By Morgan Cates
Deuteronomy 8:3 - that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
The necessity of Scripture is the last Scriptural doctrine we will cover in this series. Wayne Grudem defines this doctrine as, “the Bible is necessary for knowing the Gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will.” As discussed in the article on the clarity of Scripture, the Bible does not blatantly answer every possible question that could be asked. However, it does tell us all things that are necessary for us to know in order to have a faithful relationship with Christ.
All people can know that God exists through general revelation whether they have ever read the Bible or not. General revelation is, “the means by which God reveals Himself universally (Gregg Allison).” General revelation is everything that is an effect of God existence and actions, like the universe and morality. These things are naturally existent mechanisms that point to the existence of an omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent Being. Therefore, all humans have the potential to know about God. However, God is not knowable through general revelation. That is to say, we can know God exists because of the effects that His existence causes, but we cannot know Him personally unless He chooses to reveal Himself to us, and He did that through the Bible.
Scripture is God’s chosen mechanism to unveil Himself to the creatures made in His image. In this special revelation He perfectly outlines all things that are essential for His people. Those things that He clearly states as vital are what we refer to as 1st tier doctrines. He also reveals through His Word things like how to receive salvation, how to know Him, and how to live according to His will. This is what the Apostle Paul was alluding to in Romans 10 when he wrote, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” There is no other writing in existence where the Spirit has directly revealed these things. That is why the Bible is necessary, because it is the only place where God has revealed all the things that need to be known about Him in order to live according to His will. Therefore, Biblical submission is a necessary tenant for a faithful Christian. In fact, you cannot be a faithful Christian without the Bible, because there is no other way to know Him.
Attempting to do life without the Bible can be detrimental to the walk of a believer. We often long to hear God speak to us, but are quick to neglect the fact that we have His Word sitting on our shelves. If you want to hear the Father speak aloud, then read your Bible out loud. Another misconception we have as believers is that the Holy Spirit will just speak to us. This is not entirely wrong; God the Spirit does speak to us through different convictions. However, we often easily misinterpret our “feelings” of conviction. The best way to discern whether or not a thought comes from God is to test it against Scripture, and the more you dive into the Bible, the easier it will be to determine His will for your life. Consistent abidance in Scripture is imperative for all believers. Acknowledge the necessity of Scripture for your life and exercise the spiritual discipline of Word-centered devotion.
As we conclude our series on Bibliology, reflect on King David’s Psalm about God’s Word and think about how this Psalm conveys all of our Scriptural doctrines,
Psalm 19:7-11 – The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving my soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they and gold, even much fine gold; sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.