As we outline what Village Seven believes doctrinally, the desire is not to grow in head knowledge for its own sake. The desire is to deepen our understanding of God’s word, grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to be a reflection of His glory. Good orthodoxy(belief) leads to good orthopraxy (action). Confessing and recognizing we fall short, we point to Christ alone.
Westminster Shorter Catechism Q & A # 2
Question: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
Answer: The word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and new Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
“All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.“ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.“ 2 Peter 1:19-21
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.“ Romans 15:4
“Strange as it may seem, Jesus once said that God has hid….things from the wise and prudent and, …revealed them unto babes” (Luke 10:21) When Adam sinned against God he rejected God’s word. This world has been doing it ever since. What do we really believe? How do we really live this out? Do we seek Him & His word first as the ultimate guide? Or is it self, personal experience, media sources, Wall Street Journal, Redbook, Rush Limbaugh, Oprah, theological tradition, friends, family, etc. There can be fine wisdom in other sources and they can express His word, but they fall short of His “breathed” word. His word alone reigns supreme.
I have ongoing challenges with extended family. A few months ago in the midst of one dramatic family situation I spent far too much time verbally complaining to my wife about how sick I was of all the drama in the family. As I considered all that time wasted before I ever led her in prayer about the situation, I was convicted about my arrogance in trying to solve my own problems instead of seeking His word first. The old sinful man I war against tells me…. I have it all together. I am not like those really bad people. I’m certainly not as messed up as this person or that family member. We are all tempted to be like the rich young ruler. “All these I have kept from my youth” (Mark 10:17-20) Something WSC Q&A two has taught me is how relevant God’s word truly is for the here & now as well as the life everlasting. Nothing in this world is better able to reveal the mind, character and will of God than what we find in the Bible. It does not mean we are going to lucky dip open to a Bible page and “BOOM” find our immediate answer. What it does mean for the believer is that when His word forms the foundation and shapes the contours of our lives we will truly have grace and peace no matter the circumstance.
God does not speak with a forked tongue. The Holy Spirit does not guide our hearts in ways that contradict the Scriptures. The following from G.I. Williamson’s book on the shorter catechism show some important aspects of WSC #2
The Meaning of “Contained In”
“What does the catechism mean when it says that the word of God is contained in the Scriptures? By these words we are to understand that the very words which we find in the Bible are from God. However, in order to understand this clearly, we need to understand the wrong way in which these words (contained in) have been taken.Since the time that this Catechism was written clever men have tried to use the same words (contained in) with meaning very different from what is intended by the Catechism. The first is called (theological) Liberalism. Those who hold this view believe that some parts of the Bible are the word of God and other parts are the word of man. They believe they can decide for themselves which part is true and which part is false. The second is often called the New-orthodoxy. This view is found in many Protestant denominations. Men who believe this view say that the whole Bible is the fallible word of man. But they say that when people read these words of man, God somehow uses these words so that through them they receive (in their own minds) the true word of God. Any part of the Bible can be the means which the word of God comes to man, but it may be one part of the Bible that speaks to one man, and another part that speaks to another man.A third is the Reformed view. This is the view of the historic Christian faith. This is the view which is taught in the Catechism. Those who hold this view believe that the whole Bible is the truth of God. No part is uninspired. (not to say every part is of the same importance) Even when the Bible is read by an unbeliever, it is still the word of God from cover to cover.” -WilliamsonGod’s Word Is Clear“We may say that the Bible is infallible. This means that everything that the Bible says is true. This does not mean that you take every statement of the Bible as true apart from its context(or setting). We may say that the Bible is clear. The scriptures were written so that ordinary people could understand them. God speaks even to children. Some say it is only priests or scholars who can understand the Bible. But God, by His Holy Spirit can and does lead ordinary people to understand quite clearly the things they need to know in order to be saved.“ –GI Williamson
“The seal of the Word leaves a heavenly print of grace upon the heart.” -Thomas Watson A Body of Practical Divinity, commentary on the WSC
Additional material
How did the books of the Bible come to be recognized as Holy Scripture? Is it reliable? These questions and many others are answered in this helpful book. Amazon.com: The Canon of Scripture: Frederick Fyvie Bruce: Books
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