God’s Own Defense of Scripture, Part 1 B

We are regenerated, born again, given life by the Word of God which lives and abides in me, continues his study titled, God's Own Defense of Scripture. The law of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, in verse 7. The law of the Lord, in verse 7.

Let's take them one at a time. First of all, the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. It is perfect, not perfect as opposed to imperfect, but perfect as opposed to incomplete. Not perfect as opposed to imperfect, though it is that, but the primary thrust of this Hebrew word is not about perfect as opposed to imperfect, but it's about perfect as opposed to incomplete. It is comprehensive.

It is sufficient. It leaves nothing out. So what do we learn in this first statement? The law of the Lord, Scripture, is sufficient to totally transform the whole inner person.

Powerful statement...powerful, powerful statement. It's able to save. It's able to regenerate. It's able to convert.

It's able to transform. That gets repeated all through Scripture. Peter puts it this way, 1 Peter 1.23, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but by incorruptible by the Word of God.

We are regenerated, born again, given life by the Word of God which lives and abides forever. And this is the Word by which the gospel is preached to you. That's why Paul says in Romans 1, not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation. It gives life.

It's powerful. Listen to the testimony of Psalm 119, and I'm only going to be able to read without comment a few verses that support this point. It is Psalm 119 that reiterates again and again these same truths concerning the Word of God. Verse 41, may Thy loving kindness also come to me, O Lord, listen, Thy salvation according to Thy Word. Verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction that Thy Word has literally given me life. Verse 81, my soul languishes for Thy salvation, I wait for Thy Word.

Again, the Word is linked to salvation. I cried to Thee, verse 146, save me, I shall keep Thy testimonies. Verse 155, salvation is far from the wicked for they do not seek Thy statutes. Salvation comes through the Word. I long for Thy salvation, verse 174, O Lord, and Thy Law is my delight. The Scripture, the Law of the Lord, statutes of the Lord inseparable from salvation.

No wonder Paul said, Preach the Word in season out of season. The Law of the Lord is perfect, comprehensive, sufficient for the total transformation of the whole inner person. Number two...number two, Psalm 19, the Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Listen to this one, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple testimony. This looks at Scripture not as God's divine Law, but as God's own personal testimony. It is His self-revelation. It is His own witness.

It is God disclosing His character and His will. So you look at Scripture not just as a manual for life, but as that which is a perfect reflection of the nature of God. This is God's own testimony to what is true concerning Himself and everything else. When you read Scripture, you're getting to know God.

This is God's own testimony, His own self-disclosure. And as such, it is sure. Unlike other books, the Bible is perfect, comprehensive, complete, needs nothing. Unlike other books, it is sure. What does that mean?

Unwavering, unmistakable, reliable, in a word trustworthy...trustworthy...trustworthy. I called the L.A. Public Library one time and I asked them how many books they had there. And I think they told me something like twenty-five million books or something ridiculous that were either there or accessible, several million there and accessible through other library connections. And I just said kind of a funny thing to the lady I was talking to. I said, how many of them are always and only absolutely true?

She said, that's a strange question. Well, you just don't want to work through twenty-five million to try to find one that's always true. And I suggested the answer was only one, that was the Bible, the Word of the living God.

It's always true. It is Peter who says it's a more sure word, right? Second Peter 1, it's a more sure word, more sure than signs, wonders, miracles. The world by wisdom knew not God, 1 Corinthians 1. You can't get to divine truth, spiritual truth, eternal truth. You can't get to the way it really is apart from the Bible. So here is this wonderful self-disclosure, God's own testimony, absolutely trustworthy.

You can trust all its statements, all its insights, all its promises. And so it makes wise the simple. I love the word simple in Hebrew. Hebrew language is a concrete language, not abstract.

Greek language, a lot of abstractions. But in the Hebrew language, everything is sort of concrete, everything is tied down to something tangible. And the word simple, the root of the Hebrew word means an open door...an open door. Because an open door doesn't discriminate, right? If the door is open, everything comes in, everything goes out, no discrimination.

That's a great word. You ever hear anybody say, well I have an open mind. Well shut it because you've got to decide what to let in and what to keep out. Having an open mind is not a virtue, that's one step above being a moron.

Render a judgment on something. It's like the people who say, I am an agnostic, proudly, from the Greek, one who doesn't know. They do, I'm an agnostic. You hear people say that. You know what the Latin word for agnostic is? Ignoramus. You hear anybody say, I am an ignoramus.

Totally. You have a door on your house and the reason you have a door on your house is to keep some things in and some things out. You want to keep the cool air in, the children and everything else that belongs to you and you shut the door to keep those things in. You make a judgment as to when you open it and when you don't.

That's why you have a hole in it, right? You don't live in your neighborhood with your door wide open and welcome everybody. You'd be a fool.

It's too much danger. You make a discerning decision when you shut the door and that's a great analogy for the mind. The word simple meant naive, undiscerning, uninformed. But the testimony of the Lord, the Scripture is trustworthy and makes the simple wise...wise. Hebrew shekam, again very different than the Greek word Sophia which is kind of an esoteric word referring to wisdom.

