The Priority and Power of Scripture

This coming Friday, most people will be thinking about Halloween, but, as many of you know, it’s also known as Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed a list of grievances with the Roman Catholic Church, which we refer to as his “95 Theses.” He was calling for major reform within the Roman Catholic Church, and his actions were a big part of what we now refer to as “The Protestant Reformation.”

Luther’s main concern was the corruption in the church and the selling of “indulgences.” Basically, the people were being told that they could pay money to get out of purgatory faster and go to heaven. In effect, people thought they could buy their way into heaven. This is what Luther was protesting. And that’s the idea behind the term “Protestant.”

In 1521, Luther was officially declared a heretic by the Roman Catholic Church, and anyone had permission to put him to death. By the grace of God and because of some trusted friends, Luther lived in hiding focusing on one primary task, the translation of the Bible into the language of the people.

Luther would not have considered himself the primary catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. In other parts of Europe, others had come before him, and others would come after him. But Luther knew that the primary catalyst for the Reformation was God’s word which the people did not have access to for themselves. There was no translation in the language of the people, and only an official representative of the Roman Catholic Church could teach what it said.

It was as if the Roman Catholic Church was holding the Scriptures hostage, and Martin Luther wanted to set it free. He trusted that God’s word would do in others what it had done in his own life.

And so, in honor of that major event in Christian history, and following up on last week’s sermon from Hebrews 4:12-13, today I will be addressing the topic of the priority and power of Scripture. That will be my title today: The Priority and Power of Scripture.

If we were to pull back the curtain of our Christian life and the curtain of our church life, the engine behind all that we are and do would be the word of God. This is the instrument God uses in this world to call and to shape His people. And this is worthy of our complete attention and devotion.

The two major components you need to keep in mind when it comes to Scripture are its divine origin and its divine nature—its divine origin and its divine nature. The Bible has come to us from God, and so we see the attributes of God in it.

When we say that the Bible is of divine origin, that doesn’t mean man didn’t play a part, but ultimately, we recognize that what we have is directly from God.

The process God used to bring us His word is called inspiration. That’s the theological term. It is the process of God writing His word to us. The Bible is inspired. That term comes from 2 Timothy 3:16 with a Greek term that combines the word for “God” with the word for “breath.” The ESV says it like this: “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” Second Peter 1:21 says “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

It’s important to understand that it wasn’t the authors themselves who were inspired, at least not in the theological sense; it is the words themselves—the writings, the Scriptures—which are inspired.

Scripture is the distinct and definitive way God has communicated, and will communicate, with us. God’s creation and the human conscience can point to eternal and divine realities, but by themselves, they’re not enough. According to Romans 1 and 2, creation and conscience only give us enough information to be condemned. To come to salvation, we need to hear God’s special revelation.

The written word of God was given to point us to Jesus Christ, the living word of God. That’s what Jesus says in John 5. The only way to be sure about who Jesus is, and what He taught, and what He expects from us, is through the Bible.

The process of writing Scripture is mysterious in some ways, but at times, it may have seen very normal to the writer. There was a human author, either directly hearing from God or speaking authoritatively on His behalf, but in the end, through the work of the Holy Spirit, what came out in writing were the exact words God wanted.

It’s not just the concepts or the ideas that matter. Every word matters. God was speaking through human authors. That’s how the Bible presents itself, and that’s how Jesus taught it and used it. He even appealed to specific phrases and words and the tenses of verbs. This collection of writings has come to us from God Himself. That’s the divine origin of Scripture.

Since the book has come from God, we see His nature in it. This is the divine nature of Scripture, which is our second heading, and where we’ll spend the rest of our time. What are the attributes of God’s word?

Number 1, the Bible is true. Or, we could say, it is trustworthy. Since God is true, His word is true. That may sound like a basic lesson, but there are plenty of professing Christians who don’t believe this.

They say that this is just a collection of myths or legends with good lessons for us. That’s not how Israel understood it. It’s not how Jesus understood it. And it’s not how God intends for us to understand it. Jesus affirmed Old Testament characters and events as real people and real events.

This is the part of the dividing line between conservative Christianity and liberal Christianity. And a lot of liberal Christianity, I would say, is Christian in name only. Liberal, or progressive, Christianity believes that God’s message can change, or progress, over time. It’s not eternally or absolutely true.

Did these things, which the Apostle Paul says our faith and salvation depend on, actually happen? Not everybody who calls himself or herself a Christian believes that they did. Some don’t even think it matters.

