From where do your values come? What guides your moral compass? How do understand whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, moral or immoral? Are you relying on the little voice within, or are you submitting to a higher authority? These may seem to be questions that we rarely ask ourselves. Yet I would argue that they are questions we answer every single day as we navigate through our lives. You see, there is a standard that we all live by, and it is this standard that directs our thoughts, intentions and actions. So, I ask you, by what standard do you live? For the unbeliever in a Biblical authority the standard must always change because it must keep up with an ever-changing world and its ever-changing sentiment. Conversely, for the believer in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, the standard always remains the same. Therefore, there is a stark difference in the way the standard is lived out. Let me explain…
"Sola Scriptura" is Latin for “Scripture Alone”. This phrase was coined during the Protestant Reformation. The reformers were stating that the sole authority over mans life is the holy Scriptures. The reformers rightly believed that God has revealed Himself and His will for humanity in His word, the Bible. From this point the reformers began to promote the teaching of a Biblical worldview. They believed and passed down from generation to generation, that man must submit to the authority of the Scriptures. This did not mean that man must submit to the priesthood or an anti-biblical church authority. In fact, the deeper meaning of Sola Scriptura is that the leadership body of the church, and therefore church governance, must come under the authority of the Scriptures.
This does not sit well with many people these days because many feel that we are autonomous and therefore should not submit to any authority other than the government, and sometimes not even that. And so we go on our way living according to what we feel is right and moral. But the problem with this is that we become a society of moral relativists. What may be right for you, is not right for me, and vise versa. So, who’s right, the relativist or the Christian? Well, I believe that the answer in a way is neither. Only the Bible has the right answers. You see, the Christian, just like the relativist can make mistakes and often does. But when the Christian submits to the authority of the Scriptures and allows for the word of God to direct their life and have the final say, then the Christian finds his decisions influenced by and acted upon the infallibility of God’s eternal wisdom.
God has given us His word, the Bible, for these basic reasons:
To know who He is, and in this, we will realize who we are.
To know who His Son is and why He came to save us.
To teach us how to navigate through this messy thing called life in a manner prescribed by Him.
When we submit to this understanding we begin to see and experience all of the blessings that God has laid up for us. When we don’t, we are tossed to and fro with every passing wind of change. The world is always changing and therefore an anti-Biblical world view must also change with the world. But a Biblical world view never has to change because it is grounded in the eternal word of God. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Roman’s chapter 12:2 -
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
So, reform your mind, and thereby your life, back to the word and will of God. Lean completely on the authority of the Scriptures and I guarantee you that you will find true happiness, eternal security, sound judgement, as well as rest and peace for your soul.
God bless you.