The 7 Wonders of God’s Word

The Wondersof God’s World and God’s Word• The psalmist tells us of the wonders of God’s

world (Psa. 19:1-6) and God’s word (Psa. 19:7-11)

• The 7 wonders of the world were made by man; impressive for their time

• The 7 wonders of the Bible were made by God; impressive for all time and eternity

The 7 Wonders (of Man)of the Ancient World

1. IndestructibilityThe Permanence of God’s Word• The antiquity of the word of God is

impressive; the Bible just won’t go away!

• The word of God, once revealed and completed, has never passed away!

• The OT was completed c. 400 B.C. and the NT was completed c. 95 A.D.

1. IndestructibilityThe Permanence of God’s Word

• “The eighteenth-century French skeptic Voltaire predicted the demise of the Bible within his generation. Shortly after his death, his home was purchased by a Bible society and is still used today for the printing of the Scriptures. The authority of the Bible is truly timeless” (James C. Denison, 7 Crucial Questions About the Bible, p. 22).

Isaiah 40:8

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever”

Matthew 24:35

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”

1 Peter 1:23-25

“having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you”

2. InerrancyThe Reliability of God’s Word

• The books of men contain errors (dictionaries, encyclopedias, histories, etc.)

• The Bible is the very word of God; it is inspired, God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17); no other book on earth is like this

• Because of its divine origin, the Bible is infallible and inerrant (without error); it is reliable and trustworthy

2. InerrancyThe Reliability of God’s Word

• The Bible (the original autographs) is infallible and inerrant; without error, mistake, contradiction or falsehood. Bible writers wrote with accuracy (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-2). Therefore, the Bible is reliable and dependable. The Bible is accurate in such areas as history, geography, science, etc.

2. InerrancyThe Reliability of God’s Word

• God does not lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18), the Bible is God’s word; therefore, the Bible does not lie. God is true (Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 10:10; John 3:33; 17:3; 1 John 5:20), the Bible is God’s word; therefore, the Bible is true. The Bible tells the truth!

Psalm 12:6

“The words of Jehovah are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times”

John 17:17

“Sanctify them in truth; thy word is truth”

2 Timothy 3:16

“Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness”

2 Peter 1:21

“For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit”

3. UnityThe Harmony of God’s Word

• The Bible is one, unified book with one, unified message, but it has many different features; there is a true unity in diversity

3. UnityThe Harmony of God’s Word

• In the Bible, there is a large library of 66 books, different styles of literature, three different languages, difference in locations and cultures, a time period of about 1500 years, about 40 authors from diverse backgrounds and two different major covenants; yet, there is one, unified author (God) and one, unified content or purpose of the Bible (the redemption and salvation of man’s soul from sin through Jesus Christ)

3. UnityThe Harmony of God’s Word

• The OT: “Jesus, the savior is coming”

• The Gospels: “Jesus, the savior is here”

• The Acts/Epistles/Revelation: “Jesus, the savior is coming again”

Psalm 119:160

“The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever”

4. ClarityThe Simplicity of God’s Word

• The books of men can be confusing and convoluted

• The Bible can be understood; it is intelligible and can be understood clearly by all because it is God’s “revelation”

• The word “revelation” comes from the Gr. word apokalupto, meaning “an uncovering; an unveiling; a disclosure; a manifestation”

4. ClarityThe Simplicity of God’s Word

• What about 2 Peter 3:16? First, Peter said “some things,” not all things; second, Peter said “hard,” not impossible

John 8:32; 20:30-31

“and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (8:32) … but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name”

Ephesians 3:3-4; 5:17

“how that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ” (3:3-4) … “Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (5:17)

5. SufficiencyThe Totality of God’s Word

• The Bible is our complete and final guide in life; God’s final revelation; it contains all the truth that God wants us to know

• The Bible meets every spiritual purpose and need of mankind

5. SufficiencyThe Totality of God’s Word

• Unlike books of men, the Bible needs no revision or modernization; it is as relevant today as when it was first revealed thousands of years ago!

– Personal conduct, dress, language, etc.

– Relationships with others, family, marriage, etc.

– Relationship with God

Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law”

John 16:13

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work”

James 1:25

“But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing"

2 Peter 1:3-4

“seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue;whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in that world by lust”

Jude 3

“Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints”

6. AuthorityThe Rule of God’s Word

• Unlike books of men, the Bible has authority over all mankind; God’s word is just as real and authoritative today as it was when it was first revealed to mankind

• The Bible is our final and only standard of authority in religious matters and must be obeyed. To obey or disobey the Bible is to obey or disobey God.

6. AuthorityThe Rule of God’s Word

• Mankind will be judged by God based upon the Bible. The Bible is either absolute, or it is obsolete! The truth is, the Bible is our absolute authority.

• The Bible alone is authoritative; no church, human witness, creed, doctrine, or human reason can claim authority over the Bible

Matthew 4:4

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”

John 12:48

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day”

Romans 2:16

“in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ”

Revelation 20:12

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works”

7. AbilityThe Power of God’s Word

• Man can do some powerful things like splitting an atom or putting a man on the moon

• The Bible has the power to change men’s lives; to change the worst of sinners; no other book can do this

• The Bible will do what it says it will do; the Bible works!

Isaiah 55:11

“so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”

1 Thessalonians 2:13

“And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe”

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart”

The 7 Wonders of God’s Word

• Yes, man-made wonders are impressive; but God’s wonders are more so

• Are you impressed with the wonders of God’s word enough to change your life?