God has truly revealed to us what we need to know, love, and serve him faithfully (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We can then be confident that what he has emphasized we should emphasize. And, what he has not, we should not. 

One of the hidden gems of pastoral ministry is watching God turn the lights on in a Christian’s mind. And, when he turns the lights on, he also turns on the heat. God is kind to open minds to understand the Word of God, and as he does, he enflames hearts to rejoice in the God of the Word. Like Mary, I treasure these things up in my heart.

If there is a time for rejoicing, there is also a time for grimacing. And, as we know, things like this are common in a broken world. Instead of focusing upon the clear (and essential) doctrines revealed in the Scriptures, some can become fixated on things that are less important and even less straightforward. Like walking in the muddy brook when the path is clear, some seem to fixate on peripheral or even trivial matters.

This is as dangerous as it is discouraging. With an eye toward the mysterious or unclear, we can wander away from the Bible’s clear teachings—even in the name of serious study.

With love for the church and the Word, John Calvin provides some helpful words:

And in fact, while the Spirit ever teaches us to our profit, he either remains silent upon those things of little value for edification, or only lightly or cursorily touches them. It is also our duty to renounce those things which are unprofitable. 

Here Calvin expresses confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture. God has truly revealed to us what we need to know, love, and serve him faithfully (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We can then be confident that what he has emphasized we should emphasize. And, what he has not, we should not. 

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