they hang onthe
chamber walls of their souls as pictures, "Whatsoever things are honest,just,
pure, lovely and of good report, and think on these things"(Philippians
4:8); if they journey through this world in companionshipwith
Him; if the Holy Spirit guides them through the Word, as Bunyan’sPilgrim
was led through the "house of the interpreter," and shows themwonderful
and beautiful things out of His law; if the fruit of the Spirit,which"is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness,
and temperance" (Galatians 5:22,23),adorns their lives and characters —
Christians are not then afraid that theirchildren will be a whit behind the
foremost society people in the land inculture of mind and heart, and grace of
manner. Ah, there is a heavenlyculture and a Divine grace of manner that far
transcend anything found inthe schools of this world. Only a Christian
could think of saying with Paul,standing before his judge, "except
these bonds" (Acts 26:29).
John
Bunyan, locked up for twelve years in Bedford Jail, with his Bible andconcordance
for his constant companions, produced and sent forth to theworld
his immortal dream, written with such beauty of style and in suchchaste
and simple manner, as to make it classic in English literature. Soperfect
and matchless was the intellectual and spiritual culture of thisunlearned
"tinker of Elstow," that the scholarly John Owen testified beforethe
King, "Your Majesty, if I could write as does that tinker in Bedford JailI
would gladly lay down all my learning." Where did John Bunyan get hisculture?
In glorious fellowship with Moses in the Law, with David in thePsalms,
with Isaiah and the prophets and holy men of God, who wrote asthey
were moved by the Holy Spirit; with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John;with
Paul, Peter and all the rest who wrote and spoke not the thoughts, norin
the words, of man’s wisdom, but God’s
thoughts, and in words whichthe Holy Spirit giveth. Read Homer and Milton,
Shakespeare and Dante;read Bacon, Macaulay, Addison and Carlyle; go
through all the bestliterature of all ages, and it will fall
infinitely short of the purity, beauty andgrandeur of thought and expression found
in God’s Word.
Goethe,
who said he was "not Christian," has declared of the canonicalGospels:
"The
human mind, no matter how much it may advance in
intellectual
culture, and in the extent and depth of the knowledge ofnature,
will never transcend the high moral culture of Christianity asit
shines and glows in the canonical Gospels."
Renan,
the French infidel author, concludes his life of Jesus with theseremarkable
words
"Whatever
may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never Besurpassed;
His worship will grow young without ceasing; Hislegend will call forth
tears without end; His suffering will melt thenoblest hearts; all
ages will proclaim that among the sons of menthere is none born
greater than Jesus."
And
Strauss, the rationalistic German author of the "Life of Jesus,"
says:"Jesus
presents within the sphere of religion the culminating point,beyond
which posterity can never go; yea, which it cannot evenequal.
He remains the highest model of religion within the reach ofour
thought, and no perfect piety is possible without His presencein
the heart."
Thus
the power of the "Book and the Person" for the highest culture of thehighest
nature of man, is affirmed by the great apostle of modern culture,and
by those who do not admit the Divine origin of the Scriptures, or thedeity
of Him of whom they are from first to last the witness. If, then, youwant
to know how to serve God and do His will on the earth, and bethoroughly
prepared and cultured for heaven hereafter, take His Word, andmake
it the rule and companion of your life.