Review
Part 1:
Our Convictions about God
•
What comes into
our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
•
God is supreme
(there is no one like God)
•
God is good (in
all that He is and does)
•
God is sovereign
(He reigns over all)
• Because these are true, then God is worth trusting
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever tried to put something together without reading the instructions? You open the box, dump everything out, look at all the pieces, and think, “I got this.” So you start building. At first, it feels like it’s working. You’re making progress, it looks right, it seems right. But then something doesn’t fit. Now you’re forcing pieces together. Something’s missing. It’s unstable. And now you’re frustrated. So what do you finally do? You go back to the instructions. Not because the instructions changed, but because you ignored them.
That’s how a lot of people treat the Bible. We don’t reject it, we just don’t follow it. We hear it, we know it, but when it comes to real life, we lean on what feels right instead. And then when things don’t work, we wonder why.
Last week we settled who God is. God is supreme, God is good, God is sovereign, and God is worthy of our trust. So if that’s true, then the next question is simple: what place does His Word have in my life? Because everyone is building their life on something. But as believers, we build our lives on the Word of God. So today we settle this conviction: God’s Word is true—and it is my final authority.
THE BIBLE = GOD’S WORD
Before we get into our convictions, lets talk about the Bible as God’s Word. Why do we talk about the Bible as God’s Word? Its because the Bible is more than just a book. It’s more than just history, poetry, letters, and stories that were written long ago. The Bible is called the Word of God because the Bible itself claims to be the Word of God— meaning that it is God speaking.
2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is God-breathed.”
That means that scripture is more than just man’s idea. While it was written and compiled be different people at different times, they were writing exactly what God intended for them to write. So when you are reading the Bible, you are reading the very words of God. That is why we call it the Word of God.
So when it comes to the Bible, we must realize that we are talking about more than a book, we are talking about the very words of God. It’s upon His Word that we build our lives.
So with that said, lets talk about the convictions that we as Christians should hold concerning the Bible.
ROCK SOLID CONVICTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE
1. God’s Word Is the Truth
John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
We all have opinions about a lot of things. However, God’s Word is not an opinion. It is not a suggestion, it is not advice, and it is not a perspective that I can take or leave. It is the truth. Not “a truth,” not “my truth,” not “your truth,” but “the truth.”
As Christians, we hold fast to the conviction that God’s Word is true. This is important! Because if we don’t believe that God’s Word is the truth, then we will never fully submit to it.
There is a difference between relative truth and absolute truth.
Relative Truth — Truth that changes based on the person, situation, or
perspective
•
That may be true for you, but not for me…
•
I have my truth, you have yours…
•
Etc
Absolute Truth — Truth that is always true for all people, in all
places, at all times
•
God’s Word is true regardless of feelings, opinions or circumstances…
• God determines what is right…
2. God’s Word Has Authority (Over My Life)
2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is God-breathed.”
Not only is God’s Word true, but it also has to have authority in my life. That means that the Bible does not submit to me, and my ideas, and my opinions. Instead, I submit to His Word. Submitting to God’s Word means that I am allowing scripture to shape my life.
At some point, there is going to be something that you and God do not agree on. There may be something that you don’t want to do that God commands you to do in the Bible. That is when you as a Christian must take a back seat to give God the final say on what you do.
When God has authority over your life, then He has the final say in your work life, financial life, private life, etc. It means that you care more about what God thinks and less about what culture or other people have to say.
So before the moment comes, we must ask ourself: am I are holding on to what I want, or surrendering to what God has said? Because you can know what the truth is and still not surrender to it. As Christians, we give the Bible elite authority in our life.
3. God’s Word Is Sufficient
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
God’s Word has everything needed to lead me and guide me in the direction I need to go. God
Many times people find themselves looking for greener grass on the other side, only to find out that its not. We imagine there’s something better, something easier, etc.
It’s important for us to realize that God’s Word is enough. Notice that it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet…” — A lamp doesn’t show you the whole path, it gives you enough light for the next step.
4. God’s Word Is Trustworthy
Psalm 119:160 — “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
God’s Word is also trustworthy— you can trust His Word. Its trustworthy because it comes from a God who cannot lie. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in life, but God does not.
Trusting God’s Word is simply trusting God Himself. For example, that when you read a promise from God in the Bible, when you trust in that promise you are trusting in God.
Matthew 28:20 — “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Now that’s a promise to us from Jesus, and we read that promise (we hear that promise) in words, in human language. And when we hear those words and trust in those words, we are trusting in Jesus himself. He stands behind his words. They are the living activity of him. That is the case for the entire Bible…
5. God’s Word Must Be Lived
James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
It is possible to know Scripture and still not live it. It’s possible to read verses, hear the preaching of the Word, and know what it says and still be unchanged by it. Why? Because knowledge does not produce real transformation in our life.
But conviction is proven in how I live. If God’s Word is truly my authority, it will shape my actions, not just my thoughts. Conviction moves from hearing to doing. It takes what I know and turns it into how I live every single day.
TAKEAWAYS
I. I will build my life on God’s Word
II. I will give God’s Word the final say in my life
III. I will trust that God’s Word is enough
IV. I will trust God’s Word even when it challenges me
