The Final Authority

        It finally caught up with him.
        This week Eric Lamaze was refused permission to compete for Canada in the Sydney Olympics. I’m sure you’ve all heard about it, and to greater or lesser degree followed this story.
        A random blood test showed that this top-ranked equestrian rider was found to have taken cocaine in the recent past. As a result the Canadian Centre For Ethics In Sport handed out a lifetime ban, barring him from further equestrian competition after this, his second conviction.
        He appealed. Won the appeal.
But then it came down to the COA - the Canadian Olympic Association. The final ruling body in Canadian sport. Would they, or would they not, allow Lamaze to travel to Australia and represent Canada?
        They said - "No."
        End of story.

There was no further appeal.
What the COA said, went. Period.
They were the final authority.

Earlier this summer there was rampant speculation about a possible Fall election. Would it happen, or wouldn’t it? And when? All the pundents were at work. Cabinet ministers were chased down for their opinions. Opposition members queried. Finally Jean Chretien stepped to a microphone and announced, "If there’s going to be an election there’s only one person in this country who has the authority to call it. And that’s me. When an election comes, it’s going to happen when I say it will."
        And that was that.
        His word goes.
        Period.
        He - the Prime Minister - has the final authority to call elections.

In different ways and different places – depending on the situation and the issue involved – authority is a real part of our lives. I know, I know – authority is not something that’s terribly popular. We’re much happier doing our own thing, going our own way, calling our own shots.
        But it can’t always be like that.
        And, deep down, we all know it.
        Question is – will we respect it....... or fight it?
 

Tonight I want to consider with you an authority that is central in our lives as Christians. We are pointed towards that authority by the central teaching document that we have as Reformed believers, an organizer of the truths of the Bible -
        - the Heidelberg Catechism.
 

Let’s read together, Q/A 84, p. 899.
 

It’s easily the world’s best selling book of all time. The Bible.
The book referred to with the claims of Q/A 84 – the book of the gospel.

What are we to think of this book?
We refer to it often.
Tonight, for a few moments, let’s step back and take a conscious look at what we think of it;
        what authority does it have in our lives?
                and how does that authority apply?

We can begin by saying that it’s a very human book. A book that shows different writing styles which reflect the characters of the different authors who wrote parts of it.
        Some books have a simple, easy style. Others are polished. A few use simple vocabulary. Others toss around $10 words. Some have impeccible grammar. And others – well, I’m sure the author skipped grammar class at school!
        Yes, it’s a very human book!

        We also know it’s human in origin because some of the writers say so. Luke, for example, tells us that he had "carefully investigated everything from the beginning." (Lk 1.3) Meticulous research by someone trained as a physician led to the detailed, careful account of Luke.

A human book – and yet, yet we say, it’s much more.
        Much more than some ancient Ann Landers or Dr.Laura guide to moral living, we accept the authority of the Bible into our lives because we accept it as the Word of God.

Hear that, please.

We don’t say that somewhere, buried in these pages, we can find words and direction from God.
        And we don’t say that as we read these human words, somehow we’ll get a whisper from the Spirit that will be God’s revelation to us. That somehow this book becomes the vehicle bringing us to God and His inner Word.

No.
We say, this IS the Word of God.
The words that are here are Words that God directed, guided and carefully ensured were recorded as authoritative messages into our lives.
        Holy Words that matter completely.
        Period.

Have you ever stopped to consider why that is so?
Why do we accept the Bible in this way?
If someone at work or school were to ask you why you accept the Bible as such an important, influential, authority-filled book –
        – would you know what to say?

Let me give you three points to consider:
        1. The self-witness of scripture
        2. The inner testimony of the Spirit
        3. The recognition of it by the Church
 

1. THE SELF-WITNESS OF SCRIPTURE

        The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God.
        New Testament passages refer to the Old Testament as the Word of God: 2 tim 3.16; 2 Pe 1.19-21; Mt 5.17-18; Jn 10.35; Mt 4; 1 Peter 1.12
                They all speak of the divine origin of these words that we today know as the Old Testament.

