Last week, we asked the question, “Where does your faith rest?” Today, we will look at how we can be certain of where our faith must rest.
God has given his word to mankind. This has been done several ways in the past.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1;1, 2).
In the beginning, God spoke directly to the fathers in a time known as the “patriarchal” or “father rule.” This is seen as God spoke to men such as Adam, Noah, Job, Abraham, etc. God directed them in the things they were to do.
It was at Mount Sinai that God gave to man his first written law, added to the promise God had made to Abraham because of the sins of the people (Gal. 3;19). This law continued until the law of Christ took effect, and it is under that law that man lives today.
Paul put it this way: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:23-29).
The point is that we must look to God’s word to know where our faith needs to rest.
The scriptures come from God: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the 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” (2 Peter 1:20, 21).
Then 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 tells us: “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.”
The word comes from God and must be followed without addition or subtraction. In at least three places in the Bible, God reveals this fact.
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deut. 4:2); “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Prov. 30:6); and “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18, 19).
God’s word is given to mankind so we can know how to follow him. It is to his book we must turn to determine where our faith must rest.