WHAT
IS THE BIBLE ALL ABOUT?
The Bible, the Word of God,
is in its entirety a Book about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is not a Book
about morality, or a Book about science, or a Book about politics, or a Book
about theology. The Bible is a Book with one Subject, and that subject is the
Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the Living Word of God, of whom the written Word
speaks. This is what our Lord himself says, "Search the Scriptures; for in
them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me"
(John 5:39). After his resurrection, we are told that our Lord "Beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, expounded unto them in ALL THE SCRIPTURES the things concerning himself...Then opened he
their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke
24:27,45). Christ plainly told his disciples that all the Scriptures were
written concerning him. THE CENTRAL AND
THE CONSTANT THEME OF HOLY SCRIPTURE IS JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. The
whole Bible may be briefly summarized in three statements. Reader's Digest has
recently published a "Condensed Bible", in which men dared to take
away from the Word of God. That sort of presumptuous irreverence I abhor. But
the principle truths of the Bible may be set forth in these three statements:
1. THE OLD TESTAMENT TELLS US THAT THE REDEEMER IS COMING. No
sooner had Adam sinned against God and plunged our race into spiritual death
and sin under the wrath of God, than God graciously promised that he would send
his own Son to redeem sinful man. God spoke to the serpent and said, "I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her SEED:
and IT shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise HIS heel" (Gen. 3:15).
Through-out the ages the promise of Christ's incarnation and redemptive work
became clearer and clearer, until at last the prophet Isaiah wrote, "It
pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make
his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the
travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my
righteous Servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities"(Isa.
53:10-11). Taking God at his Word, the Old Testament saints were saved by faith
in that Redeemer whom God had promised.
2. The FOUR GOSPELS AND THE BOOK OF ACTS TELL US THAT THE REDEEMER HAS
COME. This is what old Simeon said as he held the child in his arms -
"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy
Word: for mine eyes have seen thy SALVATION,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people" (Luke 2:29-31). He
blessed God and said, THE REDEEMER HAS
COME! Peter said the same thing after the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost -
"This is THE STONE which was
set at nought of you builders, which is become THE HEADSTONE OF THE CORNER. Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved"(Acts 4:11-12).
3. THE EPISTLES AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION TELL US THAT THE REDEEMER IS
COMING AGAIN. One day soon, at the time appointed by God, the Lord
Jesus Christ shall return to this earth, to gather his own elect and to take
vengeance upon his enemies. "Behold, HE COMETH with clouds; and every eye
shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen" (Rev. 1:7).
AMEN.
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #694
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S.
Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net