## What The Bible Is All About

## II Timothy 3:16

Occasionally, someone will walk into my office - it is usually a student - and view my library. Then comes the question, "Have you read all of these books?" Some I have read, others I have not read, and most of them I have read partially. Some books are so huge (the complete works of Josephus - not Bocephus!) that they can intimidate us.

In my hand I hold the Bible. It can be intimidating. After all, it is a BIG BOOK! (39 chapters in the Old Testament, 27 in the New, 66 all together. An entire library of law, history, poetry, wisdom and prophecy.) But unlike every other book that had ever been printed, the Bible IS the key to understanding life and purpose. It is of great importance that we understand what the Bible is all about. Note this morning several themes that we find in Scripture that will help us understand what it is all about.

I. The Bible Describes the Person of God.

A. It begins with a declaration of His existence.

1. The Bible doesn't defend or explain His existence, as we might do if we wrote it.

2. It just simply states the existence of God as a fact.

3. "In the beginning God..."

B. It contiues by painting a picture of His personality and attributes.

1. God is eternal.

(PSA 90:2) "BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BROUGHT FORTH, OR EVER THOU HADST FORMED THE EARTH AND THE WORLD, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, THOU ART GOD."

2. God is unchanging.

(MAL 3:6A) "FOR I AM THE LORD, I CHANGE NOT"

(HEB 13:8) "JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TO DAY, AND FOR EVER."

3. God is perfect and holy.

(HAB 1:13A) "THOU ART OF PURER EYES THAN TO BEHOLD EVIL, AND CANST NOT LOOK ON INIQUITY:"

(1 JOHN 1:5) "THIS THEN IS THE MESSAGE WHICH WE HAVE HEARD OF HIM, AND DECLARE UNTO YOU, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL."

NOTE - The Lord is called "the Holy One" some thirty times in Isaiah alone.

4. God is the creator.

(GEN 1:1) "IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH."

5. God is just and the righteous judge:

(ACTS 17:31) "BECAUSE HE HATH APPOINTED A DAY, IN THE WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN RIGHTEOUSNESS BY THAT MAN WHOM HE HATH ORDAINED; WHEREOF HE HATH GIVEN ASSURANCE UNTO ALL MEN, IN THAT HE HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD."

6. God is good.

(NAHUM 1:7) "THE LORD IS GOOD, A STRONG HOLD IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE; AND HE KNOWETH THEM THAT TRUST IN HIM."

7. God is truth.

8. God is merciful.

9. God is gracious.

10. God loves us.

(EPH 2:4) "BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US,"

(JER 31:3) "THE LORD HATH APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE: THEREFORE WITH LOVINGKINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE."

(JOHN 3:16) "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE."

(ROM 5:8) "BUT GOD COMMENDETH HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US."

C. When we read the Bible, we come to understand who God is. GOD HAS SPOKEN, and revealed Himself to us.

(HEB 1:1-2) "GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, {2} HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON, WHOM HE HATH APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS;"

II. The Bible Describes The Problem Facing Mankind.

God has a law which man violates, and as a result of that he suffers the cursing of God. Violation of God's law, disobedience toward God, brings cursing.

A. It started in paradise.

(GEN 2:16-17) "AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING, OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: {17} BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE."

(GEN 3:6) "AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, AND THAT IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES, AND A TREE TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, SHE TOOK OF THE FRUIT THEREOF, AND DID EAT, AND GAVE ALSO UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER; AND HE DID EAT."

B. It is described throughout the Old Testament.

(PSA 51:3) "FOR I ACKNOWLEDGE MY TRANSGRESSIONS: AND MY SIN IS EVER BEFORE ME."

(EZEK 18:4) "BEHOLD, ALL SOULS ARE MINE; AS THE SOUL OF THE FATHER, SO ALSO THE SOUL OF THE SON IS MINE: THE SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT SHALL DIE."

C. It is further explained in the New Testament.

(ROM 3:23) "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD;" [6]

(ROM 6:23) "FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."

D. When we read the Bible, we learn over and over again, that sin is the Problem Facing Mankind.

E. Some believe it doesn't apply to them.

ILLUS - Responding to a pastor's sermon one Sunday morning, a man said, "Pastor, I'm as good as the next guy." The pastor replied, "True, but the next guy is a sinner, too."

(1 JOHN 1:8) "IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US."

III. The Bible Describes The Provision Of The Savior.

A. Let's sum up what we've learned so far.

1. There is a God, and He has revealed Himself in scripture.

2. He loves and wants to bless His people. (That's you and me.)

3. We have disobeyed Him, though, so instead of His blessings, we are subject to His judgement!

B. There is a Savior - the scarlet thread which runs from Genesis to Revelation.

C. The Savior is promised and described throughout the Old Testament.

1. The savior is promised as the solution to the fall of man from Eden.

(GEN 3:15) "AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED; IT SHALL BRUISE THY HEAD, AND THOU SHALT BRUISE HIS HEEL."

2. As God sheds the blood of innocent animals to cover the nakedness of man, He shows the need of atonement.

3. In the Tabernacle, the Temple, and in every sacrifice offered we see Jesus

4. We see God's promised provision over and over throughout the Old Testament.

D. The Savior is the theme and subject of the New Testament.

(MAT 1:21) "AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS."

(1 TIM 1:15) "THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING, AND WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION, THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS; OF WHOM I AM CHIEF."

This theme is repeated over and over and over and over again throughout the Bible - THERE IS A PROMISED SAVIOR WHO SOLVES THE PROBLEM FACING MANKIND!

IV. The Bible Reveals the Future of Mankind.

A. It is in our acceptance or rejection of His provision.

1. It would be nice to think that we are all going to go to heaven when we die.

2. But that is not the truth!

3. The truth is that only those who have accepted God's provision will enter into heaven.

4. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them...not for everyone.

B. For those who reject Christ, the future is not so bright.

(MAT 7:23) "AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY."

(MAT 25:41) "THEN SHALL HE SAY ALSO UNTO THEM ON THE LEFT HAND, DEPART FROM ME, YE CURSED, INTO EVERLASTING FIRE, PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS:"

(REV 20:15) "AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE."

What is the Bible all about?

- The Bible Reveals the Person of God.
- The Bible Reveals the Problem Facing Mankind.
- The Bible Reveals the Solution to the Problem.
- The Bible Reveals the Future of Mankind.

Where will we spend eternity? There are only two eternal places; in the presence of God or separated from Him in the Lake of Fire. Regardless of what some might say, the Word of God declares that only two eternal destinations exist. Which one will be ours? Accept Christ today. Put your trust in Him and His finished work on Calvary.