The Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Church

The Scriptures, an Unerring Guide

It is not surprising to find in the Bible that the word of God bears many of the characteristics of its Author. This will be seen in the following brief classification: BSPC 46.2

God is		His word is
Life	John 5:26; 6:57	Life	Philippians 2:16
Righteousness	Jeremiah 23:6	Righteousness	Hebrews 5:13
Truth	Jeremiah 10:10	Truth	James 1:18
Holiness	Exodus 15:11	Holiness	Jeremiah 23:9

This is but natural; we should be surprised if it were otherwise. Our heavenly Father, who is the truth, has given us His word, which is the word of truth. His word is the reflection of Himself. If we desire to see Him and become acquainted with Him, we must read and meditate upon that word. Furthermore, as we accept this divine revelation from heaven, it will beget in our hearts the same qualities. The power in the word of our God transforms human lives, and by the Divine Spirit imparts righteousness and truth and holiness, and if the sons of God are faithful to the end, eternal life will be given to them. BSPC 46.3

What a privilege it is to have such a wonderful treasure! How we should prize it! How we should believe in it! To believe, however, means more than mere mental assent; it calls for more than a recognition of historical incidents. The evidence that a certain thing happened in the days long ago may be so convincing and so well established that we could not do otherwise than accept it, but Bible believing means more than this. It means more than historic faith; Bible believing means saving faith. It means believing not merely with the mind but with the heart. It is possible to believe in Jesus as a man, to believe that He lived and died, that He rose again and actually ascended to the Father’s throne, and yet not be saved by the grace of God. We may believe this as a historic fact just as O might believe that certain characters in history lived and played the part history assigns to them. Such faith, however, does not save the soul. What is called for is a faith that touches the heart as well as the mind. This is what the apostle Paul meant when in writing to the church at Rome he said: BSPC 46.4

“If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God bath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9, 10. BSPC 47.1

Notice in these words of counsel that it does not say “believe in thy mind,” but “believe in your heart.” This is the kind of belief God longs to see. But one may query, How is it possible to believe with the heart? Believing with the mind presents no particular problem, but to believe with the heart, how can such a thing be? It is true that one of the early contacts of the word of God with man is as we find it in the prophecy of Isaiah, where the Lord gives the invitation through His servant, “Come now, and let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18. BSPC 47.2

Here is the invitation to “reason together.” This is where the mind of man plays its part. First of all we hear, we read, we ponder, we meditate upon the message of God; the mind reasons, it examines what is presented; then in some mysterious way something happens. Our minds are convinced of the truth. Now there wells up from our inmost souls a deep longing to obey God and be faithful to the truth of the Bible. That longing soon reaches its climax in surrender, and when this happens peace comes to the soul. The mind was the door to the heart. We were convinced of the truth; then we became convicted of the truth. The one touched the mind, the other touched the heart. BSPC 47.3

This Holy Book accepted, believed, and trusted implicitly will be a true guide in the uncertain paths of life. It is unerring in its guidance; it will never fail us. Just as God the Father says, “I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:8), so does God the Son assure us that He is the true and living way (John 14:6). God the Holy Spirit, the true representative or vicegerent of the Son of God in the church, will also guide you “into all truth.” So also are the Scriptures designed to lead us in the way of righteousness and peace. The psalmist learned this centuries ago, for he declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. BSPC 47.4

We can thank God for such an unfailing guide. Observe the words given to us by the Spirit of prophecy: BSPC 48.1

“We all need a guide through the many strait places in life as much as the sailor needs a pilot over the sandy bar or up the rocky river, and where is this guide to be found? We point you, dear brethren, to the Bible. Inspired of God, written by holy men, it points out with great clearness and precision the duties of both old and young. It elevates the mind, softens the heart, and imparts gladness and holy joy to the spirit. The Bible presents a perfect standard of character; it is an infallible guide under all circumstances, even to the end of the journey of life. Take it as the man of your counsel, the rule of your daily life.”—Testimonies, vol. 51, p. 264. BSPC 48.2