Standing Firm in Truth: The Authority of Scripture

 

Summary

In Ephesians 6:14, Paul exhorts us to stand firm with our loins girded with truth. This call to spiritual readiness is crucial as we face the wiles of the devil, not through our own strength, but by putting on the whole armor of God. The first piece of this armor is truth, which raises the question: what is truth? In today's Christian church, there is a tragic confusion about this fundamental matter. The world cannot put on this armor; it is a call solely for Christians. The church's confusion about truth stems from a lack of understanding of authority. We must have an external, objective authority to guide us, and that authority is the Bible.

The Bible is not just a book; it is the Word of God, inspired and inerrant. The Protestant Reformation was built on this foundation, challenging the traditions of men and the authority of the Church of Rome. Today, we face a similar battle. The church has drifted from this authority, leading to confusion and a susceptibility to false teachings and cults that speak with a false sense of authority. The world by its wisdom cannot know God; it is only through God's revelation that we can know Him. This revelation is found in the Bible, which is the ultimate authority in matters of faith, practice, and conscience.

The authority of the Bible is not based on human reason or tradition but on divine revelation. The Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself affirmed the authority of the Scriptures, and His teachings were marked by divine authority. To gird ourselves with truth, we must submit to the authority of the Bible, acknowledging our own limitations and relying on the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. This is the foundation upon which we stand firm against the devil's schemes.

Key Takeaways:

- The truth is essential for spiritual readiness, and it is found in the Bible, which is the ultimate authority for Christians. Without this foundation, we are vulnerable to the devil's schemes and the confusion of the world. [01:49]

- The church's confusion about truth is due to a departure from the authority of the Bible. This has led to a susceptibility to false teachings and cults that speak with a false sense of authority. [12:27]

- The Bible is the Word of God, inspired and inerrant. It is not just a book but a divine revelation that provides the foundation for our faith and practice. [15:15]

- Human wisdom and reason cannot lead us to a knowledge of God. It is only through God's revelation, found in the Bible, that we can know Him. [25:07]

- To gird ourselves with truth, we must submit to the authority of the Bible, acknowledging our own limitations and relying on the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. This is the foundation upon which we stand firm against the devil's schemes. [45:26]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:14
- [00:28] - The Armor of God
- [01:03] - The Importance of Truth
- [02:06] - The Church's Confusion
- [03:13] - Defining Truth
- [04:22] - Authority in the Church
- [05:10] - The Need for External Authority
- [06:54] - Personal Experience on Authority
- [10:21] - The Danger of False Authority
- [15:15] - The Bible as Ultimate Authority
- [18:19] - The Protestant Position
- [23:17] - The Necessity of Revelation
- [32:13] - God's Revelation to Us
- [38:52] - The Authority of the Old Testament
- [41:13] - Jesus' Affirmation of Scripture
- [45:26] - Submitting to Biblical Authority

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 6:14
- 2 Timothy 3:16
- 1 Corinthians 1:17-31

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Paul mean by "having your loins girded with truth" in Ephesians 6:14, and why is this significant in the context of spiritual warfare? [00:11]

2. According to the sermon, what is the primary source of authority for Christians, and why is it essential to rely on this source? [15:15]

3. How does the sermon describe the current state of confusion in the church regarding truth and authority? [12:27]

4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping believers understand and apply the truth found in the Bible? [45:26]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of "truth" as described in Ephesians 6:14 relate to the authority of the Bible in a believer's life? [00:28]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church has drifted from the authority of the Bible, and what are the consequences of this drift? [15:34]

3. How does the sermon illustrate the danger of relying on human wisdom and reason instead of divine revelation? [25:07]

4. What does it mean to submit to the authority of the Bible, and how can this submission help believers stand firm against the devil's schemes? [45:26]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own understanding of truth. How do you determine what is true in your spiritual life, and how does the Bible play a role in that process? [00:28]

2. The sermon highlights the importance of having an external, objective authority. How can you ensure that the Bible remains the ultimate authority in your life, especially when faced with conflicting teachings? [15:15]

3. Consider a time when you relied on human wisdom rather than seeking guidance from the Bible. What was the outcome, and how might you approach a similar situation differently in the future? [25:07]

4. The sermon mentions the confusion in the church regarding truth. How can you contribute to clarity and understanding within your church community? [12:27]

5. How can you cultivate a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding of the Bible? What practical steps can you take to invite the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily Bible study? [45:26]

6. Think about a specific area in your life where you feel vulnerable to the devil's schemes. How can you use the truth of the Bible to stand firm in that area? [00:11]

7. The sermon discusses the danger of false teachings and cults. How can you discern between true and false teachings, and what resources or practices can help you in this discernment? [12:27]

Devotional

Day 1: Truth as Spiritual Armor
The truth is essential for spiritual readiness, and it is found in the Bible, which is the ultimate authority for Christians. Without this foundation, we are vulnerable to the devil's schemes and the confusion of the world. [01:49]

"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Ephesians 6:14, ESV).

