Part of our blog on the second question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism emphasized the full sufficiency of Scripture. One of the challenges to the doctrine of sufficiency is the idea of continued revelation, that is to say, the idea that God is sending extra-Biblical, personal revelation to Christians today. Some call it "words of knowledge", some call it "prophecy", but whatever name we give this idea of continued revelation, I think it's fair to say that it has not been properly examined in light of the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture.
One place where we see this really taking hold lately is in the barrage of books written by people claiming to die and go to Heaven. These books, the authors claim, are full of first hand experiences of what Heaven is like. They describe many things that that the Bible never mentions, or in some cases is out right contradictory to what Scripture says about Heaven. Theses books are wildly popular within Evangelicalism, and are accepted as new revelation by many without ever questioning the validity of the stories.
This week we came across an amazing article from Christianity Today. The article discusses a retraction by the subject of "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven", Alex Malarkey. Malarkey openly admits in his retraction that he did indeed make up his story about his fantastic voyage into the great beyond. But the retraction is not the truly amazing part of this article. It is both his genuine spirit of repentance and his clear statement on the sufficiency of the Bible that is stunning. Alex first admits that, "I said that I went to Heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible." He then goes on, "People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough." His retraction ends with this statement, "I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient".
Yes, Alex is right. The Bible is sufficient, and the only infallible source of knowledge and truth. We cannot with one hand hold up the Bible, making triumphant claims about its innerrancy, infallibility, authority, and sufficiency, and in the other hand hold up books containing extra-Biblical revelation. If we truly believe that the Bible is fully sufficient, then why do we feel the need to look elsewhere for new revelation? Let us rest in what we know God has revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. It truly is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God!
Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A #2
Q: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A: The word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
2 Timothy 3:15-17: And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
I was discussing with a fellow member at Proclamation about how important these first two questions are to our faith. Indeed, these two questions are paramount to our existence as a church. We exist to worship, glorify, and enjoy God, and Scripture alone reveals to us how we may do so.
This question and answer emphasizes not only that the Word of God is inerrant, inspired, authoritative, and infallible, but it also emphasizes that it is fully sufficient. The full sufficiency of the Bible is an important aspect of the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura" that we can easily forget. As Evangelicals, we are quick to emphasize (though, unfortunately, less quick these days) Scripture's authority or infallibility, but really, not much has been said about the sufficiency of Scripture. Here, though, as the catechism sums up what Paul is writing in 2 Timothy 3, we see that the Bible is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God. What is this saying? It is saying that in the pages of Scripture we are told how to live our lives. We are told how to worship God both privately and corporately. We are given everything within the pages of Scripture that we need for salvation, for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
That is it. The Bible alone has complete and final authority to guide us through the Christian life. Not human invention, not feelings, not popes and counsels, not personal revelation. Nothing but the Word of God is to be our rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God. May we grow in our knowledge of the Word so that we may glorify and enjoy God in all things!
Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A #1
Q: What is the chief end of man?
A: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
1 Corinthians 10:31: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Norman Maclean, in his autobiographical work, A River Runs Through It, shared a memory of his childhood as it pertained to this question. "In between on Sunday afternoons we had to study The Westminster Shorter Catechism for an hour and then recite before we could walk the hills with my father while he unwound between services. But he never asked us more than the first question in the catechism, "What is the chief end of man?" And we answered together so one of us could carry on if the other forgot, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." This always seemed to satisfy him, as indeed such a beautiful answer should have."
Indeed, it is a beautiful statement. It reminds us of what we were created to do, and that there is true enjoyment in doing it. God, the author and creator of life, created us to worship him, to glorify him in all things! But there is more here. By glorifying God, we find that we actually enjoy him. We find fellowship and communion with our heavenly Father that is eternal in scope. This is our true contentment! Being created to glorify God doesn't just benefit God (not that God could be enriched or benefit from us!). No, rather, we find that we, the created finite beings, are the ones who benefit infinitely.
This fellowship and communion is what we lost in the garden when our first parents fell, and it is exactly what we find again through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Such a statement should satisfy us just as it satisfied Maclean's father. Can we see the beauty in this statement?
But Paul's statements in 1 Corinthians 10 are indeed challenging to us. Whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. How miserably we fail at this. But here is the hope of the gospel: Having been robed in the righteousness of Christ, having been brought back into fellowship with God, we can, through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, truly strive to do all things to the glory of God.
And brothers and sisters, this is our framework for living, isn't it? We have our purpose for this life summarized in the catechism, and we have the standard and guide for our lives in the words of the apostle. Do we want to find true contentment? Find eternal contentment in worshiping and communing with God! And how do we worship and commune with God? By seeking to glorify him in all that we do! May we take up this charge. May we make it our prayer every day that God, through the working of the Spirit in our lives, would help us to truly glorify and honor him in all that we think, say, and do!
Blogging Through the Westminster Shorter Catechism
As Troy announced on Sunday, as part of my preparation for ordination, I am in the process of memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism and Scripture references for each question and answer. We are providing book marks starting Sunday with the memorization plan, and it is our hope to use this blog to provide additional reflection on each question.
We realize there may be some who simply do not see the value in memorizing catechisms. I am quite sympathetic, as a person who struggles to memorize Scripture, to those who would say our time could be better spent on memorizing the Word of God only. Memorizing catechisms could, for some people, be seen as a waste of time and energy. Not only for adults, but also for our children, as many of us use the First Catechisms in our homes to begin Biblical instruction to our young ones. Biblical literacy is indeed our top priority. We want to know what the Word of God says. We want to pour through the pages of the Bible, hiding it in our hearts and helping our children do the same. Please do put your time and energy into memorizing Scripture. Make it your top priority. However, we must remember this: Catechisms, when used properly, do not replace the memorization of Scripture, but rather, help bring clarity to what we are memorizing. It is one thing to memorize John 3:16 as a child. It is another to memorize it and know that to believe in Christ means that "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." (Shorter Catechism #86)
My own heart has been encouraged as I have watched my young children memorize catechisms. When my daughters tell me that God created them and all things for his own glory, and that we can glorify God by loving him and doing what he commands, I realize that the catechisms have given these young children a better understanding of Biblical truth than what many believing adults have, and in just a few questions and answers, these little ones are able to summarize grand truths of Scripture! This is the real value in this effort, and it is our prayer and hope that you would all be edified by this work, and that your knowledge and understanding of the Word of God would grow!
Holding Fast to the Word of Life
We looked at Philippians 2:14-18 this past Sunday at Proclamation.
We are commanded in verse 14 to do all things without grumbling or disputing. At the heart of grumbling is a lack of trust in God, a failure to submit to his right to reign in our lives. One of the lessons of the Israelites’ grumbling in their wilderness journey is that the root that feeds the sin of grumbling and disputing is despising God and not believing in him (Numbers 14:11). Grumbling comes from a heart of unbelief and ingratitude.
“Holding fast to the word of life” is the means by which we can fight against this temptation to grumble. The word of God, the word of life, reveals God’s character and contains God’s promises to his people. As we hold fast to the word of life by God’s grace we are enabled to trust God and interpret our circumstances in light of God’s character and promises. As the psalmist says in Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
Pastor Erik Raymond, at his blog, Ordinary Pastor, wrote an article that I found very encouraging as I thought about “holding fast to the word of life”.
Here’s his conclusion:
“Therefore, whenever you are dealing with the day-to-day grind, the data points of life, remember the bookends of God’s character and his promise. See everything in light of the cross of Christ! Let his character interpret your circumstances and not the other way around.”
I encourage you to read the entire article here: God's character and your circumstances.