Paul told the young preacher Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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” (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
We are told by Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 that “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Friends, we have been given the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). We are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). We are not to go beyond that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). We are to abide in the doctrine (that is the teaching of Christ) (2 John 9-11). We cannot have fellowship with those, or even encourage those, who depart from it or go beyond it. A special curse rests on any man who comes with a different gospel than what the apostles taught (Galatians 1:6-9). The Gospel of the first century is sufficient for the twenty-first century and every century thereafter if God sees fit for time on earth to continue (Matthew 24;35; Romans 1:16-17).
I affirm that the Bible is all sufficient and that it, therefore, meets man’s need for salvation (Mark 16:16). Man does not have the wherewithal to meet this need. He cannot lift himself up by his own bootstraps. He cannot save himself (Jeremiah 10:23).
The Bible meets man’s need for worship (John 4:24). God is God and man is a part of His creation. We are dependent upon His revealed will to let us know how and what we are to do in acceptable worship unto Him. This cannot be left up to mere guesswork or happenstance (Matthew 15:9, 13)!
The Bible meets man’s need to have guidance in the area of morals. We have not been left out on life seas without chart or compass in this all important area. We are not walking on our own in the dark. God has given us some rules. He has given us some moral principles to guide us. There is such a thing as conscience, and there is such a thing as right and wrong.
The Bible meets man’s needs for the home and the family (Colossians 3:18-21; Ephesians 6:1-4; 5). The Bible meets man’s need to remain faithful (2 Peter 1:5-11). The Bible meets mans need in the church. The Bible meets man’s needs in preparing for death and the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
The question, though, is this. Are you prepared?
