Believing the word of god

Believing the Word of God

The Message of the Apostles is the Word of God

The Word of God is Reliable

Because the Apostles are Reliable

The Word of God is Powerful

It transforms us as we

Receive God’s word in our minds

AND

Accept God’s word in our hearts

The Word of God is Dangerous

… for those “in Christ” , but only temporarily – opposition and persecution

…for the “enemies of Christ” possibly eternally – the wrath of God

Introduction

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“Don’t believe everything you hear”

In this age of the internet where

rumors spread faster than a wild fire and

people’s opinions are presented as fact,

that is sound advice.

But while it is sound advice to be discerning in what we believe, we often take this to mean “Don’t believe Anything you hear.”

We have become a people who are extremely skeptical of all that we hear.

The simple fact is that we need to give a hearing to some of the things we hear.

Tornado warning

The other night, we heard our tornado sirens going off after 10 pm. Most of the family was in bed, but we got everyone up and went downstairs.

Now no tornado came through our subdivision, praise the Lord.

In fact I have never seen a tornado come through our subdivision in the 12 years that I have lived there.

And I can tell you that in those 12 years, our tornado sirens have gone off about 25 or 30 times.

So why would I wake my family up and move us all downstairs?

Well, I can tell you that the rains were coming down, and the wind was picking up and I don’t believe that the people who operate our tornado sirens are trying to play a joke on me or the community.

And even though I have never seen a tornado personally, I have seen the effects of a tornado and I have seen the things that accompany a tornado, the rain and the wind.

I can tell you that when those sirens went off it was raining and the wind was picking up. I don’t doubt that the threat of a tornado was real and it was the right thing to do to hear the sirens and take action as a result of what I heard.

And even though I have never seen a tornado, and none has ever come through my subdivision, the consequences of not hearing and acting could be devastating to my family if I were wrong.

So, it is wise to keep our ears open to hear the things that could change our lives and it would be good to have criteria for assessing what to believe concerning what we hear, or at least to give a hearing to, without dismissing it out of hand.

But what about in matters of faith?

How can we assess the truth claims of systems of belief?

And is it really that important that we deal with this now, can’t it all just get sorted out after we die?

Well, I would urge you to not wait until after you die, because the consequences upon you and your family could be great.

This morning, I am going to talk about the word of God as we look at 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16. (Turn there in your Bibles).

Slide

We are going to look at their belief and why it was rational to believe and consider the consequences of both belief and unbelief of the word of God.

Let’s begin.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Pray

First I want you to notice what Paul says about the message that is being spoken by them to the Thessalonians and how they receive it.

He says

The Message of the Apostles is the Word of God

Slide

He says “you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God” (v. 13)

The first thing each and every Christian must fully realize is that the Holy Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God.

There are many liberal Christians who are starting to question the validity and authenticity of the Bible. I will not use this article to debate the origins of the Bible, all of the authors who wrote the books, and how the different translations came into being. There are plenty of good books at your local Christian bookstore that deal with this topic very extensively.

After studying the Bible in its complete entirety – there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the Bible is God-breathed – that all of it has come directly to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit.

For those of you who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible, and that all of it has truly come to us from God the Father.

I will use this article to give you some extremely powerful verses from Scripture to show you that not only did all of the Bible come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit to all of the authors who wrote all 66 books of the Bible – but I will also give you some powerful verses from the Bible showing you how powerful the actual words of the Bible really are, and how they can also help to change and transform you into the kind of person that God really wants you to become in Him.

The actual words of the Bible are anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself – and they have the full ability to completely change and transform you if you are willing to work with the divine truths that are contained in the actual words.

Jesus says in the Bible that you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. However, you first have to know what the real truth is before the truth can start to work to set you free.

This is why Kind David said we must meditate on the words of the Bible – so we can find out what their true meaning is and how all of these divine truths can apply to our daily lives. Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and figure out the meaning of all of the different verses in the Bible.

Though the Book is long, God has made it as simple and easy as He possibly could. Think about this. There is only one Bible. In one Book, God has given us everything we need to know about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the basics of our salvation through His Son Jesus, how He wants us to live this life, the things that He wants us doing, and the things that He does not want us to be doing.