Shekam is a word that means skilled in practical aspects of living. You see, wisdom to the Hebrew mind was not some ethereal kind of thing. Wisdom was living life in the right way to produce the best and most beneficial results.

The art of living, mastering the art of living, living life to its fullest and best. The Word of God is trustworthy. It can take the naive, unexperienced, undiscerning, uninformed, ignoramus and make him skilled in the art of living.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, there's a verse in that chapter that defines the response of the Thessalonians to the gospel. It's verse 13, for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you receive from us the Word of God's message, you accept that it not is the Word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God...I love this...which also energizes its work in you who believe. The Word of God takes over and shapes your life and makes you skilled in the art of living. This is the ability to make right choices. This is the ability to see things the way they really are.

This is the ability to seize the moments in life on earth and to act with heavenly insight and heavenly wisdom to apply the Word of God to every aspect of life. Like babes desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow and as you feed on the Word of God, you grow, you grow in your discernment, you grow in your mastery of the issues of life. Do we somehow believe the Word of God doesn't do this?

This is what God says it does do. Do we question that? Do we need to put our trust in psychology or sociology or human wisdom for what it takes to live our lives?

Do we need to learn some silly gimmicks, manipulating our own minds and the minds of others around us? Isn't the Word of God enough? Again, I call you to God's extended testimony in Psalm 119 in which He embellishes this same truth. Look at verse 27, maybe as a starting point, Psalm 119, make me understand the way of Thy precepts so I will meditate on Thy wonders.

God help me understand, give me understanding. And of course it comes through His precepts, another way to refer to the Word of God. Verse 34, give me understanding that I may observe Thy law and keep it with all my heart. Verse 66, teach me good discernment and knowledge for I believe in Thy commandments. You can't separate knowledge, discernment, wisdom from Scripture. Verse 98, Thy commandments make me wiser than my enemies, they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers for Thy testimonies are my meditation.

That's true of a Christian in a university setting or any other setting with very sophisticated intellectuals. You know more than they do about the things that matter everlastingly. Verse 104, from Thy precepts I get understanding. Verse 125, I am Thy servant, give me understanding that I may know Thy testimonies. God's testimony, God's Word and understanding go together.

Well there are more. Verse 169, give me understanding according to Thy Word. Again, God's testimony is that if you want to be saved, you turn to the Word. If you want to be wise, you turn to the Word. Sufficient is the Word then to give us salvation and skilled living in the wisdom of God.

Let me give you the third one, okay? Verse 8, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Where do you go to find joy? Where do you go to find happiness? Where do you go to find relief from sorrow, relief from depression, relief from anxiety?

Where do you go? The psalmist says, the voice of God says, go to the Word. Verse 8, the precepts of the Lord. Precepts, what are those? Principles, doctrines.

Here is the manual for man's living. Here is God's self-revelation, His own testimony and here are doctrines, truths, absolutes that are the guidelines, the requirements for blessing and for joy. Divine statutes or precepts, same idea, principles, doctrines and they are right. I love that word right. It doesn't mean right as opposed to wrong. It means right in the sense of a right path, okay? And there are some nuances in the Hebrew here, but it means the right path. That is to say the doctrines that the Lord has given are going to send you in the right path. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. More than that, the Word is the path here. The Word is the guide that shows the straight path to the divine end. We're not left without principles for life. People say doctrine doesn't matter.

Oh, it matters. What does it mean to have a Bible and not understand its principles? You don't want to wander around in a fog of human opinion, you have a true Word to follow.

And what is the product of this if you go in the right path? Rejoicing the heart...true joy...true joy. Jeremiah 15, 16, Jeremiah said this, your Word was found, your words were found and I did eat them and your Word was in me, the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Now understand Jeremiah's situation.

He's trying to proclaim the Word of God to a recalcitrant, rebellious, obstinate people. They don't want it. They don't want to hear it. They resent it. They hate Him.

They finally throw Him in a pit. And what does He say? If nobody listens, your Word was found. I ate it and it is the joy and rejoicing of my heart in the worst of circumstances where He's trying to deliver a ministry that nobody wants.

He has no popularity, no interest in what He's saying. He ends up in a horrible situation and yet He's filled with joy because that's what the Word does. My joy comes from what I know to be true about God and His purposes. When you have anxiety, when you have fear, when you have sorrow, when you have difficulty in life, you go to the things that the Word of God affirms and you stand on those great promises and principles and doctrines. They show you the right path, you walk in that path and it produces joy. John writes, 1 John 1.4, I write these things unto you that your joy may be full. Joy, not a superficial giddy kind of thing, but a deep down settled confident peaceful satisfaction that the goodness of God is unfolding in my life in good and bad circumstances.

That's the kind of deep joy. I don't need voices from heaven. I don't need miracles. I don't need to talk to angels.

I don't need supernatural experiences, neither do you. We don't need visions. I don't need to have some kind of vision to boost up my faltering faith. I know from the Word of God what is true. I know the path of truth in which I walk and in that path of truth I find my heart rejoices.

