Is The Bible Sufficient?
Many religious people believe in the inspiration of the Bible, yet they are not willing to accept it as a sufficient guide to salvation. Some believe that in order to be saved there must be a direct revelation from God through the Holy Spirit; sent to work on the heart, separate and apart from the word of God. I submit that God's word; the preaching of that word and obedience to that word is all that is necessary to our salvation. David said. "The law of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul..." (Psa, 19:7).
We cannot expect God to do more for man than he already has. He gave His only begotten Son, to die on the cross, shedding his blood for the redemption of mankind. After being raised from the dead, Jesus gave instructions to His apostles to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mk. 16:1516). In order for men to be saved today, we must still preach this same gospel to them. Paul declared, "It was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). Again he said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16). James affirms that we are to "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (Jas. 1:21).
If something else is needed in bringing man to God other than the preaching of the word and one believing it and obeying, then the following passages have little meaning. Jesus told His apostles: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into ALL TRUTH..." (Jno. 16:13). We believe that the Spirit did exactly what Jesus promised. Paul confirms this when he stated that "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, FURNISHED COMPLETELY UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Notice carefully the words of Peter: "Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO LIFE AND GODLINESS ..." (2 Pet. 1:3). Hence, we have ALL the truth, we are COMPLETELY furnished unto every good work and we have ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness. Do we need anything else? If so, what?
"Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son" (2 Jno. 9).
— Lafayette, Louisiana