In this one Book are all the ways and commandments of our Lord, along with all the information we are ever going to need on what is awaiting all of us on the other side when we die and cross over – heaven for the saved and hell for the unsaved.

I believe the number one reason God created the human race was for intimate fellowship. Even to the amazement of the angels in heaven, God seems to have some type of special longing and love for the human race.

The fact that God would send His one and only Son Jesus down to our earth in the flesh to go through the worst form of physical death at the time He came, all just to bring us back to Himself, really does show us how much God really does love all of us.

The Bible tells us that the love that God has for all of us is like a “consuming fire.” These two words are showing us a love that is of maximum intensity. With this kind of intense, passionate love that God has for all of us, I believe He is trying to tell all of us one main thing – and that one main thing is that He is looking to enter into a one-on-one, personal, love relationship with each one of us.

Think about this – that the one and only all-powerful God of the entire universe is looking to make a direct, personal connection with you on an individual and unique basis.

If you really step back and look at the big picture and all the things that we see in this life – what is the one thing that most of us long for in this life? What is the one thing that will make you cry when you see this portrayed on the movie screens?

It is the longing for a true soul mate. It is the longing for a pure, true, and unconditional love from a person of the opposite sex. There is nothing that can satisfy the deeper longings of your soul the way that true love can. However, there is just one small catch with this scenario. Even though some of you may have found your true soul mates in this life, there is still one more thing that has not been met.

No matter how perfect you think your mate may be – your mate is still not perfect like God is, since the Bible tells us that all men and women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. What this means is that no matter how good of a love relationship you may have with your mate, that person is still not capable of giving you a perfect love because that person is not perfect in their very nature and personality.

Thus, every single one of us still has that little hole in our soul that just cannot seem to be filled with anything else in our lives.

No matter how much money we have, no matter how many material possessions we have, and no matter how many loving children we have – there is still something missing and none of these things can completely fill that little hole that is in all of our souls.

God has purposely left a vacuum, a hole, and a void in each one of our souls when He created us. And the only thing that can fill this hole and void is God the Father Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely nothing else on this earth that can fill that empty void. People are literally chasing after the wind trying to find anything and everything to fill that void – and no matter how many lovers they have, no matter how many marriages they enter into, and no matter how many toys they buy with the money they have – nothing they chase after in this life will fill that hole in their souls.

The only thing that will fill that hole in your soul is finding, and then entering into a true, personal, love relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing else that will fill that void!

Since God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are totally perfect in Their actual natures and have no dark side to Their personalities, then They, and only They, are the only Ones who are capable of giving you a perfect, pure, and unconditional love that no one else can give you in this life.

This is why the Bible tells us that we will find a peace that will pass all human understanding once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and have become truly born again. That peace we will find is the result of finding the one true Person who can fill that empty void that is on the inside of each and everyone of us – and that one Person is God Almighty Himself.

However, once you have found God through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, there is now something you must do. You must now grow in the knowledge of God and grow in the personal relationship that He wants to establish with you.

And how do you start to grow in the personal relationship He wants to establish with you and grow in the knowledge that He wants you to have about Him? By diving head first into the Bible!

When two lovers first meet and fall in love with one another, the first thing they naturally and instinctively want to do is to learn as much as they can about one another.

How can you truly fall in love with another person unless you first seek to know everything you can about your lover, their past, where they have been, what they have been through, who are all of their friends and family, etc. Once you really fall into true love with someone, you will have a major hunger and desire to find out as much as you can about them and their past.

It’s the exact same way in our relationship with God. God obviously knows everything about each one of us since He is all-knowing, but we do not know everything about Him, His Son, or His Spirit. So the only possible way that we can learn all about God is to read and study from the Bible, since the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that will give us detailed information as to who the Three of Them really are.

If a true, born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is really in love with God, and really wants to deepen the personal relationship they have now established with Him – then the first thing that person will really want to do is to get into the Bible so that they can find out everything they possibly can about this awesome God of ours.

The more knowledge you gain about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit from studying the Bible – the stronger and deeper your personal relationship will become with the Three of Them.

