A Settled Word

By Paul Chappell

"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction."

Psalm 119:89–92

Not everyone accepts that the Word of God is settled. Many religions teach that rather than being complete, Scripture is still being added in our day. For example, the official position of the Mormon church says, "To the Mormons, God is still a God of continuing revelation. Hence, the LDS canon is open; the Doctrine and Covenants becomes an official, open-ended locus for revelations that affect the whole Church; and revelations continue to come to the living prophets, seers, and revelators of the Church, to be communicated to the members."

The problem with that approach (in addition to being a rejection of what the Bible teaches) is that if the Word is not settled, our faith can never be settled. Those who are looking for additional revelation and a new word from God have no basis to be certain in what they have. Since faith comes from the Bible (Romans 10:17), we must have a Bible that we can trust. And that is exactly what God has given to us.

The Scriptures give us many wonderful promises that allow us to be confident that we have the finished Word of God. Psalm 12:6–7 says, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Rather than looking for new revelation and new words from God, we should be reading and studying and obeying the settled Word of God that has been kept for us by His power and promises.

Today's Rooted Principle:

Everything the Bible says is fully settled; you can have complete confidence in God’s Word.