THE COMPLETENESS OF REVELATION

INTRO:

1. Without the Bible, man would be in darkness.

2. All that we know about God, Christ, The Holy Spirit, Angels, Satan, Heaven and Hell comes from one source: The Bible.

3. In it we have the explanation of how the universe came to be. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen. 1:1.

4. The first chapter of the Bible settles forever the origin of man, and the universe in which he dwells.

A. God has sait it! That settles it forever! This is Fact and not Theory! Psa. 119;89.

B. All the theories of man are not worthy of consideration.

5. So, in the first chapter of the Bible the mind of God begins to be revealed to man.

I. TO A CERTAIN EXTENT GOD IS REVEALED IN NATURE.

A. Yes, nature bears testimony concerning God, but does not reveal His will.

1. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard." Psa. 19:1-3.

B. In nature the evidence of God is unmistakable; and skeptics are without excuse.

1. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God-head; so that they are without excuse." Rom. 1:20.

2. So, all of this evidence has to be completely ignored for one to say there is no God.

a. Such a person is called a fool in the word of God. Psa. 14:1.

C. Isaiah says: "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." Isa. 42:26.

D. Paul, also, speaks of these evidences and witnesses. "And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:17.

E. But despite this evidence that God is, nature still does not reveal the mind of God, nor shows what we must do to please Him.

II. THE WORK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS.

A. Under the Patriarchal and Mosaic ages, God revealed His will through chosen prophets.

1. Yet it was still God's own revelation.

a. Peter says: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Pet. 1:20,21.

2. It was in the same way that David could say: "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 2 Sam. 23:2.

a. This prophetic ability of David was also spoken by Peter in Acts 1:16.

B. Those Old Testament prophets unlocked some of the mysteries of God's will: but not all of them!

1. Note what is said in 1 Pet. 1:10-12.

2. This should give us an appreciation of the revelation which we now have of that glorious gospel of Christ.

III. JESUS ACCEPTED THE REVELATION OF THE PROPHETS.

A. Yes, Jesus placed His stamp of approval upon all the Old Testament prophets.

1. Luke says: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Lk. 24:27.

2. Jesus stated: "That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Lk. 24:44.

3. On one occasion He upbraided the Jews: "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." Jno. 5:46.

B. Later, Paul showed the place of Old Testament scriptures.

1. He said: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15:4.

C. We must not be guilty of discounting the Old Testament scriptures, because it was said of them: as well as the New Testament scriptures:

1. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God...that the man of God may be complete completely furnished unto every good work." 2 Tim. 3:16,17.

IV. CHRIST'S REVELATION OF THE FATHER.

A. John said of Jesus: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him." Jno. 1:18.

1. It was in and through Christ that the fullest of revelations was to be made.

a. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son." Heb. 1:1,2.

B.The revelation by Christ was to eclipse that of the prophets.

1. "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." Jno. 3:34.

2. God was with the Son in all that He revealed.

a. "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." Jno. 12:49.

3. So, He could say to His apostles: "For all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." Jno. 15;15.

4. Therefore, it is no marvel that God declared:

a. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Matt. 17:5.

V. GOD'S REVELATION BY THE APOSTLES.

A. Before He left His apostles, Jesus promised:

1. "But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Jno. 14:26.

B. He further stated that they would bear witness by the Spirit. Jno. 15:26,27.

C. God's revealed will thus came through the apostles.

1. Paul says: "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." 1 Cor. 2:10.

2. Paul further affirms that those mysteries, revealed by the Spirit to them, were also revealed to us.

a. He says: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." Gal. 3:23.

b. He explained to the Ephesians: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words), whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." Eph. 3:3.

D. So, Paul says God revealed to him the mystery of the plan of salvation, and he wrote it that WE might understand.

1. By this means the mind of God is opened unto man.

2. This unlocks the door, and we learn what to do to please God.

3. This was of God: not of man; for Paul says: "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Gal. 1:2.

E. This revelation unto us by the apostles through the written word, the New Testament, is the final information that God has or will ever reveal unto man while man is upon the earth.

1. No writings of man, whether it be Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen G. White, the Pope, Rutherford, or Russell, are inspired of God.

a. Any one adding the writings of the above mentioned people, to the final word of God, given by inspiration through the apostles, Jude 3, is adding to the word of God and is therefore condemned. Rev. 22:18,19.

CONCLUSION:

1. We need to keep in mind that: "without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder to them that diligently seek him." Heb. 11:6.

2. But don't overlook how this faith, that pleases God, comes about.

A. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17.

B. Peter says: "And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1 Pet. 1:25.

3. So, let us never discount the worth of God's revealed word, the gospel, in saving our souls and the souls of those about us. Rom. 1:16,17; Titus 2:11-14.

4. Have you obeyed the gospel and are now saved from your past sins?

A. If you haven't, what are you waiting for?

B. Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow might be too late!

By Jim Sasser

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