As you will see in the Scripture verses listed below, there are several other incredible things that will start to occur in your life if you seek to study the Bible with the intentions on wanting to learn more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in order to deepen your personal relationship Them.

I will break these Scripture verses down under their appropriate captions below so you can see how powerful the Word of God really is, and how it can help change and transform the quality of your life if you are willing to study, learn, and seek to apply the divine truths that are in this incredible Book.

Study these verses very, very carefully. These verses are showing you how powerful and anointed the Bible really is. Since all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father, you can completely trust and rely on that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure, solid, God-truth.

1. All of Scripture is Given to Us By Inspiration From God the Father

These first two verses will specifically tell us, without any other possible interpretation, that all of the Bible has been given to us by “inspiration of God” through holy men who were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to write what they wrote!

In other words – all of the words in the Bible have come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. The specific authors of the Bible then wrote under the guidance, inspiration, and illumination of the Holy Spirit.

This is why you can completely trust that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure, solid, God-truth! There is no other book on our earth that contains direct words from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ other than the Holy Bible. God Himself has personally arranged that all of the revelation that He wants us to have in this life about Himself, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit would all be contained in this one incredible Book.

Here are the two specific verses giving us this incredible revelation:

• “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
• “… knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20)

The first verse specifically tells us that all of Scripture, not just some or part of it, comes direct to us by inspiration from God the Father. The second verse then takes it one step further and tells us that the holy men of God who wrote the Bible, all wrote under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself. It also says that no part of Scripture was of any private interpretation of these authors.

The first verse also lays out the groundwork as to what the Bible is going to be used for – for establishing solid Christian doctrine in the real truths of God, and for instruction in the knowledge and ways of God so that we may all be made complete and thoroughly equipped to go to work for God in the calling that He has set up for each one of our lives.

These two specific verses are powerful, foundational verses in which our study of Scripture has to be based on. If you do not believe that all of the Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God – then the Holy Spirit is not going to move on you to start to really work the truths that are contained in the Bible to change, mold, and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.

Bottom line – if you want the divine truths that are contained in the Bible to really be able to change and transform you – then you will have to believe that all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. If you do not, then the Bible will have little or no transforming effect on you and your life.

2. The Word of God is Living and Powerful

As you will see in the following verses, the words that are contained in the Bible are living, powerful, and sharper than any two edge sword we can make on this earth.

In other words, the words in the Bible have God’s supernatural power and life in them. They are literally anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is why the words and the truths contained in the Bible have the supernatural ability to change and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.

That is why Jesus told the apostles to “feed” His sheep. When you read and study the Bible for increased learning, you are feeding yourself with direct anointed words from God Almighty Himself.

Many Christians who do not regularly feed off the Bible have no idea on what they are really missing out on. The Words that are in the Bible are pure, solid, spiritual food that have the supernatural ability to feed your mind, soul, and spirit. Nothing else will feed your inner man like reading from the Bible will.

Just like our human physical bodies need physical food to be able to survive – so does our mind, soul, and spirit. The food that we feed our physical bodies will not nourish our mind, soul, and spirits.

The only thing that can spiritually feed and nourish us on the inside are true, solid, spiritual truths. And the only true, solid, spiritual truths that can feed us to cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life are divine truths that come direct from God the Father and Jesus Christ.

There are no other spiritual truths from any other sources that we can feed off of that will cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life.

Any other source is just dead meat. It has no supernatural life or ability to change us because it is not coming direct from God the Father and thus has no anointing on it.

All other false religions and New Age type thinking have no supernatural ability to change and spiritually transform you in this life. Only the divine truths that are contained in the Bible have this supernatural ability.

Now here are 9 major power verses showing you how much supernatural life and power there really is in the Word of God.

• “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
• “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
• “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)
• “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63)
• “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.” (Psalm 119:50)
• “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart …” (Jeremiah 15:16)
• “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
• But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)
• “… as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:2)

Notice all of the food analogies that God is using to compare His Word with. What He is trying to tell us is that when you are studying the words that are contained in the Bible for increased learning – you are spiritually feeding yourself with supernatural nutrition!

