Be Sure of Your Source, Part 2

In our technological age, a whole world of knowledge is available at our fingertips.

At the click of a mouse or swipe of a screen, we can access more information than any previous generation could have dreamed of. But while it's far easier to access knowledge, it's harder than ever to sort through what's real and what's fake. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues our study in 2 Peter chapter 1. The apostle Peter, in his letter to first century believers, pointed to the origin of all truth.

Chuck titled today's message, Be Sure of Your Source. Now to begin with, when it comes to the Bible, we have the sure word. In fact, look, he compares it. And so we have the scriptural word, which is more sure. More sure than what? Than what I saw.

Than what I heard. We have friends, and he would have to say in that day, the Old Testament scriptures, because they didn't have New Testament at the time, that was yet to come. So for us, it would be applied to all the Bible, but specifically and technically in the writing of this passage, he would say the scrolls of the Old Testament provide us with the more sure word from God. Don't wait for dreams, don't look for visions, don't listen for voices, don't seek out a medium, don't watch the stars. You have the more sure statement of scripture in this book.

Spend your time there. One older writer, Samuel Cox, said this, Peter knew a sounder basis for faith than that of signs and wonders. He had seen our Lord Jesus Christ receive honor and glory from God the Father. He had been dazzled and carried out of himself by visions and voices from heaven. But nevertheless, even when his memory and heart are throbbing with recollections of that sublime scene, he says, we have something surer still in the word. In scripture, we have God's truth stated in written form.

It is able to be read, studied, pondered, applied. And have you thought about this lately? You can return to it over and over and we've all done it. You can return to that promise of assurance. You can return to this information about death. You can return to the hope of the believer for comfort and direction.

And it is there for your use in your tongue, for you to read any time of the day or night. You don't need any other source of truth. You've got it in the scriptures.

Become a careful student of the prophetic word, which here has reference to the statements of scripture. Look at how he puts it. It's an authoritative word to which you do well to pay attention.

Will you let that drive itself home? You would do well to pay attention. And then he describes it in with an illustration as to a lamp shining in a dark place. The Greek word for dark is murky.

Isn't that descriptive of our times? His word shines like a light through murky places. If there is something that marks even the intelligentsia of our day, it is murkiness as it relates to moral standards.

As it relates to assurance of life beyond the grave. Even sincere, highly intelligent, disciplined men and women who fill our universities when you get to subjects that are spiritual, they are vague, they are uncertain. They'll either shrug their shoulders or cast sort of a sneering remark toward the comment of spiritual things. They don't know.

Why? Because they live in the murky waters of uncertainty. One fellow told me, one of my profs used to say when he was in school, he was in a secular school, he says that one thing characterized most of my profs, when it came to spiritual things, they lived in the slimy ooze of indefiniteness.

Not sure, not certain, we can't know for sure, so stay away from it. If possible, get a message from, if there is a God, get it from him some way. And dear people all over the country are trying to get that message from God. Sincere, yes. I think 90 plus percent of them are absolutely sincere. Thinking if I pursue this I'll get a sure word from God.

This is authoritative. We do well that we pay attention. It's like a lamp that shines in a dark place. And do it, this is a reference to Christ coming in picture form. Until the day dawn and the morning star arises in your hearts. Until what you hope for is reality. Until you are literally enlightened with his very presence. Peter says let the light in.

Let it in. Now for years I misunderstood verse 20. It's a tough verse.

But know this, first of all, so there's high priority here. No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. What does that mean? I used to think that what it meant was that it was a reference to the reader of scripture. No person has a right to a private interpretation. But that troubled me because all of us have such interpretations.

I struggle because that's the whole purpose of illumination. The spirit of God illumines us with the word and we interpret the scriptures so that we can apply them or teach them to others. So that's not good, that's not it. I think it has reference to the scripture itself. No scripture can be handled on its own. In other words, no scriptural writing can be divorced from all the others. No statement from scripture stands on its own unrelated to other writings of scripture.

I suggest that to you. No statement from scripture stands on its own unrelated from other writings of scripture. It goes back to the age old process of correlation. Serious students of the Bible take the book of, in this case, the book of 2 Peter and they compare it to 1 Peter. And when something is unclear they'll go back to Hebrews or they'll go to the book of Acts or perhaps Exodus or something over there in the Psalms. And they will weigh scripture with scripture which is an essential and I might add wonderful discipline to cultivate. How wise are the people who know scriptural references here and there that interrelate and wind together around one another.

There are some saints that are really good at this. When I took the pastorate in Waltham, Massachusetts many years ago, I stepped in following a man who had been an interim pastor at that church for a number of months. It happened to be Dr. Bruce Waltke and some of you who know Dr. Waltke know his faithful scholarship and capability in the scriptures.