Depression, anxiety, fear, doubt comes from not knowing, not believing, not trusting the truth revealed in Scripture. Follow the Word, walk in its precepts and you will know complete joy. All our true pleasure, all our true delight comes from following the path laid out in the Word of God, not from seeking self-fulfillment, self-esteem, personal purpose, self-indulgence, self-satisfaction, not from getting miracles and things happening in your life that bring you money, prosperity, self...no. True joy, true pleasure, true delight comes by walking confidently in the path of biblical doctrine and resting in the things that are true because God has declared them so. Again Psalm 19, one more time, affirms this, verse 14, I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies as much as in all riches. I rejoice in the way, the path that Your testimonies have led me as much as in all riches. Verse 54, Thy statutes...I love this...are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

They transcend all the petty issues of life. Verse 76, O may Thy loving kindness comfort me according to Thy Word to Thy servant. We all need comfort.

There are always those times when life is very difficult for us. We need comfort. He says, very simply, may Thy loving kindness according to Thy Word comfort me. I'm comforted in the loving kindness of God, that's a principle, that's a precept revealed in Scripture. Verse 1, 11, I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

They are the joy of my heart. In 1, 14, he says that the Word is his hiding place and his shield. So the Scripture, source of true joy, true wisdom and true transformation, that is God's own testimony to his glorious Word. Lord, it's been refreshing to go back and wash ourselves again in the Word, to feel the richness and the sweetness of these great statements, Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. Thank You, Lord, for the fact that we can rest in these truths and we have, some of us, for long, long years and we thank You that by this Word many, many are being saved and all who are saved are being made skilled in the manner of holy living and being given joy as they walk in these precepts. What a gift Your Word is to us, to save, to sanctify and to direct and guide us toward real, deep, abiding, settled, confident joy.

We find our life, our wisdom, our joy in Your Word. It is enough. It is enough. What more could we ask for? Eternal life, true wisdom, everlasting joy. And that comes from Your Word. Thank You, O God, for this great gift in Your Son's name. Amen. This is Grace to You with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us. Today's lesson looked at the transformative power of God's Word. Encouraging truth from John's compelling series here on Grace to You, titled God's Own Defense of Scripture. Now perhaps you're wondering how to pass along your trust in the sufficiency of Scripture to other people, and especially your own children. John, all four of your kids are grown adults now, and they love the Lord, and they are raising their kids with a commitment to God's Word. How did you instill in your sons and daughters a love for and a confidence in the Bible? Well, I preached to them their whole life long, basically. But I think it was not just the preaching to them, but it was the affection, the love, the passion that I had for biblical truth that they saw in every part of my life. If you grew up at Grace Church—I mean, my kids are 40s and up—they've seen 40 years of the work of the Word in the people of Grace Church, and it's been an amazing, amazing reality to see. And so I often say to people, when they say, all four of your kids love Christ, what happened?

And I say, I had them in a good church, where the things that I was saying were being reinforced by everybody around them, and there was some authenticity in that. Also, we had lots of resources for the kids reading the Bible, reading missionary biographies, reading theology, all through their growing years. And I would just suggest that you fill your home with those kinds of things, whatever age your kids are, and you can place a Christmas order today for the MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series. That's 34 volumes, if you want the whole thing, or you can select volumes of your favorite books of the New Testament and get some commentaries. You can see on the website what's available, each book of the New Testament. Or you might want to order Biblical Doctrine. That is a systematic theology that I wrote along with Dr. Dick Mayhew, long-time dean and professor at the Master's Seminary. And it's for anybody and everybody, and it's like a reference book. You can always go back to it, look in the index, find a doctrinal subject you're interested in, and it'll take you to the page where that's discussed. Another very good thing to think about Christmas time is starting a new year.

Get a copy of Drawing Near. That's a daily devotional, 365 days a year. And these are just suggestions. We have so many available things.

You can check the website. But the flagship resource, and I want to mention it one more time, is the MacArthur Study Bible. In the New American Standard, the New King James, or the ESV, 25,000 footnotes explaining the Scripture, everything from hardback to premium leather, and a special discount still holds 25% off any edition of the Study Bible if you order by December 23.

Yes, and friend, these books make great gifts for anyone who wants to understand the Bible better and grow in his or her love for God's Word. To purchase Biblical Doctrine, the MacArthur Study Bible, or the MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series, contact us today. To order, go online to gty.org and choose the second-day shipping option to ensure delivery before Christmas. Or place your order by phone. You can call us at 800-55-GRACE.

Our staff is here to help you Monday through Friday, 730 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time, and they will make sure you get the right shipping option on your order. Our phone number again, 800-55-GRACE. And if you're grateful that these Bible teaching programs are reaching your community, if you want to help connect God's people with Biblical truth that changes lives, this is a great time of year to express your support. Giving to your local church comes first, we affirm that. Just know that your year-end gift will help us launch into 2022 on solid footing. Mail your tax-deductible donation to Grace to You, Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412. You can also give online at gty.org or when you call us at 800-55-GRACE. Now for John MacArthur and the entire staff, I'm Phil Johnson inviting you back tomorrow when John looks at the one and only way to read Scripture, if you truly want to understand it. Don't miss the next half hour of unleashing God's truth, one verse at a time, on Grace to You.