I believe that all of the above Scripture verses are trying to tell us one main thing – that the Word of God is living, powerful, and real spiritual food for the soul and spirit of every person who is willing to feed off of it.

3. The Word of God is Pure, Solid Truth

If the Bible is telling us that all of Scripture is coming direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit – then the next thing that the Bible will be telling us is that all of the words that are coming direct to us from God the Father are 100% pure, solid truth.

If God is all-perfect and all-powerful, then this means His intelligence and knowledge on all things is all-perfect. And if His knowledge on all things is all-perfect, then this means that all of the words that He is conveying to us in the Bible can be counted on as being perfect words, thereby giving us perfect knowledge.

This means that all of the Bible can be counted on as being 100% pure, solid, God-truth with no errors and mistakes. The Bible tells us that all humans will only know in part with what knowledge we are able to gain down here on this earth. Thus every book you read from human authors will never be totally perfect in the knowledge that the author is trying to transmit to you.

However, since all of the Bible is coming direct to us from God Almighty Himself – then the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that is totally and completely perfect in the knowledge that it is trying to transmit to us.

This is why the Bible has the ability to change your life. No other book on this earth has the amount of wisdom and knowledge that this Book has – and this is all because this knowledge and wisdom is coming direct to us from God the Father Himself.

Now here are 4 very good verses from Scripture that are specifically telling us that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is 100% pure, solid truth.

• “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:5)
• “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6)
• “For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:4)
• “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Notice the first verse says that the words that come from God are “pure” words. The last verse then says that all of God’s words are “truth.” Put these two verses together and you get that all of the words that come from God are “pure truth.”

Pure means 100% pure – which means that all of God’s words are pure, solid truth with no errors or mistakes. This is why the Word of God is also called infallible and inerrant. If the Bible says that a thing is so – then it is so – end of discussion. You can literally bank your life on it!

4. The Word of God Can Sanctify You

If all of the words of the Bible are 100% pure, solid truth – then this means that all of the words in the Bible have the supernatural ability to sanctify you, especially since all of the Bible has the anointing of the Holy Spirit Himself on the entire Book.

God’s ultimate and highest aim for all of us after we become saved and born again is to sanctify us, to transform us, to mold and shape us into the express image of His Son Jesus. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to start this molding, transforming, and sanctifying work in us after we get saved.

However, the Holy Spirit needs something to work with in order to get this transformation process kicked into full gear – and that something is knowledge. God wants you to have full knowledge on exactly what it is He wants to change about you before He really starts to move you into this sanctification process with Him.

And where do you get the knowledge that will get God to start this sanctification process within you? From the Bible! There is no other book that we can learn and study from that will give us the direct knowledge that we will need from God the Father to get Him to start this sanctification process within us.

It’s the Word and the Spirit working together in a believer’s life that will get God to start working full force in their life so He can change them into the kind of person He really wants them to become in Him.

Here are several powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us all of this. The first two verses will tell you that God can literally sanctify you by His Word.

• “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
•  ” … that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26)
• “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:9-12)
• “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3)
• ” … and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)
• “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

Notice the last verse says that the Word of God can “effectively work in you.” This means when you start reading and studying the Bible in order to gain more knowledge about God – it will start to effectively work in you so you can start to change into the person God will want you to become in Him.

Just think of the power this Book has to dramatically change and transform the quality of your entire life. True inner happiness and fulfillment can only be found on the inside of your being, not on the outside with material things and possessions.

Hollywood is living proof that money, fame, and notoriety will not buy you true inner happiness. There are many in Hollywood who truly have what they think is “all” – yet they are miserable, unhappy, depressed, and go from one shrink to another – all in an effort to try and find what is still missing in their lives and why they cannot seem to find true inner happiness with all of the earthly wealth they have accumulated.

The only way to find true inner happiness in this life is to become saved and born again through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ – and then enter into a dynamic personal relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. From there, you are to start seeking after the knowledge about God and all of His ways by studying and reading the Bible on your own.

The personal relationship you will establish with God, and the knowledge that you will gain about God from reading and studying from the Bible is what will dramatically transform the quality of your life down here on this earth. Nothing else on this earth will do that for you!

