The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)

The psalmist uses the word “testimony,” which looks at God’s Word not as divine instruction, but as divine witness. It is God giving testimony to who He is and what He requires. “His testimony is” – says the psalmist – “sure.” The word means unwavering, immovable, worthy to be trusted, in contrast to the insecure, wavering, shifting, untrustworthy notions of men. The Word of the living God is sure.

The Word then provides a foundation on which life and eternal destiny can be built without hesitation. I’m reminded of what Peter said in 2 Peter 1. He was rehearsing his personal encounter with the majesty of Christ at the transfiguration and he basically says, “I was there when He was transfigured. I saw His majestic glory in that marvelous scene when the heroes of the Old Testament appeared.” But Peter says in verse 19, “There is a more sure word than this.” And that word is the Scripture, given as holy men were moved by the Spirit of God.

And what is its benefit? Notice again, it is making wise the simple. The root of the Hebrew word for “simple” is the idea of an open door. A simple person is undiscerning. They don’t know when to shut the door. They don’t know what to close out.

But they can be made wise. Scripture takes the naive, unexperienced, and uninformed and brings to them individual wisdom. I love the word “wise.” It is a rich Hebrew word. The Old Testament would define this as the ability to make right choices about right things at the right moments in life. It basically means to be skilled in the art of godly living.

And in Scripture, God is always the source. It is that wisdom which is, as James called it, “from above,” accomplished by the knowledge and application of the Word of God. And here is a marvelous promise. The Word of God can take an ignorant person and bring them to such wisdom that they can live out a godly life according to the will of God.

Are we to believe the Word of God is not sufficient then? Are we to believe that we find in the human resources of sociology, psychology, philosophy, and human wisdom what makes up for the lack in the Word of God? Is it really necessary for preachers to go outside the Bible to “make truth relevant and practical,” as I often hear? Listen. The testimony of God Himself is that His Word is sufficient to make the simplest wise in the matter of living in the will of God.

And listen to the wonderful testimony of Psalm 119, that great, great psalm of tribute to the Word of God:

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are mine forever.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I perceive more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts. (Psalm 119:98-100)

You see, the psalmist knew that the source of wisdom was in the Word of God. It is sufficient to transform the soul. It is sufficient to bring about consummate wisdom in the matter of daily living to the glory of God.

This post is based on a sermon Dr. MacArthur preached in 1986, titled “The Sufficiency of Scripture, Part 2.” In addition to serving as the pastor of Grace Community Church and the voice of Grace to You, Dr. MacArthur is the chancellor of The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, Calif. You can learn more about TMU at masters.edu.