The Authority And Sufficiency Of God’s Word
We Should Only Practice What The Bible Authorizes Us To Do And It Tells Us Everything We Need To Know - Religiously
Matthew 8:9 – “For I (the centurion) am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” - The centurion was a man under authority, meaning people obeyed what he said. Likewise God is our authority (ultimate boss) - we must obey His word.
Colossians 3:17 – “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” - We must have authority from God’s word for everything we do – don’t do anything unless the New Testament tells us to do it (generically or specifically). E.g., where is the Bible authority for praying to Mary and other saints? There is none.
II Tim 3:16-17 – “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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” – The scriptures are profitable for doctrine, and completely furnish us unto everything we need to know religiously – they are sufficient. The Catholics have three legs of authority – the Pope, church tradition, and the Bible, but this verse makes it clear that the Bible is our only authority.
II Peter 1:3 – “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” - God hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through His word.
Numbers 22:18, 24:13, Deut 5:32 – “Balaam … said … If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord … to do less or more … I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak … Ye shall observe to do therefore as … God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” - Don’t go beyond the word of God to do less or more, or good or bad, or to the left or right. Examples: Women preachers, infant baptism, sprinkling for baptism.
I Kings 12:33 Jeroboam “offered … in the month which he had devised of his own heart” – Aren’t many churches practicing today what they have devised in their own heart? Haven’t they devised in their own heart when they are going to eat the LS (Acts 20:7)? Wasn’t “purgatory” devised by man?
Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Trusting God and His word means obeying even when we disagree.
I Cor 14:37 – “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” – What is written are the commandments of the Lord, not just man’s opinions/suggestions. It doesn’t have to be in red letters.
Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” - What seems right to us may not be right. Only God’s word can tell us what is actually right.
Gen 37:31-35 When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they tricked their Dad into thinking Joseph was killed by a wild animal. Jacob really felt like Joseph was dead, but his feelings were wrong – he was deceived. We can be deceived by our feelings too – we need to be led by God’s word, not our feelings.
Ephesians 3:3-4 – “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” - We understand God’s word by reading what it says just like if we were reading a letter from a friend.
Matthew 21:25 Jesus asked “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?” We should ask this about any religious belief or practice. If it comes from heaven/God, we will find it in God’s word. If we can’t find it there, it must have come from man.