Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Given the fact that God's Word is absolute Truth, it follows that it is inerrant. What we mean by this is that in all the subjects that the Word of God deals with or touches upon, it contains no errors. That is how the psalmist regards it in our text this week. He calls it "perfect" and "sure". The word translated "perfect" means "blameless", "upright", and the word translated as "sure" means "faithful", "established".
Regarding the Bible as perfect, blameless, upright, sure, faithful and established should certainly determine the way that we approach its pages. Too many people today set themselves up as judges over God's Word. They read something they don't like and so they reject it. They see something that is hard to understand and so they dismiss it as being a mistake. But if the Bible is perfect and blameless, sure and faithful then we are in no position to sift through its pages and cherry pick the bits we like, while we discard the bits that are hard to understand or the bits that we find less pleasing. If the Bible is indeed the way the Psalmist describes it, then it contains no errors and it becomes the standard against which we are to measure ourselves - our conduct, our motives, our words, our thoughts, our desires. In this situation, it is the Word of God that judges us and not we that judge it.
So we can know when we come to its pages that it will not mislead us, it will not lie to us and it will not present us with untested and flimsy theories that will collapse under us if we ever lean on them. Rather, we will receive perfect, blameless, sure and faithful instruction about what we are to believe and how we are to live. This is what Philip Henry had to say about the Bible:
Conversion turns us to the Word of God, as our touchstone, to examine ourselves . . . as our glass, to dress by (James 1); as our rule to walk and work by (Gal. 6:16); as our water, to wash us (Ps. 119:9); as our fire to warm us (Luke 24); as our food to nourish us (Job 23:12); as our sword to fight with (Eph. 6); as our counsellor, in all our doubts (Ps. 119:24); as our cordial, to comfort us; as our heritage, to enrich us.
The fact of the matter is that the Bible very clearly claims its own inerrancy, its faithfulness, its perfection. Those who live their lives by its teachings and even give their lives to uphold its truths readily agree with Philip Henry and with the Psalmist. They have experienced the power of God's Word. It has never let them down but has always proved an accurate handbook for life and faith.
Christian, you know this is true. So in the coming week, read God's Word! Let its truths fill your heart and your mind and direct the path of your life. Make an appointment each day to feed your soul on this priceless gift which God has so graciously given you!
