Why The Word Must Take Preeminence
A few weeks ago the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, said there is no hell. The whole of
Christianity was aghast that he would say such a thing. Why would he say such a thing and why would
everyone be standing there with their jaws on the ground?
To the first question, I don’t know why a man that made a life of trying to keep people out of hell would
turn around and say there is no hell. It kinda flies in the face of reason.
So, why is everybody else upset. Well it is like this. If there is no hell then by shear logic there is no
heaven. And, if you continue to go down the line of logic there is no devil and there is no God. So, the
Pope said that there was no reason for Jesus Christ to have come to Earth and no reason to save
mankind from their sins. In other words there is no punishment for living an evil life and no rewards for
living by the edicts of God. He has turned the Roman Catholic Church to the philosophy of the
Epicureans “let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
This is where most people’s heads start to spin, they throw their hands up and walk away. This sort of
thing is why Christianity has become a laughing stock to the rest of the world. So, what do you do?
The ONE RULE to hold on to, the ONE RULE to cling to, like a little girl holding a doll in a gale, is that THE
BIBLE IS THE AUTHORITY. It has the preeminence and it is our only guide for faith and practice.
Men may come and men may go, but, God liveth and abideth forever. Patrick Henry said that he would
live to see the day when no one would read the Bible. Patrick Henry died over two hundred years ago
and there are millions still reading the Bible.
What man says, even the Pope, doesn’t matter unless it lines up with the written, revealed Word of
God.
So, let’s take a look at what the Bible says
Revelation 1:17-18 (KJV)
17 And when I saw him (Jesus Christ), I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying
unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of
hell and of death.
Why does Jesus Christ have the keys to hell and death? Because he is our redeemer and without him no
one would rise from the dead.
2 Peter 2:1-9 (KJV)
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil
spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose
judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them
into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness,
bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul
from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished:
Yep, I told you that there is a hell and there is punishment. Did you know that part of our hope is to see
all those that persecuted us here on earth get their just desserts in the end?
2 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (KJV)
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith
groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your
persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of
the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe
(because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
God is real, Heaven is real, Jesus Christ is real and what Jesus Christ accomplished here on Earth
is real.
Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
In the beginning GOD! God created the heaven and the earth not man, not Patrick Henry or the
Pope or any other man or woman. Not only did God create the earth He sent His son to save us.John 3:14-17 (KJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
Psalm 33:12-22 (KJV)
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his
own inheritance.
13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much
strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
No man is saved by his strength and no man is saved by his intellect. We are SAVED by believing that
Jesus is lord and that God raised him from the dead. Part of the being saved package is that we go to
heaven.
Ephesians 1:8-14 (KJV)
8 Wherein he (God) hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the
praise of his glory.
Well, I got off the subject of the authority of God’s Word. That’s OK because you need to know what the
Bible says about life and death and Heaven and hell.But, what about the authority of God’s Word?
2 Peter 1:16-21 (KJV)
16 For we (the Apostles) have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Bible didn’t come by the will of man. It came from God
Galatians 1:11-12 (KJV)
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
How did Paul get the Epistles that he wrote? By revelation!
Psalm 138:2 (KJV)
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for
thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
God didn’t magnify man above His name nor did He magnify the stars or the hills or anything else. He
magnified His WORD.
There has been and will continually be men that try to disparage and to laugh at the Bible. Don’t pay any
attention to them no matter what position they hold. Stay with and in the Word and you will reap the
rewards for all eternity