A lot of the splits that happen among Christian denominations are tied to whether or not the Bible is completely true. The theological terms for this are “inerrancy” and “infallibility.” Every word is from God; it is true without error, and so we can trust it.

I saw a report this past week about a new children’s Bible coming out which was written by two theological liberals. And in talking about the resurrection of Christ and its significance for us today, the authors said that what matters most is “that children know that love never dies.” If that’s the only lesson you come away with regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you’ve got a serious problem.

The authors of the children’s Bible also said, “It’s okay to actually tell kids from the get-go some of these stories are about true people and things that really happen, and some of them are made up stories.” That is the rejection of the truth and trustworthiness of God’s word.

Psalm 12:6 says “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” There’s a moral purity to the word, and that includes a factual purity. This is the truth because God is a God of truth. Titus 1 and Hebrews 6 tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. Four times in the New Testament, this is referred to as “the word of truth.”

Our world rejects the idea of absolute truth. To them, truth is like fashion; it changes with each generation and with each culture. But we as a church need to be marked by confidence and conviction: God’s word is eternally true and trustworthy. We can trust His promises. We can trust His plan.

A second divine attribute of Scripture is that it is authoritative. God, as our Creator has absolute authority over us. So, when He speaks, we need to make sure we understand what He is saying and to whom He is speaking to, and in whatever way that is applicable to us, we need to listen.

The authority of God’s word means we need to obey. This is not an option. This is a moral requirement. This word is authoritative in its declaration of truth and in its commands for our lives.

Everybody in life functions with some kind of authority. Something has the loudest , strongest voice in your life. In false religions, the false authority is human tradition. They will typically say their denomination has the only true interpretation of the Scriptures.

The Roman Catholic Church, for example, officially says that Tradition and Scripture should be at the same level, with the same level of devotion and reverence. The Church alone, they say, has been entrusted the task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God.

Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses do the same thing. They say their highest officials are the only true, authentic interpreters. And, in practice, that gives them the right to change what it says. They can just reinterpret anything they want.

If some kind of tradition isn’t the authority, it could also be human experience or human reason. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have biblical traditions, or that it won’t result in genuine experiences, or that it should be logical or rational. What I’m saying is that none of those are to be placed above the Scriptures. Our traditions, our logic, our feelings—all of that has to be subject to God’s word. My feelings are subject to God’s word. My choices are subject to God’s word.

This is going to be the battle for the rest of our lives as professing Christians. We are either going to shape our lives after God’s word, or we’re going to shape God’s word to match whatever it is we want to do.

That’s how you get so-called Christian denominations claiming that what the Bible calls sin is okay today. Once the culture accepts it, they say we need to change with the times. That’s how you get churches that no longer have problems with murdering babies in the womb or with living a homosexual or a transexual life. These are groups that, because of the cultural push, no longer affirm that marriage and sexual intimacy is designed by God to be between one man and one woman.

And we also need to note that we make the same kind of mistake when we tolerate, or even celebrate, sin in our own lives. Gambling, lying, violence, hatred, disrespect, greed, covetousness, immodesty, sexually impure thoughts—all of that is contrary to God’s word. When we engage in sin, we are functionally rejecting the authority of God and His word, and we are called to repent.

A couple weeks ago, there was a major split among the worldwide Anglican church based in England. And while that split could be tied to plenty of issues, those who split off said this, “We cannot continue to have communion with those who advocate the revisionist agenda, which has abandoned the inerrant word of God as the final authority.”

This is what we talked about las week when we looked at Hebrews 4:12-13—The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The word of God will judge us. Since it comes from God, we are subject to it.

Hebrews 4 gives us a third important attribute of the Bible, and that is that it is powerful. It’s true, it’s authoritative, and it is powerful. What that means is that it accomplishes something. It’s working. It’s active.

What kind of power does the Bible have? It has the power to judge, yes, but it also has the power to save. The word of God is what the Spirit of God uses to bring us to salvation.

First Peter 1:23 says that were born again through the imperishable seed, which is the living and abiding word of God. James 1:18 says God brought us forth by the word of truth. And Romans 1 says that the gospel of Christ is the power of God for salvation. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. That’s why Paul says he’s not ashamed of the word.

Our reluctance to tell people the gospel is tied to a lack of confidence in its power. We think it’s our job to convince people or to save them. But it’s not. Our job is to proclaim the truth. We do it with respect, with urgency, with love, and with clarity, knowing that God is working, even if it’s little by little. For His own glory, as His word is proclaimed, He is hardening hearts or softening hearts. His powerful word is working.