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel most vulnerable to confusion or deception? How can you actively seek the truth of God's Word to guard against these vulnerabilities today?


Day 2: Authority and Confusion in the Church
The church's confusion about truth is due to a departure from the authority of the Bible. This has led to a susceptibility to false teachings and cults that speak with a false sense of authority. [12:27]

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV).

Reflection: Consider a teaching or belief you have encountered that seemed to stray from biblical truth. How can you ensure that your beliefs are grounded in the authority of Scripture?


Day 3: The Bible as Divine Revelation
The Bible is the Word of God, inspired and inerrant. It is not just a book but a divine revelation that provides the foundation for our faith and practice. [15:15]

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV).

Reflection: How do you currently engage with the Bible in your daily life? What steps can you take to deepen your understanding of it as divine revelation?


Day 4: The Necessity of God's Revelation
Human wisdom and reason cannot lead us to a knowledge of God. It is only through God's revelation, found in the Bible, that we can know Him. [25:07]

"For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21, ESV).

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you relied on your own understanding rather than seeking God's wisdom. How can you prioritize seeking God's revelation in your decision-making process?


Day 5: Submitting to Biblical Authority
To gird ourselves with truth, we must submit to the authority of the Bible, acknowledging our own limitations and relying on the Holy Spirit to enlighten us. This is the foundation upon which we stand firm against the devil's schemes. [45:26]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22, ESV).

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you struggle to submit to biblical authority? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to guide you in this area today?

Quotes

"Stand therefore having your lines GT about with truth. We are considering the exhortation of the apostle here where he tells us that as we are confronted by the Ws of the devil and have to wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world and even spiritual wickedness in high places that there are only two things for us to do." [00:00:19]

"The great tragedy of the age is that the church is in utter confusion with regard to this primary matter: what is the truth? I must guard it on, otherwise I'm defeated already. But what is it? Is it possible to know what it is? Now that's the matter that's engaging us at this moment. In other words, if you like, the great problem is the problem of authority." [00:02:24]

"We must have something external, something objective, something by which we can test our reason, our feelings, and everything else. And once more, I do not hesitate to assert that this is the most important question confronting every one of us at this moment. What do you see when you look into the future? How do you explain the tendencies that are so obvious?" [00:05:35]

"All the Troubles in the church today and most of the troubles in the world by consequence are due to a departure from the authority of this book. And ESS it was the church herself that led that particular movement. You are familiar with the history, most of you, the so-called higher criticism that came in from Germany just over 100 years ago." [00:15:25]

"Do we accept this as the word of God and as the sole Authority in all matters of faith and practice and conscience, or do we not? Is the whole of my thinking governed by this, or do I come with my thinking and pick and choose out of this and sit in judgment upon it, putting myself as the ultimate standard and Authority?" [00:17:16]

"The Protestant position as well as the position of the early Church in the first centuries is that the Bible is the word of God, not that it contains it, but that it is the word of God uniquely inspired, inherent, not only containing the revelation of God's truth to men but God having safeguarded the truth by dealing with the men who wrote it by the Holy Spirit and keeping them from error and from blemishes and from anything that was wrong." [00:18:30]

"The World by wisdom knew not God. Why not? Well, isn't it obvious? How could it? Why? Well, for this reason: because of the character of God. You see, the princes of this world didn't know him, didn't recognize our Lord. We preach wisdom, says Paul, among them that are perfectly yet not the wisdom of this world or of the princes of this world that come to not." [00:27:34]

"God is infinite and absolute and eternal in every respect. God is, and the moment you realize that truth, how can men possibly arrive at a knowledge of him? I would have thought that even your philosophy ought to prove that. How can the finite Encompass the infinite? How can mortal men arrive at a real knowledge of the immortal God?" [00:28:51]

"If we are to have any knowledge of Truth at all, well then God has got to give it us. It's got to be revealed to us. We can't get there; we can't climb that mountain and reach the top where God is—impossible. But God, if he so chooses, can give us the knowledge which we desire, and the whole message of the Bible from beginning to end is just that." [00:32:00]

"The whole message of the Bible apart from the details which it gives us, that is what it's proclaiming from beginning to end. In the beginning, God. It's an authoritative statement. How does Moses make the authoritative statement? It was given to him so that you find the author of The epistle to the Hebrews saying that it is by faith that we know how the world was created at the beginning." [00:34:40]

"Prophecy came not in Old Time by the will of men, never. Well, how then? Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, carried Along by, borne Along by the power of the spirit. Now the thing is so abundantly plain and clear. That is the statement, the claim made in the old; there it is stated explicitly in the new." [00:38:31]

"Before you can ever succeed in guarding your lines about with truth, you've got to come to this as a little child or to use the stronger word that Paul uses, you've got to come to it as a Fool. If any man willth to be wise in this world, he says, let him become a fool, which means this: let him say he knows nothing." [00:44:18]

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Transcript
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