“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
The Bible is the inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for Christians because it is the very Word of God breathed out for us. The Bible is not simply a collection of books written by human authors, but is a single story that originated from a Divine author. All 66 books of the Bible are perfectly interwoven to tell the story of Jesus Christ from beginning to end, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). God’s Word is perfect truth (John 17:17) and provides all that is needed for those who put their faith in Him. The infallibility and inerrancy of God’s Word is predicated by the sovereignty of God; the aspect of fallible humans used by God to physically write and compile the Bible must not degrade our view of it to a mere product of humans. The Word of God has existed from the beginning of time, as Jesus Christ existed in the beginning (John 1:1) and the Bible tells the story of Christ perfectly from beginning to end. A sovereign God operates beyond the human concept of time such that the complete contents of the Bible existed long before pen touched paper; Christ is ultimately the author and finisher of His free gift of grace to save humanity (Hebrews 12:2). The Holy Spirit moved through Moses, the prophets, the Gospel writers, and the apostolic authors of scripture to tell of the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humanity (John 15:26, 2 Peter 1:21, John 5:39-47).
Christ in Every Verse of the Bible
Every single text of Scripture points to Jesus; He is the focus of every word of the Bible. Understanding this truth is vital to understanding the Bible as a whole. When we read the Bible and can clearly see Jesus in every text, the connections between the Old Testament and New Testament leap off the page such that we understand the importance of the Old Covenant. The fulfillment of every aspect of the Old Covenant was something no human being could ever do, but Jesus did for us as our substitute. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life to meet every requirement of the Law, yet willingly took on all of our punishment and guilt; in contrast, those who have faith in Jesus receive the favor, righteousness, and eternal life that we did nothing to earn. The Old Covenant was not simply thrown out when Jesus arrived as the Messiah, but was fulfilled by Jesus on our behalf so that we may be freed by God’s gift of grace in the New Covenant. Jesus becomes our one and only mediator in the New Covenant (1 Timothy 2:5) as the final prophet, the final priest, the final king, the final Adam, the final temple, the final sacrifice, and the final Israel; the Old Covenant was just a physical, earthly shadow of a perfect New Covenant that is a spiritual covenant of faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9-10).
Abiding in the Word
The Word is the living truth by which God speaks to us; the Word is alive and powerful as we read under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12-13). The Bible is the ultimate and final source of truth (John 17:17). This is not to say we cannot read theological works from a variety of authors or operate under some church traditions, but they must always align with Scripture. We must never allow any earthy authority to rise to the level of Scripture, for Christ alone is the Head of His church. God’s Word alone is the truth that lives on forever where human authority fails (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 23-25).
We must abide in the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to what God is speaking to us. Reading the Bible deepens our relationship with Christ and furthers our sanctification such that we may live in obedience. Abiding in the Word gives us the wisdom and knowledge in any external situation we may face to give us perfect peace, love, joy, and hope. Additionally, we can pour out Christ’s love more effectively to others if we are familiar with His Word. Abide in the Word daily allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you to grow in your walk with Christ and live out the plan God has for your life to the fullest extent.
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5-6)
Unity at the Cross 