Faithfullyliven:the podcast
Do you want to learn how to study the Bible? Do you wish you could understand the Bible better? Do you want to know how you can remain faithful to historic Christianity in our contemporary society? Let's take a journey to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. Faithfullyliven, the podcast is here to uplift your soul and encourage you to live a life honoring to God
Faithfullyliven:the podcast
Understanding Scriptural Authority
Have you ever wondered what it truly means to live under the authority of Scripture? With
life being chaotic and filled with trials, Psalm 119:105 reminds us, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." In this episode, we learn about how a renewed understanding of how Scripture isn't just a book but the ultimate guide offering structure, accountability, and a divine framework for resolving life's conflicts. Don't miss the chance to be uplifted and guided by divine wisdom—tune in, follow our podcast, and leave a review to help us spread the word!
Do you want to learn how to study the Bible? Check out the YouTube channel Faithfullyliven youtube.com/@faithfullyliven
Do you want to read about how to live faithfully? Check out the blog http://lyfe102.org
Get a free Road Map to get started learning how to study the Bible https://mailchi.mp/88f9c9405da0/bible-study-road-map
Welcome to Faithfully Living, the Podcast, where we learn how to live for Christ in our daily lives. I am Dwan, your host, and I would like to invite you on a journey with me to explore and learn how to be a faithful follower of Christ. Hi everyone, welcome to Faithfully Living, the Podcast, where we strive to encourage you to live for Christ faithfully by offering guidance on studying the Bible, how to understand the Bible better and how to remain faithful to historic Christianity in a contemporary society. Let us therefore yield ourselves and bow to the authority of the Holy Scripture, which can neither err or deceive. St Augustine, you know, as a people, the concept of authority can be beneficial in our lives. So authority brings or provides a framework for establishing order and stability within societies, organizations and relationships, and authority can set boundaries, rules and expectations to help prevent chaos and confusions. It could also facilitate decision making, providing guidance or, you know, a source of expertise and leadership, and it can help individuals and groups make informed choices and be decisive in situations and knowing which direction to go. Another thing that when I think about authority, it establishes accountability. You're assigned certain projects, you're holding people accountable for their actions, decisions, their performance in certain tasks that they have to do each day. And then authority can also play a role in resolving conflicts and disputes. It can offer kind of like guidance or framework for resolving conflicts or disagreements, reinforcing agreements, and then hopefully, can restore harmony to relationships of of people and community. So in the same way, the Bible provides authority for our lives. So you know, as believers, um, it's our guide and the bible should be our authority, because god has set forth his truth about life, how we're all to live godly. So I guess one thing you want to think about is how does your belief about truth measure alongside God's Like? God is the ultimate authority. When we bow to scripture, we are bowing to God's authority, john Stout.
Speaker 1:So what does it mean for scripture to be the authority? As always, let's look at a definition of authority from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. He says the authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God's words In such a way. To disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. So the authority of Scripture depends on the power and supremacy of its author, which is God. So Scripture is God breathed. We've heard the verse in 2 Timothy 3, 16, that says all Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for proof, for correction and for training in righteousness. So scripture is God speaking, so it's the final say for all matters, whether we want to or do submit to it or not to or do submit to it or not. So when we look for where the authority of the Bible comes from, you know it's determined by scripture itself. So the authority of the Bible holds true because it is true.
Speaker 1:The scriptures record, you know, fulfillment of prophecy from. You know, beginning from genesis all the way to the end, in revelation. For example, you know, around 500 years before king cyrus of persia to live, god called him by name through the prophet isaiah. Long before jesus was born in a manger, the old testament prophets spoke of his earthly ministry in more than 300 prophecies and christ fulfilled them. All these prophecies, along with many others in the bible, testify of the trustworthiness and the right to be authoritative in our lives. So the Old Testament foretold that Jesus was coming and that he would save his people and the world from their sins. So when we think about the Bible, don't forget that scripture is a unified story and that God directed each of the authors of the Bible by his spirit. You know there are more than there were 440 men that wrote the message without contradiction or error. And you know God worked through the author's personalities, their experiences, their writing styles, but the word was his own and not theirs.
