SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/1/2019
10:16 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “The Sword of the Spirit”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
6:17b
Message of the
verses: “and
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
We will continue to look at John
MacArthur’s sermon on “The Sword of the Spirit” in this SD, but before we look
at what will be a rather short section from this sermon I want to make a few
comments. First of all MacArthur will be
talking about the Word of God in this part of His Sermon. I realize that the sword of the Spirit is the
Word of God, but He specifically goes into some good information about the Word
of God in this section. I have to say
that in my other blog I have been talking about “words” in the last two
sections, words and how we use them from mostly the book of Proverbs. It struck me that because of our flesh that
our words that we speak or even write can be troubling, they can be hurtful and
they can be outright lies. And then I
look at this sermon which caused me to think about all of God’s words that are
found in the Bible and they are all true.
God cannot make any mistakes in any word that He speaks, it is
impossible. Now we will look at the next
part of MacArthur’s sermon.
That takes us to the last weapon in
verse 17, or the last piece of armor
which is the weapon and that is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of
God. Now of all the weapons that we would talk about here, this is probably the
one with which we are the most familiar: The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of
God.
When I originally taught this passage and through the
years as I have had occasion here and there around the world to go back over
this particular portion of Scripture, it has allowed me the opportunity to go
back to some foundational things. And I think it’s important to do that, kind of a basic look at
Scripture. You possess the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.
You just need to pick it up and use it. The Bible is that sword. But not because you own one, but
because you know what’s in it. Being able to wield the sword is being
able to use the truth of Scripture at any given point. Now we’ll say more about
that, but to begin with, let
me give you a little bit of a brief course in what Scripture really is,
what it claims for itself. It is the Word of God, that’s what it says here, the
sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. That and the Scripture and the
Bible are the same thing.
What does the Bible claim for itself? We want to be able
to trust in this weapon. We want to know that if we’re going to pick up the
Word of God and use it, that we’re using the right instrument. If you, for
example, question the inerrancy of Scripture, if you question the accuracy of
Scripture, if you question the clarity of Scripture, if you question the
integrity of Scripture, you’re going to be reluctant to use it. If you
equivocate (vacillate) on whether God
wrote the Scripture, you’re not going to be able to wield that. A high view of Scripture is
necessary for the believer to be ready and eager to pick it up and use it at
every occasion.
And that takes us back to what the Bible claims for
itself. Let me just give you a little list, to begin with. First of all, the Bible
claims to be infallible. That is without error. And it claims it again and
again and again. Psalm 19:7 , “The Law of the Lord is perfect.” John 10:35,
“The Scripture cannot be broken.” Revelation 22:18
or 19,
“Don’t take anything away from what is written here, or add anything to it, or
there shall be added to you the plagues that are written in it. It is an inerrant text as
well as an infallible text. When we say infallible, we mean that everything it affirms is true.
When we say it is
inerrant, we mean every word in it is true. It is true in all that it
affirms, that’s infallibility. It is true in every single thing it says, that’s
inerrancy. Proverbs 30 verses 5 and 6, “Every word of God is pure. EVERY
word of God is pure.” And it also says there, as it does in Revelation 22,
“Add not unto His words lest He reprove you and you be found a liar.” Psalm 12:6
says, “The Scripture is so pure, every word of God is pure like...like silver
that has been refined in a furnace seven times.” Psalm 119:140
says the same thing. “Your Word is pure.”
So the Bible is without error in all that it affirms, all
it teaches. It is inerrant in every word...every word of God is pure. And then
it is complete, as I noted from Revelation 22. You can’t add to it, you
can’t take away from it. It is, as Jude puts it, the “once for all delivered to
the saints faith.” It is one book, one revelation delivered once for all. There
is no further divine revelation once the canon of Scripture is closed.
Because
in all that it affirms it is without error, because in every single
thing it says it is without error, because it is complete and there is no more
to be added to it, nor is there anything to be taken away from it, it is therefore, fourthly, the
authoritative Word of God. It is precisely what God wanted to say. And that is why Isaiah 1:2
says, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken.” Since this is the infallible, inerrant
complete authoritative Word of God, it is sufficient. We don’t need anything else. Psalm 19
lays that out a number of ways. It is sufficient not only for our salvation,
converting the soul, but it is sufficient to make the simple, or the ignorant
wise, fully skilled in all matters of holy living, is what that means. In 2
Timothy 3 we remember that Paul wrote that from a child, speaking to
Timothy, you’ve known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. And then he said, “All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. That’s what I mean by sufficient.
It is sufficient to achieve all divine ends in the soul.”
Now we will look at Acts
11:23, 24b in our quotation from “Love in Action.”
When he came and had seen the grace of
God, he was glad,
and encouraged them all that with
purpose of heart
they should continue with the Lord.
A great many people were
added to the Lord.
11/1/2019 10:30 AM
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