Chapter 2

 

Things Most Surely Believed Among Us

 

ÒForasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.Ó (Luke 1:1-4)

 

            There are four things to be learned from these opening words of LukeÕs gospel. I must give them to you with great brevity; but I pray that God the Holy Spirit, whose words they are, will burn them into our hearts.

 

Some Things All Christians Believe

 

The first thing to be learned from the opening words of LukeÕs gospel is the fact that there are some things all true Christians believe. Luke does not mince words about this. Neither should we. Let men accuse us of being narrow-minded dogmatists, out of step with the rest of the religious world, and heap upon us whatever ugly names they choose, the Word of God plainly declares that some things are vital. Some things must be known and believed. Those who do not believe these things are not saved.

 

            Luke tells us that he wrote his gospel, Òto set forth in order those things which are most surely believed among us.Ó All who are, like Theophilus, lovers of God, love those things most surely believed among us. What are those things? I will give them to you in five, unmistakable statements.

 

  1. All men and women are sinners in need of GodÕs salvation, lost, ruined, dead in trespasses and sins, under the curse of GodÕs holy law, and totally incapable of changing their condition. Like the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son, described in the parable (Luke 15), none could ever be saved except the triune God seek us out, find us and bring us home to himself by redeeming blood and omnipotent grace.

 

  1. Jesus Christ is the incarnate God. The Son of God came in the flesh (9:20).

 

  1. The Lord Jesus Christ has effectually accomplished and obtained salvation for sinners by his obedience and death as the sinners Substitute (1:68).

 

  1. This salvation comes to sinners by the gift of God, according to his own sovereign, eternal purpose of grace in Christ, as a matter of pure, free, sovereign grace (4:25-27).

 

  1. GodÕs grace in Christ is so abundantly free that every sinner in this world who needs it has it (9:11).

 

Eyewitnesses and Ministers

 

The second thing revealed here is the fact that GodÕs servants tell only what they know from first hand experience, by direct experience, by divine revelation, as those who are taught of God. Luke describes the apostles as those men who were Òeyewitnesses and ministers of the word.Ó I am aware that these words, in their strict interpretation, apply only to the apostles, those who saw the Lord Jesus in the flesh and learned the gospel directly from his lips. But there are no apostles, in the official sense of that word today. Does that mean the text has no meaning for us? Of course not! All true gospel preachers, like the original apostles, are also Òeyewitnesses and ministers of the word.Ó

 

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:1-3)

 

            Faithful men do not deal in second hand goods, or debate about matters of doubtful disputation. They tell what they know, report what they have seen, and teach what they have been taught of God. I take no license with the Scriptures when I tell you that all that Luke says in verses two and three is applicable to all true gospel preachers.

 

"Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,"

 

We preach that which we have experienced by the grace of God, as eyewitnesses. We are ministers, servants of the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:7). GodÕs servants are men who have a God-given, complete, comprehensive understanding of all things spiritual.

 

            When Luke says that he had Òperfect understanding of all things,Ó he was not suggesting infallible knowledge, but complete knowledge. And every servant of God, every man called and gifted of God to preach the gospel has that same knowledge of Holy Scripture. That man who has not yet learned the message of the Scriptures is not yet called and gifted of God to be a preacher. Such a man is not apt to teach and is not fit to teach, because he has nothing worth teaching.

 

            The words, Òfrom the very firstÓ(v. 3), should be and most commonly are translated Òfrom aboveÓ (John 3:31; 19:11; James 1:17; 3:15, 17). GodÕs servants are men who get their knowledge, their understanding, and their message from above. By the preaching of the gospel they set forth the things of God in order, in an orderly fashion, before men.

 

The Word of God

 

"It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent TheophilusÓ (v. 3). — Third, Luke here teaches us that the Bible is the Book of GodÕs writing, the inspired Word of God. In their strict sense, these words must be understood as a claim to divine inspiration. Most commentators, especially the modern men who love to appear intellectual, try to prove that Luke used this source or that as the historic basis for his gospel narrative. Such speculations tend to undermine our sense of the BibleÕs divine inspiration and authority as the Word of God. This Book is he Book of God, given to us by supernatural, divine inspiration. Let us always reverence it, not as the word of men, but as the very Word of God himself (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).).

 

Because the Bible is the Word f God, let us always bow to it, submitting our reason, learning and experience, our emotions, traditions and prejudices to the Scriptures. If we see something in the Bible that we cannot understand or reconcile with some other passage of Scripture, the fault is not with the Word of God, but with our puny brains.

 

To Make Us Wise unto Salvation

 

Fourthly, we are here taught that the purpose of God in giving us his Word is to make us wise unto salvation. Blessed are they who, like Timothy, have grace bestowed upon them by which they know Òthe holy scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ JesusÓ (2 Timothy 3:15).

 

"It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed" (vv. 3-4).

 

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)

 

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:10-13)

 

            Jesus Christ is GodÕs Salvation. This great salvation is the gift of GodÕs grace. God gives it to every sinner who believes the record he gave concerning his Son. Will you believe God; or will you die in your sins? God help you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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