There are also references that make us accept the New Testament in the same way.

a.) Christ made promises to His disciples that the Holy Spirit would give them words to speak (Mt 10.19-20; Mk 13.1; Lk 12.12; 21.14-15; Jn 16.13; 20.22-23; Acts 1.8; 2.4; 4.31)

b.) The writers of the New Testament had a conscious awareness that what they were writing were no ordinary words. For example:

"...the things which I write unto you... are the commandments of the Lord." (1 Cor 14.37)
"For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal 1.12)
(also see 1 Cor 7.10; 1 Thes 2.13; John 21.24; 11 John 4.1,6; John 20.31; Rev 22.18-19)

c.) Third item about the New Testament. We read some NT writers placing other NT writers in the category of scripture. For example:
        2 Pe 3.16 speaks of Paul’s writings as equal to the rest of scripture, meaning - the Old Testament.
1 Tim 5.18 says, "For the scripture says... the laborer is worthy of his hire." Know where you find that? Luke 10.7!

AND

Never does the doctrine of scripture contradict the phenomena described in scripture – what is written and what is taught are complementary.

All of that is the self-witness of the Bible to it being the Word of God.
 

2. THE INNER TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRIT

        Maybe that seems important to you.
        Maybe not.

Ultimately, I could talk here, or you could take at work or school until you are blue in the face. You could lay out all the best proofs and logical arguments for the supernatural authority of the bible.
        BUT

Unless people are willing to listen to God whisper inside their heart and mind, "Yes, it is so", what John Calvin calls "the Inner Testimony of the Holy Spirit", there will be no way to convince them. It will remain no more than a very fascinating and rich piece of ancient literature.

Which many do.
YOU do!
And if the Lord could work that in your life, and mine....... why not others?

And He does –
        down through the centuries.
        Generations of believers before us.
 

3. THE RECOGNITION OF IT BY THE CHURCH

Which is the third pillar on which we rest our belief in the authority of scripture – the convictions of the Church.
        Millions and millions of people, through thousands of years – it lends weight and credence to the witness of scripture, the historical arguments, the consistency arguments and the gut feeling which you and I have –
                a feeling we believe God put there.
The Church – not just one denomination, but all Christian churches together – looks at this book and accepts it as God’s Word.
        So we stand together with this crowd.
                And believe.

We believe that,
        human though the authors were,
        and much though we can see evidence of their personalities and backgrounds
        God guided the writing.

He led them to certain source material.
He guided their recall of oral tradition, events and experiences.
He led them through certain personal experiences.
He provided them with specific talents.
He pushed and prodded them inwardly to write it all down.
He guided the words they wrote.

How much did God inspire?
Simply put - everything.
        Every book.
        Every word.
        Every detail.

Everything that Q/A 84 calls, in it’s last words, the gospel testimony.

God’s authority in our lives.

One more quick question –
        Authority in which way.
        What is this book meant to accomplish?
                Is it to be an authority on ancient history?
                Is it the final word on biology, or astronomy?
                Is it the ultimate truth in the social sciences?

No. No. And...... no.
The Word of God is the Word given to help us find why we are here on earth, what our value as human beings is, and how we are to live out the reason for our being with the value that we have.
        It points us to God; to a relationship with Him; to live under His watchful gaze; and towards an eventual reunion with him beyond earthly history, time and space.

In Exodus 6.6-7 we hear God himself speak about why these words are here:
        "and you shall know that I am the Lord your God."

Pointing us towards God.
And, even more directly, pointing us towards Jesus Christ.
        Towards salvation that can be found only in Him.
        Towards the new life that He offers to us today.
        Towards the warnings about what ignoring that new life can bring.

It says, "Here’s whom you can serve. Here’s what such service will mean......
        ......Now you choose."

Galatians 6.6 says that the message about Jesus is to be the rule that guides our lives. The Greek word here for rule is canoon, from which we get the word you may have heard - the Canon of scripture.
        Has nothing to do with blowing away unbelievers.
        It means that what we find here is the authoritative and final rule for our faith and how we live out that faith.

An authority that is fully reliable, and in which we can fully trust.
An authority to which we can completely submit.
        With full confidence.

Which is more than we can say for any human authority.

Yes, when we are willing, as humble children to sit at the foot of God’s throne and carefully read the Bible with open minds and willing hearts;
        When we are willing to carefully mine its depths we will NOT be disappointed. We will find the key to meaningful, solid, non-decaying, eternal life.
        You won’t miss it!

This is God’s promise.
This is solid truth.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.