He and I are good friends. I walked down to the basement. He had not yet moved out when I was there for a visit and I noticed in the basement long tables around the room and I said, Bruce, what in the world is all this? There were old texts. There were ancient manuscripts. There was Hebrew. There was Greek. There was Aramaic. There was Latin.

There was all kinds of versions and they were spread out all over this place. For him, the consummate scholar, this is the place to be. And I just want to know, what is all of this about?

What are you doing down here? He said, well, I'm helping in the cross-referencing of a new Bible that's coming out. The New American Standard Bible was back before it was completed. And he said, they have asked me to do this. And he said, oh Chuck, it has become absolutely life-changing. He says, I've read every verse in the scripture from five to seven times in the discipline of this process. Would you like to spend an evening with Bruce Waltke when it comes to knowing what scripture says?

I mean, would he have that put together? Of course. Time after time, day, week, month after month, pouring over verse after verse, comparing this one with that one. No scripture is a matter of its own interpretation. Do not take one verse and make it all your life, or as cults love to do it, half verses lifted out of context and then declared as truth.

They'll tell you every time. It's scripture. I don't know of a religious cult that doesn't use the Bible. A better word might be abuse the Bible.

Scripture must be compared to scripture, verse with verse, so that we understand the interpretation of God's truth. Yes, at times it is difficult. I confess it is baffling. And I would wish, like you would, that God would have just set it clearer. You know, just on the 12th of February, this is what you should do. And it goes to this reference, and then you read it, and then you do it.

Isn't that great? Problem is, we'd all be ignoramuses. We would just be reading rules and following directions. And it would not involve any study.

It would not take any discipline. That would call for no time in prayer. But the way he has put his word together is in a masterful tapestry of inspired truth that at times comes from the page like a cool shower on a hot afternoon. And it washes over you, and you know that is truth to live by. And you dug it out. You prayed that truth through. You have sought the counsel of his word.

And that's it! And it becomes the more sure word for you. Now, how can I know that that which is written is reliable? God revealed it.

I have no problem with that, say most people. But in his passing his truth to mankind, how do I know it wasn't just the work of human hands? How do I know that man wasn't inspired sort of like a musician or composer is inspired as he writes the score of some great music? Verse 21, we have the inspired word. For no scripture was ever made by an act of human will. Either God has lied or you can believe this.

And you know he hasn't lied. So whatever has come to pass as scripture has not come by a sheer act of human will. But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. Go back and look at the last phrase. Moved.

That's the key word. It is a nautical term in the original and it has in mind what happens when a sailboat has lost its rudder and sails. And it is now sitting on the water at the mercy of the waves and the currents and the wind. And it is moving out of its own power or human power towards some destination at the whim of the winds and the movement of the waters. The blowing of the waves across the hull of this sailing vessel.

Let me show it to you. Right out of scripture, Acts chapter 27 verses 15 and 17 both use this word moved in a nautical sense. Acts 27, 15 and 17. Verse 14 of Acts 27, Luke writes, But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind called Irakula. And when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be Pharaoh. Driven along.

Same word. And running under the shelter of a small island called Clada, we were scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control. And after they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Sirtis, they let down the sea anchor and so let themselves be driven along. Pharaoh, same word.

Driven along. We found ourselves at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Now back to 2 Peter 1, 21. This is not being at the mercy of wind and waves, this is being under the dominating control of the Spirit of God.

Now listen very carefully because this is the watershed issue in every generation. When God revealed his word, men with pen in hand, under the dominating control of the Spirit of God, apart from human will, wrote his word so that to the very terms used, God's revealed message was written on the original manuscripts. Now, they were conscious that they were writing, but they were not taking dictation nor writing in a state of ecstasy. They were under the control of the Spirit of God and what was written had come from God. God used their personalities, he used their vocabulary. If you read the original, you will see a great difference between the writings of John and the writings of Peter. The writings of Paul and the writings of Luke. You will especially see a difference between the writings of Paul, an extremely brilliant scholar, and John, a fisherman. Both equally inspired, but each with his own personality working through it, God directed the writings of his word. No wonder his book is such a sure, authoritative, inspired source. No wonder the adversary is so determined to assault it and to encourage us to read the stars rather than read the word of the book.

I say a couple of things by way of instruction and perhaps even warning to some. One, when we turn to God's word, we are consulting the most reliable of all sources on earth. When we turn to God's word, seeking truth, we are consulting the most reliable of all sources.

Before I give you the second one, let me interrupt your thinking right here and add just a little illustration. What we have in the scriptures is the very best. It doesn't get any better. What we have is the clearest.

