The Only Suffient, Certain, and Infallible Rule

I love the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. It is what my particular "stripe" of Christianity holds as their main confession of faith. Of course is it not inspired and without error, but I believe it sums up really well many key doctrines of Scripture.

While I was reading the confession a few days ago, I found this section on the Bible and the Holy Spirit, and I thought I would share it with you all:

The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.

It pleased the Lord to commit His revealed Truth wholly to writing. Therefore the Holy Scriptures are most necessary, those former ways by which God revealed His will unto His people having now ceased.

The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture, to which nothing is to be added at any time, either by new revelation of the Spirit, or by the traditions of men.

Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word.

You can read the entire confession here.

Preach ONLY the Word of God!

"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." -- 1 Corinthians 9:16

A vital question that all Christians should ask themselves is, "What should my pastor be preaching at my church?" I think the Christian church has really fallen into a lot of non-biblical preaching and teaching these days. They want to be "relevant", "attractive", and "appealing" to the unsaved people in their community. However, the Bible nowhere says that that is what our churches should be like!

Let's look at some Scriptures on what the main job of a pastor is on a Sunday morning:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,for correction, for training in righteousness;

so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

- 2 Timothy 3:16- 4:1-4

This makes it very clear.

What are pastors supposed to be preaching about from the pulpit? THE WORD OF GOD!!

Not from the latest popular book, movie or TV show, some new study or finding, and not even the pastor's own experiences.

God's people want to hear God's Word, not man's word. I've heard a lot of pastor's say they are preaching from God's Word when they really aren't. Just quoting a few verses of Scripture to back up what you want to say to the congregation does not count as preaching from the Word.

The Bible should be the main source for the sermon, and nothing else!!

So, if you're a pastor, please...PREACH THE WORD!! If you aren't preaching from the Bible every Sunday, honestly, I don't know why you think you can be a pastor.

And if you're a Christian going to a church that is not preaching the Word faithfully every Sunday, I encourage you to start looking for a church that does.

Sola Scriptura! (Scripture Alone!)

Peace with God

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;

and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

-Romans 5:1-11