Light for Every Step
What do you believe about the Bible? You likely hear it preached twice every Sunday and study it in Young People’s or Young Adults. Hopefully you also open it for devotions on your own and with your family. You would probably agree that the Bible is important and should be a regular part of our lives. But it can be easy to fall into an incorrect view of the Bible.
You might think of it as a book mainly for pastors and teachers, not something you need to interact with personally. Or maybe you’ve grown so used to hearing it since you were little that you often tune out because you feel like you know everything already. Or when you face struggles in your life, the Bible can even feel like it doesn’t really connect with what you’re going through right now.
But none of those misconceptions are correct. The Bible is nothing less than the divinely inspired and infallibly written Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19–21). Every page of it is breathed out by God Himself, written down through men who were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is not just a book for pastors. It is not just a set of stories that you’ve heard before. It is God’s personal Word to his people – to you!
How do we know that the Bible is truly the Word of God? For one thing, the Bible testifies of itself. It claims again and again to be God’s Word, and because God cannot lie, His testimony is true. But there’s also another witness: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit testifies in our hearts, giving us certainty that this book is not ordinary but divine (1 John 5:6).
Because it is God’s Word, Scripture has certain attributes that make it unlike any other book:
- Infallibility: It is completely without error (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21).
- Unity: From Genesis to Revelation, it tells one story—the salvation God has given in Jesus Christ (John 5:39).
- Perspicuity: Through the Spirit’s work, God’s Word can be clearly understood by His people for their salvation.
- Authority: It alone is the rule for what we believe and how we live (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
- Sufficiency: It contains everything we need to know for salvation (Belgic Confession, Article 7).
Think about how comforting this is. God hasn’t left you to figure out life by trial and error or to piece together truth from the shifting opinions of the world. He has given you a guide that is perfect, unified, clear, authoritative, and complete.
If you believe that this is true, ask yourself…
- When doubts come, or when I feel pressure to think and act like the world, do I stand firm on the truth that Scripture is infallible and sufficient? Or do I quietly let other voices (friends, influencers, or even my own feelings) carry more weight than God’s Word?
- When I read, do I believe God’s promise that His Word is understandable through the Spirit? Or do I dismiss it as too hard or too boring, forgetting that God Himself speaks to me through it?
- When I hear Scripture explained or read it for myself, do I remember that the whole Bible points to Christ? Am I letting that truth grow my love for Him and my thankfulness for my salvation?
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” That’s exactly what the Bible is for you: a light in the darkness, showing you the way to walk. Treasure it, cling to it, and let it shape your heart and mind each day. In doing so, you will not only be anchored in truth but also drawn closer to your Savior who is at the center of it all – Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
By Abby Van Solkema
Young Calvinists 