Listen to what God says in Isaiah 55:10-11—For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God’s word is powerful. Jeremiah 23 says it’s like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

But it’s not just in salvation that God’s word works powerfully; it’s also in sanctification. His word has the power to judge, the power to save, and the power to sanctify.

Whether you want to bring someone to Christ or see someone grow in Christ, the tool is the same. It’s the word of God. In John 17, Jesus prays to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” This the instrument God has given for our spiritual growth.

Do you want to make progress in your battle against sin? Go to God’s word. Study it. Memorize it. Psalm 119 says it is by the word that a young man keeps his way pure. If we treasure this word in our heart, we will not sin against God.

The Apostles describe the word as milk for infants and as solid food, or meat, for the mature. This is what we need to grow and to be strong in the Lord. This is why our preachers don’t stand up here telling jokes for half an hour. We’re not here, ultimately, to entertain the congregation. We’re here to teach you God’s word, which is what Paul told Timothy to do: Preach the word.

We want the powerful word of God to shape everything we do. This is why our prayers are rooted in Scripture. This is why our songs are rooted in Scripture. That’s why we’re not here singing songs from “KPOP Demon Hunters,” which has actually happened in other churches. I saw an article about that this past week. We’re not here to just give ourselves an emotional pick-me-up for the week. We are here to proclaim and to receive God’s word because that’s the power we need to grow in our faith and to fight sin.

Second Timothy 3:15 says it is the sacred writings which make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. And then verse 16 says—All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The power of God’s word is why Paul called Timothy to be an approved worker who rightly handles the word of God, because in handling it right, people will come to salvation, and they will grow in sanctification.

Related to the power of God’s word, let me share three final attributes for today. We’re running out of time, so I’ll just lump these together. The word of God is clear, necessary, and sufficient. It is true. It is authoritative. It is powerful. It is clear. It is necessary, and it is sufficient.

Not everything in the Bible is simple or easy to understand. God is infinite, and it takes work and study to gain wisdom. But everything we need to be saved and o be sanctified, and to be all that God expects us to be, is found in God’s word. And it’s understandable to us, if we come with the right heart.

Young and old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor—everyone can come to God’s word and learn and be transformed. And not only is this word necessary to change us, it’s also sufficient. It is enough. It’s all we need. We’re not looking for some secret keys to spiritual growth. We’re not looking for some secret code hidden in the text. We’re looking to understand what it says by a careful and plain reading, and then we want to put that into practice, by the grace of God.

There is no situation, good or bad, and there is no topic that matters for life that is not going to be addressed in the Bible. Some things are addressed directly. Some things are addressed in principle. But whatever it is we’re facing, God’s word will guide us. We just need to pursue it and prioritize it.

Second Peter 1 says God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Psalm 19 says—The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Everything we need is right here. Do you want to grow in Christ? Do you want to mature in your faith? Do you want to experience life as God intended for you? What you need is the word of God. Any book you turn to, or any YouTube personality, or any Instagram influencer, is only going to be as beneficial to you spiritually as they are faithful to the word of God. That’s what you need—the word of God.

David—the shepherd, the psalmist, and the king—in understanding the value and power of God’s word, said that the word of God was more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. It guarded him and rewarded him. The word of God was his desire and his delight, his protection and his prize.

I’ve given you a lot of Bible verses today, and that was intentional. Hopefully you marked some down to look at later, or you can listen again online and mark these verses in your Bible.

As we close our time today, by way of example and exhortation, I want to draw your attention to Ezra chapter 7, verses 9 and 10. We covered this back when we studied Ezra and Nehemiah back in 2024. Ezra 7:10 is an encouraging passage for many people because it summarizes what his life was all about.

Ezra, like Martin Luther, was a man God used to bring the people back to the ways of God. And what was it that made Ezra so powerful and so successful? It wasn’t his looks. It wasn’t his entrepreneurial spirit. It wasn’t his money. It was his dedication to Scripture, his dedication to the word of God.

Ezra 7:9 says the good hand of his God was on him, and verse 10 tells us why: For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

That’s the pattern we want to follow in our personal lives and in our ministries as a church. It should all rely on God’s word. We want to learn it and to live it. And we want to live it and to give it. What a great reminder for all of us. That’s what our lives should be about, if we want to see the power of God on display. Learn it and live it. And live it and give it.

Build your life around the word of God, and you will see God’s power and God’s blessing in your life and in the lives of the people you minister to. The Spirit of God works in His saints through the Scriptures. Let’s make that the pursuit of our lives, more than any other thing.