3 Reasons Why the Bible is the Only Book We Really Need
Is the Bible the only book we REALLY need?
It’s a question worth thinking about. I love to read and I love books! I have piles of books stacked throughout my house. I’m usually reading 2-3 at a time. I wrote a book- and I want to write more! I’m not saying other books are without value and I don’t appreciate them. But what if we could only choose one?
As much as I love books, there is NO other book that has ever been written, or ever will be, that compares to the Bible. It is, truly, the only book we REALLY need.
God’s own Word, in written form…what a privilege and a blessing it is to have it available to us.
I remember the first time I started to realize what a beautiful gift God has given to us through the Bible. God used another book to point me to the MOST important book.
The Hiding Place is the name of a book that tells the story of Corrie ten Boom, an amazing woman of God who saved many lives during WWII by hiding and helping people escape the Nazis during the Holocaust. She was eventually caught, arrested, and sent to the Ravensbruck concentration camp along with her sister. Her story has inspired countless people, including me.
I was eight years old when I first watched a movie about Corrie ten Boom for the first time. One particular storyline caught my attention and stayed with me, deeply affecting the way I think about God’s Word. Corrie and her sister managed to sneak a Bible into the camp. That Bible was their most precious possession. And in spite of the danger, they didn’t keep it to themselves. They shared it with the women in their barracks and they led worship services, offering hope in the darkest of places.
“Like waifs clustered around a blazing fire, we gathered about it, holding out our hearts to its warmth and light. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God.”
“Sometimes I would slip the Bible from its little (sack) with hands that shook, so mysterious had it become to me. It was new; it had just been written. I marveled sometimes that the ink was dry...I had read a thousand times the story of Jesus’ arrest—how soldiers had slapped Him, laughed at Him, flogged Him. Now such happenings had faces and voices.”
After seeing the movie, and later reading the book, I’ve often pondered the question of what I would want to have with me if I had nothing else. I would want to have the Bible.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
@@The Bible is the only book we really need. It surpasses all other books in its value to us.@@
Previously, in this series, Melanie and I have looked at, how the books of the Bible were chosen, how we know the Bible is God’s Word, and we’ve explored how the Bible is remarkable in its lack of errors. Today, I want to focus on three more characteristics of the Bible that contribute to its perfection. The Bible, above all other books, possesses clarity, it is a necessity (for salvation), and it is sufficient.
Can only Bible scholars understand the Bible rightly?
Clarity- the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it.
“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7
Christians shouldn’t leave the task of interpreting Scripture solely to “the experts”. The primary teachings are clear. Yes, there are disagreements sometimes about the practical applications of different Scriptures, but we should sincerely search the Bible with all our ability, believing the Holy Spirit will enable us to understand.
In Wayne Grudem’s, Systematic Theology, he says this about the doctrine of clarity (in regards to doctrinal disagreements):
“…there are only two possible causes of these disagreements: (1) On the one hand, it may be that we are seeking to make affirmations where Scripture itself is silent. In such cases, we should be more than ready to admit that God has not given us the answer to our quest, and to allow for differences within the church. (2) On the other hand, it is possible we have made mistakes in our interpretation of Scripture.”
While it may be necessary to apply some serious study and prayer towards understanding the Scriptures, it is NEVER true to say that the Bible is confusing or incapable of being understood correctly.
For what purposes are the Bible necessary?
Necessity- the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but it is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws.
“But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Most people are aware that God exists (even without the Bible). God reveals himself to us through his creation and through an inner sense. All people know something of his moral laws, as they’re written upon their consciences. Most people even realize that they have broken those laws and that they need a way to be reconciled to God. But no other religion apart from the Bible solves the mystery of how to do that. The Bible is God’s specific revelation on how to find rest in a saving faith through Christ alone.
Is the Bible enough for knowing what God wants us to think or do?
Sufficiency- Scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.
“from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)
Our answers to theological and ethical questions are found in understanding what God himself says to us in his own words. These words are found in the Bible (and only in the Bible). We should not add to the Scriptures or consider any other writings of equal value.
Conclusion
Other books can enlighten us, entertain us, and even point us to Jesus, but the Bible is ultimate standard upon which to measure all else. It’s the only book we really need.
Prayer
Father God, thank you for your Word. Thank you that you have given us all we need to obey your commands. Your instructions are perfect and trustworthy. Your Word is sweet and it brings us joy. Please guide us, Holy Spirit, as we read the Bible, to interpret these words rightly, to give us insight, and help us to obey.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.
Join us as we take a clear and practical look at some of the most basic and essential tenants of the Christian life – the doctrines of the faith.
Each week, we will highlight and explain a core doctrine. Then, we will pose the question, “Why does this matter to you and me?”
You can catch all of this year’s “Delight in Doctrine” posts by clicking HERE.
For the purposes of the study, our main texts will be first, the Bible, of course, and Wayne Grudem’s classic, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.
It is our prayer that by the end of 2017, we will all find more delight in understanding what we believe and why we believe it.
“…And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 (ESV)
Note…Amazon affiliate links are used throughout this post. If you click on a link and buy a book, I receive a small portion of the proceeds at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
Linking up with Deb Wolf at #faithandfriends (Friday), #GraceandTruth (Friday), Holly Gerth at #coffeeforyourheart (Wednesday), Sherry at #homesweethome (Thursday), Susanne Eller at #livefreeThursday, Kelly at #RaRalinkup (Tuesday), and Lori at #Momentsofhope (Monday)