It doesn't get any clearer. What we have is reliable. No other source is more reliable. What we have is tangible. All other sources become guessing games.

Or you must rely on the intuition of some teacher, some director, some leader, some guru. Some of you may know I love homemade chili. I absolutely love it. I think the older I get, the more it becomes my favorite meal. When I think about a real great evening, I don't think of candlelight and steak. I think of cornbread and chili. My wife has a great, great chili recipe. The best. I know that because she has been working on it for 34 years. She's finally got it. Our family said the last time we had a chili lunch or dinner together, we said, Mom, don't mess with this recipe anymore.

This is the best. She's been thinking maybe I need to add a little bit more bacon or a little bit more bacon powder or whatever you put in chili. I don't know what all goes in chili. I knew I'd blow this before I got through. I do not make chili, but she does.

Maybe a little more, you know, violets or something that goes in them. And she said, we said, don't put anything else in it. This is the best. Hands down. We all voted and we wrote it in the Medes and the Persians and we got it so that she won't change.

Now if somebody picked up the phone and called Cynthia and says, you know what, I got a new recipe for chili. Her answer should be, no thanks. I got the best. I have the one that meets the needs. I've got one that everybody has said is the best.

I'm not interested. Why can't we say that about recipes but not say that about revelation? I've got the best.

Why do I need some dizzy teacher of the stars to direct me into the future? I've got the best. I've got the truth. And it's compared verse with verse and it never contradicts. And it never has led the first person in history astray. Never.

Not when handled correctly. When we turn to the word, we are consulting the definite article. The most reliable source of all sources.

Second, watch carefully. When we make other sources equal to or more reliable than scripture, we soon fall into error. When we make other sources equal to or more reliable than scripture, we soon fall into error. Now, I want to admit some of you are going to say, having heard this message, Chuck, that's an awfully conservative position. And I admit it. I do admit it. You say, I've got well-meaning friends and as a matter of fact, they're just as born again as you are and they are walking in the light but they happen to believe that God does speak in various ways.

All I can tell you is their basis of knowing that is experience and feelings. And what they thought they heard, this gives me a written record that has stood the test of time, has never led me or anyone else astray, and has never failed to work. Never.

Never once. So I prefer staying with what meets the need and what I can support from scripture itself. I would just say for your friend who is into this, the jury is still out.

You watch. You see, if before too many months, there doesn't begin to creep into that person's life, error or an unusual series of events that will trouble you or that person, be real careful about your source of truth. This is the book that presents us the truth about Christ. God spoke in other times in various ways, but he has in these last days spoken unto us in his Son, in a Son kind of revelation. His word tells us that his Son came.

His Son died. The night before he was arrested and put on trial, he sat around a table with his beloved disciples and he sought their fellowship. It was his way of saying to them, commune with me.

Commune with me. God had been saying that for centuries. In the days of the tabernacle, it was between the cherubim. And between the wings of the cherubim, the glory of God rested, the Shekinah light, the blinding light, the same light that blinded Paul and brought him to conversion, that shone down and brought him to his knees, had been shining between the cherubim on the mercy seat and God was saying, I want to meet with my people. I want a fellowship with them.

Between the wings for years, around the table for now, it's his way of saying, you and I need to stay together. Let's bow for a few moments of meditation. Our Father direct our thoughts to things that are precious to you and therefore to us. Quiet our spirit as we think about that which brings peace, that which is based on truth. Stop our search for other sources and bring us to a place of acceptance that this is the best source of information. We love you, our Father, and we would commune with you through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. Well, you often hear me say at Insight for Living we make it our mission to supply your library with study tools that enhance your personal study of the Bible and that's for good reason. With more than six decades of personal study and preaching, Chuck has amassed a substantial collection of helpful tools all written with you in mind. Today, let me draw your attention to the commentary that Chuck wrote that covers the book of 2 Peter. In fact, it includes his commentary on James and 1 Peter as well. It's called Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary. In one volume you gain access to Chuck's interpretation of these books. To purchase a copy of Chuck's commentary on James, 1 Peter, and 2 Peter, give us a call.

If you're listening in the United States call 800-772-8888 or you can go online to insight.org slash store. Let me take a moment to say thank you to those who have given generously to Insight for Living in recent days. Perhaps you have no idea of the impact of your generosity, but we do. A day never passes without hearing from someone whose life has been touched because of the Bible teaching they receive through Insight for Living.

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I'm Bill Meyer. Join us next time when Chuck Swindoll presents what he calls an exposé of counterfeit communicators on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Be Sure of Your Source, was copyrighted in 1989, 1990, 2006, and 2011. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2011 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.