This post was first published during October 2017. –ed.
The great Puritan preacher Thomas Watson said, “The devil and his agents have been blowing at Scripture light, but could never blow it out; a clear sign it was lighted from heaven.” [1] Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1958), 27.
You don’t have to look hard for evidence of Satan’s attempts to snuff out the light of God’s Word. In his sermon “Six Attributes of the Nature of Scripture,” John MacArthur describes the pivotal battles he has engaged in to defend Scripture’s nature and character. Battles for the inerrancy, completeness, relevance, sufficiency, and clarity of God’s Word have dominated the last fifty years of church history, and there is no end in sight to Satan’s repeated assaults.
In response to those demonic attacks, John examines three verses from Psalm 19 that exalt the character and nature of Scripture.
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. (Psalm 19:7-9)
As John notes, “God, with an astounding and supernatural economy of words, sums up everything that needs to be said about the power and sufficiency, the comprehensiveness and completeness, of Scripture.”
In other words, this short passage contains everything you need to combat Satan’s major assaults on the Word of God. It holds all the encouragement and incentive you could want to fix your heart on Scripture and hold fast to the testimony of God’s truth.
In “Six Attributes of the Nature of Scripture,” John MacArthur walks you through the key characteristics of God’s Word that David highlights in his Psalm: that it is perfect, sure, right, clear, clean, and true. John also examines the biblical effects of those characteristics: that the Word restores the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, endures forever, and produces comprehensive righteousness.
“Six Attributes of the Nature of Scripture” gives listeners a full-orbed perspective on the greatness and power of God’s Word. It confronts us with the inadequacies and shortcomings of our own thoughts about Scripture, and prompts us to delve deeper into its powerful riches. No matter where you are in your spiritual life—from new believer to seasoned saint—this message will energize your love for and understanding of God’s Word.
Click here to listen to “Six Attributes of the Nature of Scripture.”