Speaker 1:The authority of scripture is in the Bible itself. It's divine, aw Pink. So I guess you have to think about who is really in control. So we know, or should know, that God has supreme authority and power above all. And God is the author of the Bible, so his word carries authority. Scripture is God speaking, so he has a final authority on all matters. God is true, so his word is true. So remember I said that God inspired every author of the Bible, over 40, to write down his words. And they wrote it exactly what God wanted them to say, without error or contradiction.
Speaker 1:In 2 Peter 1, 22-21 says Know first of all that no prophecy of scripture comes from one's own interpretation, for no prophecy ever produced by the will of men. But men spoke from God as they are carried about by the Holy Spirit. So God moved through the Holy Spirit to have men write his holy word. So, as a follower of Christ, god has given. God, has and can give you the faith to believe in him If you're willing to surrender your life to Christ. So when you surrender to God and Christ, you should surrender to his authority in your life. So if you trust God, that means you should trust his word also.
Speaker 1:So our Christian faith stands or falls upon the foundation of the scriptures and we can't pick and choose what to believe in in the Bible. If we don't believe certain parts or obey certain commandments, you know we disbelieve and disobey God. So you know, we often say that we want God to be in control of our lives and you know, yet a lot of times we don't obey or believe his word. So the doctrine of scripture's authority reminds us that God's word stands above all earthly powers, because God is God. If we don't trust the scriptures to be authoritative, you know, how can we say that we trust God? We owe to the scriptures the same reverence which we owe to God, because it has proceeded from him alone and has nothing belonging to men, to man. Mix with it, john Calvin.
Speaker 1:So why is the authority of scriptures so important to our Christian faith? As a follower of Christ, we should choose to believe what God says in his word If you surrender your life to Christ, then God is the authority in your life and the Bible is God's word. So if you trust God, you should also trust his word. So remember, like I said, our Christian faith stands or falls upon the foundation of scripture, and this foundation is that of the living god who has spoken to humanity, and his word has been recorded in the bible. We can't pick and choose what we we want to believe in the bible. You know, if we don't believe certain parts of it or we don't obey certain commandments, we disbelieve and disobey God. We should do our best to obey things God has commanded us. This is how we show him, honor and glorify him.
Speaker 1:Ultimately, the scriptures are authoritative because God is the author. Scriptures are authoritative because God is the author. He's the divine creator and ruler of everything, and so he's the ultimate authority. The Bible is authoritative in everything of which it speaks. Moreover, it speaks of everything, francis Shaver, shaver. Okay, so to recap and provide further insight, the authority of scripture finds its roots in the belief that god has spoken to humanity through the written word and, as I read earlier, second timothy 316, this is all. Scripture is breath, breathe out and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
Speaker 1:So the divine inspiration of the Bible is as unparalleled significance to guide us as leaders in all matters of faith, doctrine and in conduct, how we live in this life. So the authority of scripture provides, or can provide, provide us a solid foundation on which we build our faith. So the world, you know it shifts, you know conflicting voices, but we can be assured that the unchanging truth, the god's word, serves as a reliable anchor for us as believers. And then it offers us wisdom and guidance where we experience trials in our life. We also have to believe that the authority of scripture established boundaries for our beliefs and our practices. It is the ultimate standard by which all you know, the teachings we have and traditions are measured by, to ensure the truthfulness of the core tenets of our faith handed down through generations, and we can see this throughout church history.
Speaker 1:And then also the authority of scripture. It nourishes and deepens our reverence for God and his word. So when we approach the bible with humility and openness, we we encounter the living god who speaks to his word, and we could hope and pray that god's word transforms our hearts and minds in the process. So, you know, in culture, you know, often questions or rejects the idea of absolute truth, but scripture, it, remains a light of hope and a gives us certainty as christians in our world today. It guides us, it's kind of like a road map on our journey called life and it gives us a glimpse of the sovereignty and lovingness of god as he has revealed himself to us through his word.
Speaker 1:You know, as we navigate through, you know, all of the trials, the complexities of living in this fallen world. We can hold fast to the authority of scripture and allow the truth of God's word and its authority to, you know, guide our path and to shape how we need to live in God's perfect world for our lives. Psalms 119.05 says your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. So hopefully this provides you with some encouragement to know and receive the authority of God's word in in your life. So I hope this episode was helpful and until next time, remember God is always good and he's always faithful. Thank you for listening to the podcast. Do me a favor by following the podcast and leaving a review to help spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you.
