What God Has Told Us He Has Planned and Done
The work of the theologian begins with the acknowledgment of the Bible, as the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. Next, he must acknowledge the clarity, necessity, and sufficiency of the Scriptures. Unless these points are agreed upon by those “doing theology” together, there can be no coming together, in that hallowed ground called “truth.”
Once the Bible is acknowledged as the sole source of truth for theology, then, the issue becomes interpretation. Christians battle the world regarding the authority of Scripture, but we engage one another for the meaning of terms, phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, sections, books, and divisions.
The revelation of God in the Bible is special revelation, as opposed to the general revelation given in nature (Ps 19:1; Rom 1:20). God reveals Himself, but He also gives us His perspective on a myriad of other subjects, including us, as part of His creation (Gen 2–3). This special knowledge is laid out, in God’s wisdom and design, as a single work.
The forty authors, writing over a period of close to sixteen hundred years, were carried along by the Holy Spirit to write the sixty-six books (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21). These were canonized, by grace given to Hebrew scholars, and affirmed by Jesus Christ Himself (Mk 14:49; Lk 24:32, 45). This was coupled with council of the churches, acknowledging the New Testament books in the fourth century A.D.
The most important theme of the Bible, from man’s perspective, is God’s salvation of His chosen people (Is 43:3, 11; 45:21; 1 Pet 2:9). Many will attack the Bible and its diverse doctrines (What the Bible says about…), but Christians must not grow weary of bringing the focus back to Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2:2; Heb 12:2).
Our adversary, the devil, is a deceiver (Jn 8:44), and he readily employs distractions to throw our focus off the Person and work of Jesus, the Son of God and Son of man (Mt 27:54; Lk 4:41). It is wise for men to open their Bibles and read of the riches of His glorious grace (Eph 1:7; 2:7; 3:8). We read the Scriptures, and there we learn the truth about out Triune God. We are taught to know that each Person of the Trinity works His part to save elect, redeemed, regenerate souls.
The Bible has much to say about God’s eternal good pleasure, to create everything that exists (Heb 3:4; 11:10). Scripture informs us about God’s eternal decree for both time and space. There is revelation regarding God’s will for what He creates and what He destroys. There is a beginning and an end to everything in the material universe, except what God has ordained for eternity. God works everything from the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11). He authors everything that has, is, and shall come to pass (Heb 11:10).
Everything God does has purpose, and His eternal purpose was carried out in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Eph 3:11). For us to know God’s purpose, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and learn all we can about Him (2 Cor 4:6; Eph 1:17; Phil 3:8; Heb 12:2). He Himself is the wisdom of God and the power of God in human flesh (Jn 1:14; 1 Cor 1:24).
In a world of spiritual darkness and lies, our greatest need is light and truth. Jesus claimed to be the light of the world (Jn 8:12) and truth itself (Jn 14:6). The good news of Jesus is preached to all creation (Mk 16:15), from the Word of truth (Ps 119:160; Jn 17:17), the Bible. Holy writ is the only reliable source.
Many have heard about Jesus from preachers. They hear the Gospel calling all men everywhere to repent of their sins (Acts 17:30), and calling them to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), who delivers His beloved bride, His church (Eph 5:25), from the wrath to come (1 Thess 1:10; 5:9), on the Day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:2).
To most people who have heard this news, they dismiss it as foolishness, a myth, and fairy tales (Rom 1:18; 1 Cor 1:18). For those who have, by God’s grace, heard (Jn 5:37; 10:3, 16; 18:37), received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 10:45), had God’s love poured out in their hearts (Rom 5:5), been granted the required repentance (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25), obtained the gift of faith (Phil 1:29; Rom 12:3), and believed in their heart and confessed with their mouth (Rom 10:9–10) that “Jesus Christ is Lord” …to these God gave the right to be called “children of God (1 Jn 3:1, 10; Rom 8:15, 23).”
Friend, there is nothing I could write to you, explicating greater value, nor anything that would have greater urgency for your eternal soul, than words to point you to the sure Word of God, the Bible. Found therein is the revealed news of what God has done, to successfully achieve His purpose in creation, redemption, and the coming consummation of both time and space (2 Pet 3:10–12).
In God’s providence, He has brought you to read this simple essay, to point you to the one and only Savior of sinners (Is 43:11; Lk 2:11; Acts 13:23; Eph 5:23; 1 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:6). Go to Jesus. Call upon His name. Hear His voice in the preaching of His Word. Humbly pray for help, guidance, and for nothing but the truth to be given to you.
Christian, be reminded of the crucial place of the Bible — to understand who we are and what we are becoming. The Bible is the centerpiece of our love for one another, our neighbors, and our enemies (Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27, 35). You may be called to suffer persecution, for the sake of Christ’s name and righteousness (Mt 5:10–11), but you endure this well (Col 1:24). Press on. His grace is always sufficient for you (2 Cor 12:9).
Finally, as you do theology and share what God has shown you in His Word, rejoice in the fact you are part of His eternal purpose, which He carried out in Christ Jesus, to bring glory to Himself, bearing witness to all the great things He has told us, He has planned and done.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 15, 2022
