The Word of God (part 3)

Go to Part 1.....Go to Part 2

The Sufficiency of the Word

Many Christians hold that the Bible is authoritative and infallible, but we often fail to realize that the Bible is also completely sufficient. Now I realize that you can't use the Bible to understand how to build an internal combustion engine or how to design a web page. What I mean about sufficiency is that we can rely on the Bible for everything that we need for salvation and living a holy life.

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... (2 Peter 1:3)

Too often we say we trust God for everything we need, but when hard times come we seek out the help of men. Don't misunderstand me. It is perfectly alright to seek counsel from people:

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. (Proverbs 12:15)

We just need to make certain that their advice is biblical:

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. (Proverbs 1:29-31)

One of the most blatant ways we refuse God's counsel is in the area of so-called "mental illness." While I accept the fact that our physical brain can become ill or damaged and thereby cause negative affects upon the mind, it is quite an assumption to say that our non-physical minds can become ill. If our brains have problems, medical doctors can use various techniques to cure those problems. But when our minds have problems (such as anxiety, depression, fear, etc.), where do we turn. We should realize that these are spiritual problems which need spiritual solutions. Even physical problems can have a spiritual aspect to them; they can even be directly caused by Satan:

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Job 2:7)

So where do we turn for those solutions? Many people turn to psycotherapy for relief. But Christians need to realize that the founders of psychotherapy were godless, antichristian, humanists. We are strongly warned against taking advice from such men:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Martin and Deidre Bobgan have noted the denial of the sufficiency of the Bible among "Christian psychologists": "Sadly the AACC [American Association of Christian Counselors] does not believe in the sufficiency of God’s Word when it comes to problems of living generally taken to a psychotherapist."* This is because there is no school of thought in psychology that can be clearly identified as Christian or biblically based. "Christian psychology" is based on the same techniques used in Freudian, Jungian, Rogerian, and other psychologies. Instead we need to turn to the Lord as the psalmist says--

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. (Psalm 60:11-12)

--realizing that we have spiritual enemies as well.

The Cross is the Only Answer

We must always turn to Jesus Christ and trust in His finished work on the cross. "...he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed [the word 'stripes' is singular in the original language, designating a specific wound, i.e. His death]... Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin... for he shall bear their iniquities... he hath poured out his soul unto death... he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:5, 10, 11, 12) Our healing is included in the atonement, and this includes our spiritual healing. Jesus quoted from Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19)

Let us not rely on man to solve our problems. Let us come to Christ.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

*For more on the subject of psychology, go to PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries.

**I am not a doctor, and I would never recommend that anyone stop taking any medication which was prescribed for depression, anxiety, or any other condition. This is something people should discuss with their doctors as stopping certain medications could have very adverse consequences.

Go to Part 1.....Go to Part 2