The Bible and the Bible Only

           The Bible must be our one and only rule of faith. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, and by the Bible all doctrines must be tested. This article will be covering why the Bible alone stands as our rule of faith and why we must trust the Word of God, and not our own vain opinions on any given subject. Let us reason together, let the Bible be our guide my brethren. I implore you my brethren, take a Berean approach to this article, and to all other material, test these things by the Word of God to ensure that they are true or false; if something, (be it tradition, written materials, or anything else) not be found to be one-hundred percent in line with scripture, throw it out. As the Protestant creed of "The Bible and the Bible only" states we must trust the inspired Word and be conformed to it. This requires that we properly study Scripture, trust in scripture, and prove scripture by the Scriptures.

              "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as a light that shineth in dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first that no Scripture is of any private interpretation. Fror prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

-II Pet 1:19-21

           In the first chapter of the Second Epistle of St. Peter, the Apostle describes his experience having seen Jesus transfigured on the Mount, and the Glory of the ascension into heaven. Then the Apostle says something interesting...  he says that the Bible is a "more sure Word of prophecy" that is to say that we can rest assured that Jesus is true, not simply because of what we see, but because of the Bible. Peter claims under the inspiration of the God of heaven that The Bible is a more sure witness of our faith than the things we see and experience are. This is because the Bible gives internal evidence of itself, every verse in the Bible is agreed with and verified by other verses, the Bible, when read carefully and meditated on, and guided by the Holy Ghost, does not contradict itself; rather the Bible informs itself, fortifies itself. That is why God counseled His people through the prophet Isiah, "for precept must be upon precept line must be upon line; here a little and there a little."-Isa 28:10 That is to say that the Bible is it's own interpreter, and only through the Bible can we understand the Bible. This is to properly study the Word of God, to apply one verse to another to learn the meaning, not to attempt to make up our own meaning.

             In order to more fully come to a knowledge of God, the very knowledge that is unto salvation, we must develope a love for the Truth. The Apostle Paul declares,

"With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love for the Truth, that they might be saved." -II Thess 2:10

God's people must receive a love for the Truth, which according to John 14:6 means that we must love Jesus Christ who is our Saviour. The only way to love Jesus is to love His Truth as He is the Truth, and the only way to Get to know Jesus and fall in love with His is to get to know His Word, and to fall in love with it. After all, "the Word was with God, and the Word was God... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." -John 1:1,14
How clear it is then, that those who do not love the Truth do not love Christ, and when someone rejects God's Word they are rejecting Christ Himself. Do not look at that statement as a negative though for the opposite is also true, when we love the Truth, we love Christ and are able to develop a relationship with Him by growing in love through the study of His Word, and when we get to know His Word through personal study we get to know Christ Himself.

          As it was discusses earlier, there is a right way and a wrong way to study the Bible. We can study the Bible in an attempt to justify ourselves, this is not good, while the seeds of righteousness can still be planted and germinated, and some seeds may grow among the thorns, unless that attitude of self-righteousness, and/or self justification, is removed from the character the Word of God will be of no effect. In other words, if we read the Bible simply to hear a message we want to hear than we get what we want, but not necessarily what we need; and if we reject the part of the Bible that brings conviction to the heart, than we are really rejecting part of Christ and part of His character which we could take upon ourselves. Whereas, if we read the Bible to glorify God, and to learn about Him, studying Scripture upon Scripture, line upon line, to learn who He is, so that we may reflect that character in our own lives, than we will be changed by the Word and will fall more and more in love with Jesus each day. Psalm 37:4 says that God gives us the "desire of our heart." that is not to say that God just gives us what we want, it is way better than that, He changes us so that what we want is Him, and His righteousness, and then He gives that to us. That is not to say that we must surrender our uniqueness to God, in-fact God made each and every one of us unique, there is something special about each of us. What God wants us to surrender is not uniqueness, it is the things that draw us apart from Him and from His love, as Jesus said "If you love Me, keep My commandments." God is like a loving Father or Husband, He doesn't desire we give up who we are any more than a husband should desire his wife to change into a different person to suit his will, but He does desire that we give up things that separate us from each other; just as a husband may want his wife to give up her boyfriends. The thing about sin is that it isn't any good for us anyway, so there is no reason to hold onto it, but of ourselves we cannot give it us, so we need the Cross, and the love thereof to rid us of that sin in our lives.

        Praise God for the wonders of His grace, He has given us His Word as a guide and let us each and every one receive of it, and He now is calling to each one of us that we should receive that Word with all readiness of heart and seek to be changed by it. We must receive the Word and live for it, to love Him with all our hearts, and if we do this we will learn the truths of the Divine Kingdom. I pray for the working of Christ in your heart and that this little article will be to the glory of the lovely Jesus. To properly study, trust, and prove the scriptures, seeking not to interpret them for ourselves but rather to accept what they say; this must be the rule of Christian faith. Do go to church because your grandma or grandpa did, do not be a Christian because your family is... rather, let the Bible be your guide, and fall in love with Jesus so that day by day you find that God reveals to you new searching Truths from His Word. Beautifully and tenderly Jesus is calling, will you answer and stand with those who have received the Holy Word of God in their hearts?