The Bible tells me so (part 1)

Open: People are searching for answers to the following: Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Is this all there is? What happens to people when they die?

Transition: These are important questions and how one answers them makes a huge difference. Arriving at the answer is a result of what “kind” of glasses we use to look at the world. Some people have “science” glasses, others have “supernatural” glasses, and there are even some who switch glasses from time to time.

Sources of Authority

Explanation: All of us accept a type of Authority to guide our life and actions. The scientist accepts the results of the Scientific Method. He or she believes only in those things which can be proved by science. A person who only accepts this type of authority will reject the supernatural. His belief system is that humans are simply highly evolved animals with no clear purpose in life, and with no hope of an afterlife. When you die - game over!

A person who believes in God has no problem with the supernatural. He or she believes in an Eternal God who created the World and that humans are a special creation and the highest order of beings. This type of person takes the Bible for his authority. And in the Bible one discovers that only people have souls and differ from the animals. Our lives do have meaning and we do have a purpose in life: to know and to worship the Creator.

Illustrate: Behavior follows belief. Nickolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people (and wounded 17 others) at a high school in Parkland, FL on Feb. 14, 2018. Cruz is a product of a “science only, evolutionary upbringing. He bought into the lie that we are random accidents and that life has no ultimate meaning. [extreme case: very few react at this level, but it is consistent with sources of Authority]

Argument: As young people grow and mature and begin the process of answering the Big Questions, each of them will decide which source of Authority he or she will live by. The world is firmly and wholeheartedly committed to an evolutionary model with no room for any type of God talk. As parents, it is crucial that we teach our children about the things of God. We can and should equip our children to “put on the God-glasses” so they can learn about and hopefully (prayerfully!) accept the Bible as their source of Authority

The Bible is the Inspired Word of God ()

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Explanation: The Scriptures possess a unique quality: they are the only religious texts that have been God-breathed. This means that the very words of Bible have their source in God. This supernatural quality is what is meant by the word INSPIRED. The Bible is the Specific Revelation of God Himself.

Apparent Problem: The person with the ‘science” glasses says, “Not true! The Bible was written by men, and even though they may have been good men, they were just men. Therefore, the Bible is similar to other literature (Shakespeare, Caesar, Homer, etc). And, besides (they say), the Bible has been corrupted over time and is full of errors! The naturalist claims the Bible is simply the ideas of men on the subject of a god they created

Argument: This is a very important statement. Either the Bible is actually God’s Word that He gave to mankind, or it is simply a book that men have written on their own about a god who doesn’t really exist. No one can have it both ways - it is one or the other.

For many of us, this is a settled issue. The Bible is the Word of God and it is the authority for our lives. There is no doubt or uncertainty about the Bible. We may not always follow its rules for life, but we don’t doubt it teaches the correct way.

What we must understand is that our children and grandchildren are being raised in a society that does not accept absolute Truth. Our children are subjected to the idea that the one great sin is that of INTOLERANCE. If a person makes the claim that this one thing (The Bible) is true, that means the other things (the Koran, the book of Mormon, Eastern mysticism) are not true. Such a claim is unacceptable in the modern academic world

Application: Given the cultural divide and the way post-moderns process information, it is not enough to state, “The Bible says so, and that settles it.” If we are concerned about our young people embracing the Truth of the Scripture, we are required to find other means of sharing this Truth.

Why should anyone believe Scripture’s claim about itself?

Explanation: Making progress in this area is where the hard part unfolds. There are many. many reasons for people to accept the Scripture as the revealed Word of God. The problem is that we have become a nation of people who feel strongly about issues, but we don’t like to really think about things. A college professor can simply make the statement, “The bible is full of errors and its teachings are outdated and out of step because it was written by a bunch of men with a male-privileged view of society,” and most students will simply accept the statement at face value because “it feels right” to them.

Illustrate: Confirmation proceedings for Kavenaugh to Supreme Court. Even though the FBI probe cleared him, the protesters are still chanting about how terrible the situation. In the #Me Too movement feelings trump the truth.

Argument: The problem on our end is that most of us don’t know how to answer the question about Scripture’s reliability, and we generally aren’t open to more than a five minute answer from a person who does have an answer. We want an easy answer that doesn’t require us to think. That option, however, does not exist. A very solid case exists for the Reliability and Trustworthiness of the Bible, but it does require critical thinking

What’s at Stake?

What’s at Stake?

If the Bible is True (and it is!) consider the following:

In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth () This statement destroys the atheistic view that the universe has always existed. This one verse declares the Universe had a beginning, and it also declares that God is Creator - which destroys the Theory of Evolution.

For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (). For the wages of sin is death (). But your iniquities have made a separation between you and God () These verses declare that all humanity are guilty of sin, our sin has separated us from God, and that the price of our sin is death. And in declares that Death will be cast into the Lake of Fire. [This means it is not game over when we die. We will either live forever with God, or we will exist forever in torment]

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there in no other name, under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved (, see also ). These two verses clearly statement that Jesus is the only means of Salvation. If this is true (and it is) the Koran is wrong, the Book of Mormon is wrong, Buddhism is wrong, and everything is wrong!

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement () This verse destroys the idea of reincarnation. No on keeps coming back - this is the only life we have.