"The Word of the Lord Endures Forever"

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (ESV, John 10:10)

Life and light are found in a relationship with God and relationship with God can be discovered, embraced, and patterned through careful examination of the word of God. That, my friends, is the foundational difference which sets Christianity apart from Liberalism, and the word of God is the topic of today’s discussion (67).

The key point I would like to evaluate is based on this quote by Machen: “Dependence upon a word of man would be slavish, but dependence upon God’s word is life” (67). Walk with me through the historical atrocities of the world. Because of the words and leadership of evil men, vulnerable individuals have endured the brutalities of the Rwandan genocide, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the Holocaust led by Adolf Hitler, the Armenian genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis, and American slavery to name a few. In each of these instances, the words of men caused horrific things to take place. That is why, as Machen states, listening and following the words of men brings slavery, bondage, pain, and death. Whenever a person is utterly controlled by another person, the downfall of that person or that civilization is imminent. The antithesis of slavery is freedom and true freedom can only be found in a relationship with Christ and in emulating and believing the truth of the Bible.

What makes the words of God different than the words of men? First, the word of God is perfect because God is perfect. Psalms 18:30 says: “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him” (ESV). Every single human is fallen; therefore, no finite human can produce words upon which an individual can state their life. Only the words of God are perfect. Second, men die and their words and actions die with them. God, however, always was and always will be, and his words endure forever and his words bring life. 1 Peter 1:25 states: “but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached to you” (NIV). We can stake our lives upon the words of Christ because they are true, they are everlasting, and they produce salvation for those willing to follow. Third, following the word of Christ leads to life. 1 John 2:5 states: “But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him” (ESV). Emulating and dedicating one’s life to the words and truth of Scripture is a paramount factor in that person’s salvation. Throughout chapter 5, Machen shares the fact that those who ascribe to Liberalism believe that Christian experience is enough; however, according to Machen, Christian experience needs to be followed by the truth and facts that are contained in Scripture. Scripture is the perfect guide for the Christian life.

In conclusion, Christians may feel that they are “captive” because of all of the various rules and directions set forth in Scripture. However, this could not be further from the truth. The Bible was given to us out of love to gently guide us and lead us to Christ. Yes, the Bible contains truth which, to the unbeliever, is damning, but to the child of Christ, these words are sweet like honey and bring a peace that transcends human understanding. These words are truth and in these words, we find light in our darkness and peace in our chaos.