Doubtless, no finite mind can fully comprehend the infinite mind of God. Nevertheless, God has revealed Himself in the Bible precisely so that we would have a sure, authoritative, and trustworthy knowledge of all things necessary for our salvation and for obedient living.

President Clinton also stated his case for an ambiguous interpretation of scripture in other words. "The most important political verses for 2004 [are] where Saint Paul contrasts life today with life in heaven with God. He says, 'But now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, and love, these three. But the greatest of these is love.'"

In citing First Corinthians 13:12-13, Mr. Clinton misuses the Apostle Paul's words. Paul was not resigning himself and his fellow believers to ambiguity when interpreting the Bible. To the contrary, he was comparing our finite, but real knowledge of God granted us by scripture in this life with the perfect knowledge of God we will be given when in His presence for eternity.

Sunday's sermon at The Riverside Church was not merely an effort to mobilize religious liberals for political action. In his sermon, President Clinton probably revealed more than he intended when he tried to construct an interpretive defense for his use of scripture. The issues of biblical authority and the absolute truthfulness and trustworthiness of God's Word are of paramount importance for the church. Without confidence in the Word of God, the church cannot speak with authority. If the Bible is treated with casual disregard or when its clear teachings are declared to be ambiguous, the church is deceived and headed for theological disaster.

A full affirmation of the Bible's authority requires belief in the clarity of the biblical text. This clarity--known to theologians as "perspicuity"--assures us that the Bible is indeed meant to be understood. In the Holy Scriptures, we are not confronted with a secret code, a hidden message, or a massive ambiguity. To the contrary, the Bible speaks with divine authority on all matters and on every issue it addresses.

For President Bill Clinton, the real problem is not that the Bible sends an ambiguous message about sexuality, but that he rejects or relativizes those texts that speak without question or confusion to the sinfulness of homosexual behavior.

Across the worldview divide that marks our cultural landscape, the disagreements over issues ranging from abortion and homosexuality to embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage reveal a far deeper divide--a division between those who see the Bible as the Word of God and those who see the Bible as a fallible human instrument containing some degree of spiritual wisdom. President Clinton helped to make that point as he preached to the congregation at The Riverside Church this past Sunday. He sought to awaken religious liberals to the peril of conservative Christian political action. Nevertheless, his sermon deserves the attention of every thoughtful believer, for in setting out his doctrine of biblical ambiguity, the former president provided us all with a clear demonstration of where such ambiguity leads. Once again we were reminded that when it comes to Bill Clinton, the medium is the message.

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R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. For more articles and resources by Dr. Mohler, and for information on The Albert Mohler Program, a daily national radio program broadcast on the Salem Radio Network, go to www.albertmohler.com . For information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to www.sbts.edu . Send feedback to mail@albertmohler.com .