"Thy
Word" by
J. Parnell McCarter
Date: 9/16/17
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path." - Psalm 119:5
"from a child thou
hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”- II Timothy 3:15
Is the Bible for us truly a lamp unto our feet
and a light unto our path, or is it rather just an unclear message with which
men grope in the dark?
But if it is not a lamp unto our feet and a
light unto our path, could it be that it is because we do not want to believe
its clear message, but rather follow a man-made religion closer to our own
desires?
In contrast, the Westminster Standards say:
"VI. The whole counsel of God concerning
all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is
either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence
may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added,
whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.[12] Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of
the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things
as are revealed in the Word:[13] and that there are some circumstances concerning the
worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and
societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian
prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be
observed.[14]
VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain
in themselves, nor alike clear unto all:[15] yet those things which are necessary to be known,
believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in
some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned,
in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding
of them.[16]"
Papist