Suppose that a family you know lived in an area of town that wasn't particularly safe, and they wanted to protect their belongings. So, they went out and purchased a German Shepherd watch-dog for their home. As this dog grew, it was trained to ward off any intruders in the home. By the time it was full-grown, this dog was very large, very strong, and fully capable of performing his duties.

Now suppose that this family always kept their dog locked up in a cage in the basement. Sometimes they would let it loose to exercise and play, but for the most part, its home was the basement cage. Wouldn't you think that this family was not maximizing their prized watch-dog, which was bred and trained to protect their house? By keeping their dog restrained in the basement, they would greatly hinder the dog from performing its duties for which it was obtained.

Keeping this imagery in your mind, let's change gears and think about the character of the Bible. At Rock Valley Bible Church, we believe that the Bible is wholly inerrant, totally sufficient, and massively potent.

The Bible is ... Wholly Inerrant
A quick survey of Jesus' beliefs concerning the Scriptures give compelling evidence that the Bible is entirely without error (i.e. inerrant). Jesus taught that neither "the smallest letter nor stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished" (Matt. 5:18). Later He affirmed that "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (Luke 16:17). Perhaps Jesus summed it up best when He said unequivocally, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). The early apostles followed in the footsteps of Jesus as well. They never give us any indication that the Bible is anything less than absolutely true. Never did they attempt to correct the Scriptures or cast any doubt as to their trustworthiness. When there was controversy in the church, they allowed the Scriptures to arbitrate (see Acts 15).

The Bible is ... Totally Sufficient
On several occasions, Jesus spoke of the sufficiency of Scripture. He said that the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of Him (John 5:39). So sufficient is this testimony that the one who doesn't believe the writings of Moses and the Prophets wouldn't believe even if someone raised from the dead to tell them the truth! (Luke 16:31). Paul speaks of the sufficiency of the Scripture to lead a child to salvation in Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 3:15). Furthermore, it is the Scripture that is sufficient in the training of a pastor for his work (called the man of God in 2 Tim. 3:16-17). Peter speaks of the abiding testimony of the prophetic word, which exceeds even his experience on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured before His sight.

The Bible is ... Massively Potent
As a young boy, Jesus knew the Scriptures very well. He was able to converse with all of the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:47). When He was tempted, He turned to the book of Deuteronomy three times to thwart Satan's attacks (Matt. 4:1-11). In His teaching, He constantly quoted from the Old Testament to prove His points (see Matt. 19:4,5; 22:32). The apostle Paul equated the word of God with the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). The writer to the Hebrews uses the same imagery and describes how the word of God is "living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). This is potent!

In light of these three truths, how should we treat the Bible at Rock Valley Bible Church? In many ways, the Bible is like a good watch-dog. It is strong and powerful, capable of both comforting and attacking. Yet, sadly, there are many who restrain the truth of the Bible. Just as a trained German Shepherd in a basement cage is hindered, so can the Scriptures be kept on a chain, when the Bible isn't allowed to fully speak for itself.

Perhaps you have heard sermons, where a Bible text is read at the beginning, but never referred to again. Perhaps you have heard sermons that focus upon doctrinal truth, where the same, favorite doctrines arise again and again and again, using quotations from old familiar proof texts. Perhaps you have heard sermons in which the whole focus is always upon application. In each of these cases, the truth Scripture is often restrained. Rather than allowing God's word to do its convicting, reproving, correcting, and training work (2 Tim. 3:16), the preacher seeks to do it with his own words. This is why my aim each week is to do my best to expose the meaning of Bible. Only after understanding its meaning may we apply it appropriately. This is why we will continue on Sunday mornings with verse-by-verse expositions of books of the Bible. I believe that this is the best method by which we may systematically unravel the meaning of His word and "let it loose" to accomplish God's purpose in the lives of those who attend Rock Valley Bible Church. In so doing, we can maximize its inerrancy, sufficiency, and potency!

Furthermore, we need to allow the simple, straightforward reading, understanding, and applying of the Scripture to dominate all of our activities. In our worship services, the truth of the Scriptures ought to take prominence. Our Bible studies ought to be simple, straightforward explanations of the Scripture. In our homes, our families ought to spend time reading the Bible together and discussing its meaning and application. Individually, the reading of the Bible ought to be prominent in our own lives. God has promised to bless His word, which goes forth from His mouth (Is. 55:11). May we "let it loose!"

(The seed for this article came from a lecture delivered by Kent Hughes entitled,
"Fundamental Beliefs You Must Hold in Order to Preach Expositionally,"
on May 8, 2002 at the Workshop on Biblical Exposition, Wheaton, Illinois.)