The Sufficiency of Scripture: Our Guiding Authority

It’s one thing to affirm that the Bible is God’s Word; it’s one thing to say, “Scripture is true,” we might even be willing to write our signature at the bottom of the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy, but where we see that belief in the authority of Scripture working itself out is in this discussion of the sufficiency of Scripture. [00:00:25]

Pay attention to the context, pay attention to what the triune God is teaching you, and pay attention to your life. But the idea of paying attention to our life and what Scripture says as that mirror of God’s Word reflects back on us, as God’s Word works in us and on us, that has a basic assumption, and that assumption is that Scripture alone is our sufficient guide for life. [00:01:21]

Now, as believers, and as believers who hold to inerrancy, we affirm these doctrines. We say we are distinct from our culture, we don’t share the same commitments with modernity when it comes to the autonomy of human rationality, or we don’t share the same commitments of modernity to science, we appreciate science, and we see the legitimacy of science, but we don’t see science as an idol. [00:05:02]

Now, obviously to say that Scripture is sufficient doesn’t say it’s exhaustive. Scripture doesn’t tell us how to drive a car. Scripture doesn’t tell us how to use our cell phone -- I don’t know how to use my cell phone, because Scripture doesn’t tell me, so I don’t know how to use my -- but there are these things that are part, but that’s not what I’m talking about. [00:06:35]

Let’s just take the example of our families and raising our kids. This is a challenge, raising kids. It seems like it’s harder these days than it used to be, I don’t know, maybe that’s just because I’m a parent now, but raising kids isn’t an easy business. And you know there are a ton, literally, a ton of voices out there that want to tell you how you should be raising your kids. [00:06:58]

What we have to remind ourselves, what we have to come back to, is that Scripture alone is the living and abiding and true Word, and it is sufficient. There’s a fascinating discussion of this in 2 Peter 1. Now, we looked at 2 Peter 1 earlier, we looked at the end of Second Peter chapter 1, but I want to go to earlier in the chapter at verse 3. [00:08:23]

And here we find Peter telling us that: “His,” God’s, “divine power,” this is 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 3: “God’s divine power has granted to us all things.” Now, let’s write that down -- all things. Ta panta -- all things. It doesn’t really leave a lot out, does it, to say “all things”? “All things that pertain to godliness.” [00:08:58]

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth,” see Peter was listening when Jesus gave that high priestly prayer in John seventeen when he said, “Sanctify them through Thy Word, Thy Word is truth,” Peter was listening to that. “For sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” Now, that’s the main verb of these verses, from verse 22 to 25, the main verb is -- now see here’s context, and these are the kinds of questions we have to ask as we interpret, what is the point? [00:12:22]

The grass withers, the flower falls, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.” It’s a contrast. The contrast is between what is visible and what is temporal, and what is invisible and what is eternal. And we get so caught up in the temporal. Here’s those other voices that seem so attractive. Here are those other voices that seem so appealing, and we’re tempted to go off and listen to them, aren’t we? [00:15:25]

The Sufficiency of Scripture tells us that Scripture alone is the good news. It is the good news. Now, it seems like Peter ended quoting from Isaiah, the quote is only verse 24 and 25 a, and then in 25 b, Peter makes his own comment, “And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” He still has Isaiah 40 on his mind, though. [00:16:34]

We believe in the sufficiency of Scripture when we say in reverent humility, “I’m going to submit to God’s word, I’m going to read it, I’m going to seek to apply it in my life, and by the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit I will seek to live it out in my life.” We also believe in the sufficiency of Scripture when we take this task of preaching it with the utmost urgency. [00:22:42]

The good news is get yourself up to a high mountain and say, “Behold your God.” And yes, He will judge; but He also comes to lift you up as a lamb and carry you. Do we believe that the gospel is the good news? That’s the sufficiency of Scripture. Well, revelation: where would we be without it? We’d be lost in darkness, but we have it, and our simple response is gratitude and submission in obedience to God’s word as God’s Word is at work within us. [00:23:58]