BIBLICALIST
CLOSENew Believers
Lesson 3 of 12. Learn why Scripture must have the final word over feelings, tradition, teachers, and personal opinion.
03
NEW BELIEVERS
THE BIBLE IS MY AUTHORITY
God’s Word is the final authority. A new believer must learn where to stand. Your faith should not be built on opinions, emotions, religious traditions, popular teachers, or personal experience. The Christian life must be built on the written Word of God.
The Scriptures came from God. The Bible is not merely a collection of human ideas about God. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Because Scripture came from God, it has authority over what we believe and how we live.
The Bible tells me what is true. If the Bible is my authority, then Scripture must decide what I believe. I do not correct the Bible. The Bible corrects me. I do not place my feelings above Scripture. I bring my feelings under Scripture.
The Bible teaches me what is true.
The Bible shows me where I am wrong.
The Bible shows me how to get right.
The Bible shows me how to continue in righteousness.
Feelings are not my final guide.
Feelings can be strong, but they are not always right. A believer must not let emotions become the judge of truth. God tells us to trust Him and not lean on our own understanding.
Tradition must bow to Scripture.
Some traditions may be harmless, but no tradition should replace the Word of God. If a teaching contradicts Scripture, the believer must choose Scripture.
Jesus answered with Scripture. When the Lord Jesus was tempted, He answered with the written Word. He said, “It is written.” The believer should learn to answer temptation, confusion, and false teaching with Scripture.
Receive teaching, but check it by the Bible. A Biblicalist does not reject teaching. A Biblicalist tests teaching by Scripture. The Bereans were called noble because they received the word with readiness and searched the Scriptures daily.
The Word of God is truth. The world changes. Opinions change. Culture changes. But God’s truth does not change. The believer must learn to measure every teaching, idea, and decision by the truth of God’s Word.
The Bible gives direction. God’s Word does not only teach doctrine. It also gives light for daily decisions. A believer who wants to walk wisely must learn to let Scripture guide his path.
How should I treat the Bible? If the Bible is my authority, then I must come to it with humility. I do not use Scripture only to support what I already want. I let Scripture teach me, correct me, and change me.
Begin with Scripture, not opinion.
Do not build doctrine from isolated words without the passage.
Do not use difficult verses to overthrow plain truth.
Every teacher, tradition, and feeling must be tested by Scripture.
Teachers can help, but Scripture must rule. God gives pastors and teachers to help believers grow. But no teacher should replace the Bible. A faithful teacher points you back to Scripture. A new believer should learn respectfully, but also prove all things by the Word of God.
Hear the Word, then obey it. The Bible is not only for reading. It is for believing and obeying. As you grow, make this your habit: read what God said, believe it, and take the next step of obedience.
1. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, where did Scripture come from?
2. Should feelings or traditions be placed above the Bible?
3. What did Jesus answer with when He was tempted?
4. Why were the Bereans called noble in Acts 17:11?
5. According to James 1:22, should I only hear the Word or also obey it?