A central theme of the 16th Century Reformation was the authority of the Word of God. Sola Scriptura was the Latin slogan that reasserted that the Bible stood by itself as the authoritative rule for the people of God. Church leaders make mistakes. Churches get into bad habits. The Word of God calls us back to faith and faithful living.

Why is it so important to know and rely on the sure Word of God alone? This is the fundamental question of fundamentals. All of the members of our church assent to the following question: Do you believe the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments to be the written Word of God, the only perfect rule of faith and practice? We all agree to submit to authority in the Church and to work for her peace, purity and unity, but it is the Word of God that is our perfect rule.

And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (v 15). The Bible was given in order to make us wise for salvation. The Holy Spirit uses the reading and especially the preaching of the Word of God an effective means to convert us to faith in Christ and to build us up in that faith. The Spirit uses the Word of God to change us as individuals. He uses the Word to change us as a community, as a church and even as a nation. We see this through history.

Martin Luther was a medieval monk and Bible scholar. His calling was to teach the Bible to the Church. He found that much of the church in his day was at odds with the Bible’s teaching. He published this and it got the powers that be very upset. What may have been Luther’s biggest influence for the gospel was translating the Bible into German so the people could read it for themselves. A similar effect happened in England with Tynedale’s translation of the Bible into English. The Word of God is powerful and makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ.

The Bible has had its opponents, even from within the Church. The Roman Church in Luther’s day (and to this day) does not look to the Bible as its ultimate authority. Rather than having the church founded on the work of Christ and Word of God, they make the Bible subservient to the pronouncements of the church hierarchy. Professors at leading and influential Divinity schools reject the authority of the Bible, calling it "just an old book." Episcopal Bishop John Spong, says "The level of knowledge available to the ancient people who wrote it compromises its authority." Spong includes Jesus (or what is attributed to Jesus) in his rejection of authority. I do not say these things to be uncharitable to Spong and the others, but to be clear that their faith and theology is not founded on and built on the Word of God. This is tragic for them and for those who are swayed by them because they have rejected the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

What does the Bible say about the Bible? It is God-breathed. This means that the Holy Spirit worked in the writing of the Scriptures so these words of men are also the Word of God. The Bible is a fully human document, but it is also fully the Word of God. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1: 21).

We need to hear and read the Bible and have it work in us. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching (tells us what we are to know and believe about God), rebuking (telling us where we have gone wrong in our thinking and actions), correcting (bringing us back to doing right) and training in righteousness (the formation of virtuous habits and lifestyle.

The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to make us wise for salvation when we come to faith in Christ. He continues to use the Bible to make us wise in our salvation so we can be mature and thoroughly equipped for every good work. May we become the people God has made us to be.

The Holy Scriptures can make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Have they made you wise? Do you have faith in Christ Jesus and know of God’s loving purpose for you and your life? Remember that today is the day of salvation.