A Sure Word of Prophecy, by Rev. Robert Hunter

This verse speaks of God's Word: that it can be trusted without reservation. It recommends that we take heed to its teaching, and then tells us what the result will be when we obey its teaching. 

First, let us look at the more sure word of "prophecy." "Prophecy" here has reference to the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. Why is this prophecy so sure? Because it came from God. Just two verses further on in this chapter, we read, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1:21) What this verse simply means is that there were certain times in the lives of these holy men when they sat down to write, that God took over their writing skills and they penned exactly what God wanted them to write. When they had finished writing, we can say God spoke because they wrote as they were moved by God. It was not their words, but they were God's words.

This is what we call the inspiration of the Scriptures. In II Timothy 3:16 we read: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Let's see if we can explain this another way. We have all heard the story concerning the potter and the clay -- how that the potter has power over the clay. The clay has not power of its own self. It is simply molded by the potter as he sees fit. When these holy men wrote the scriptures they were simply clay in the hands of God: the Potter. Thus they wrote what thus saith the Lord. Jesus Christ is the main subject of prophecy. Jesus said: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39). Jesus believed the scriptures. Jesus had the utmost confidence in the scriptures. Jesus quoted from the scriptures. When Jesus wanted to prove His point, He said, "It is written." Jesus said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17-18). Yes, we have a sure word of prophecy.

God's Word, the scriptures, is our utmost authority. There is no authority that supercedes the scriptures. To disbelieve the scriptures is like telling God "I don't believe You. What You say doesn't count." Man is trying many ways to solve the world's problems. They try education, they change environments, they take people out of poverty, they give jobs, they join a church, but anything they do is sure to fail. If you don't do what the scriptures teach and trust Jesus as your own personal Saviour and make Jesus Lord of your life, you will come out on the short end. Someone said, "God meant what He said and He said what He meant." That is exactly true. God meant every word that is written in scripture. Let's take one word in scripture and have a look at it. Let's take the word, "never," which means, no time at all, not even one time. The first scripture we would like to look at is Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus said: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Many will say in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." You see many people believe that they can work their way into Heaven, but there is only one work that God will accept and that is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We read, "Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom He hath sent" (John 6:29). If you have not entered into a personal relationship with God, by receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, nothing else will do. Jesus will say, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity..." and don't forget never means never.

There is another verse of scripture with the word "never" in it. It is a very beautiful verse found in the gospel of John. Jesus calls them that receive Him His sheep. We read: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:27-28).

Did you get the full impact of those verses? Jesus said, "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish." And don't forget, God means what He says. Never means never, not even one time. This agrees with what the Apostle Paul said when he wrote to the church at Philippi and said: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

Thank God for the confidence. Thank God for the "sure word of prophecy." They shall never perish. Our text says, ye do well when ye heed this sure word of prophecy. To heed is the opposite of rejection. It is more than standing idly by and not taking any action at all. To take no action is the same as rejection. To heed means to believe and obey, to trust what God has said, to accept what God has offered, and to do what God says to do.

When you take heed, things begin to happen. The next thing our text says is, "as unto a light." That light is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John the Baptist was sent to bear witness of the true light. We read: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:6-9). John, in bearing witness to that light, said: "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).

Then our text speaks of the light shining in a dark place. Where is this dark place? This dark place is none other than the heart of man. The Bible speaks of the heart of man as being deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Paul in describing the condition of unregenerate man said: "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed innocent blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:10-18). Paul spoke of man's heart as being darkened. We read: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). Paul not only spoke of man's heart being darkened, but their understanding also being darkened. We read: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Ephesians 4:18). 

Our text explains to us that you take heed to the sure Word of prophecy as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn. What does it mean until the day dawn? When the sure Word of God is given, the Holy Spirit is faithful to do His work in your heart, to show you your true sinful condition, to convict you of your sins, and to point you to the Light of the world, the true Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the gospel of John what Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would do when He sent Him into the world. We read: "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send Him, unto you. And when he is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me; for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:7-14).

Our text ends by saying: "And the day star arise in your hearts." Now what, or should I say, Who, is this "Day Star"? This Day Star is the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, when you hear the sure word of prophecy, and the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sins, and points you to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who paid for your sins by shedding His own blood on the cross of Calvary, the Holy Spirit also invites you to accept Christ as your own personal Saviour. It is then that the "Day Star" arises in your heart, and you have what Paul described as "Christ in you the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). There are many verses given in the scriptures, the "Sure Word of Prophecy," as an invitation for you to accept Christ and have this "Day Star" arise in your heart like John 1:12: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 3:36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Romans 10:9-10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

I remember when the "Day Star" arose in my heart. I had been going to Sunday school and church for years, but had never heard a sure word of prophecy concerning how to be saved. One church member told me to go to the mourners' bench and wait for religion to hit me. I am glad today that I have more than religion. I have Christ. I was told by a pastor that I had to make sure that my good deeds outweighed my bad deeds and then I would be all right. I started listening to two gospel programs on the radio, "Back To The Bible" and the "Radio Bible Class," and heard the true word of prophecy for the first time. I learned that I was a sinner on my way to hell, that Christ died for my sins on the cross of Calvary, and that I could have my sins forgiven and receive eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I thought I had to be saved in church, so each Sunday I went to church and waited for the pastor to give an invitation to join the church. I would not respond to the pastor's invitation because joining the church was not what I wanted. I wanted to be saved. Sometimes the pastor would lean over the pulpit and say, "Come shake my hand." I did not shake his hand. I wanted to receive Christ as my personal Saviour.

One day while working in the field on my father's farm, I began to pray, and I said, "Lord, this pastor will not give me a chance to be saved." I did not hear an audible voice, but the Lord spoke to my heart. He was saying, "I'm giving you a chance." I said, "Lord, what do you mean?" And His reply was, "You can be saved now." I said, "Here in this field?" And the Lord's reply was, "Yes, here in this field." I bowed my head while leaning on a hoe and thanked God for paying for my sins on the cross and asked Him to come into my heart. From that very moment I knew that God had been faithful; my sins were forgiven, I had eternal life and by the power of the Holy Spirit the "Day Star" had arisen in my heart.

To anyone reading this message, I would have you to note, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your heart" (II Peter 1:21).