5. The Word of God Will Give You Knowledge and Wisdom

The Bible tells us that we are to grow in the knowledge and ways of God. And the number one way in which we will grow in the knowledge of God is by reading and studying from the Bible.

There is no other way! If you do not seek to learn more about the Lord by studying from the Bible, then your spiritual growth in the Lord will stagnate and you will stop growing in Him.

There are no shortcuts to true spiritual growth in the Lord. You have to pay your dues, and those dues are that you have to gain and increase in knowledge about God and all of His ways before the Holy Spirit will start you on the road to true spiritual growth. And the only Book that will give you the knowledge that will cause true spiritual growth to occur in this life is the Bible.

And not only has God given us everything that we will ever need in this one Book – but He has also given us His Holy Spirit, whose main job is to “teach us all things” and to “guide us into all truth.”

Several verses I will list below will tell you that the Holy Spirit Himself will be the One who will personally open up the meaning of Scripture for you so that you can see the knowledge that God the Father is trying to transmit to you through this Holy Book!

This is a direct supernatural work that can be done for you by the Holy Spirit if you are willing to go into a seeking mode with Him when you study the Bible.

Here are several good verses telling us that the Word of God can impart true knowledge and wisdom to us, and that God does want us growing in the knowledge of Him, His Son, and His Holy Spirit.

• “… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
• “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:45)
• “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)
• “However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth …” (John 16:13)
• Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31)
• “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another …” (Colossians 3:16)
• “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path … The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple … Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:105, 130, 133)
• “My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20)

All of the above verses are showing us how powerful the words that are coming direct from God and Jesus really are. The Word of God can truly change your life for the better – but only if you are willing to spend some good quality time seeking to understand what is in this most incredible Book.

6. The Word of God Will Stand Forever

The last thing you will really need to grasp on the power of the Word of God is that the Word of God will last and stand forever – both in this life and the next life to come, which will be heaven.

Here are 3 very good verses from Scripture telling us that the Word of God is not chained and that it will endure to all generations – both in this life and the next life to come, which means forever!

•  “… for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.” (2 Timothy 2:9)
•  “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations …” (Psalm 119:89)
• “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Not only will your study of Scripture profit you in this life, but it will also profit you in the next life to come – which will be heaven.

I personally believe that we still continue to study the Bible even when we all enter into heaven. I do not believe any one human can truly master the Bible in this lifetime. There is simply way too much knowledge, wisdom, and revelation that is contained in this one Book for any one human to be able to fully grasp all of it in this lifetime.

I believe that the Bible is like a treasure chest that has no bottom to it. And to think that all of this knowledge is contained in just one Book! Only a true God of the entire universe could have put this much knowledge and revelation into one Book.

Conclusion

I will leave you with one last thought. Each Christian must make their own personal decision on this. Once you have become saved and born again by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior – you now have one of two choices to make.

You can either choose to press in and start seeking after God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit by spending regular quality time in the Bible to learn as much as you can about the Three of Them – or you can just leave well enough alone, figure you have as much of God as you will ever need in this life, and go on your merry way living for the world and the things of this world – never increasing your knowledge base about the Lord, and never really growing in the knowledge of God and all of His ways.

I am afraid most Christians in this day and age are taking the latter approach. Most Christians have either never read the Bible in its complete entirety, or have read very little of it in their own personal walks with the Lord.

This is one of the main reasons we have started up this website – to try and show everyone how much working knowledge there really is in the Bible, and how this knowledge can dramatically change and transform the quality of your life.

As I have shown you with all of the above Scripture verses, the Word of God is:

• Inspired, Infallible, and Inerrant
• Living, Powerful, and Anointed
• Pure, Solid Truth
• Sharper than Any Two-Edged Sword
• Can Spiritually Nourish Your Mind, Soul and Spirit
• Has the Ability to Sanctify and Cleanse You
• Has the Ability to Teach You, Guide You, and Direct Your Steps in this Life
• And Will Last and Stand Forever – Both in this Life and the Next Life to Come

What more can you ask for in one Book? Bottom line – there is simply no other book on our earth that has this amount of unlimited knowledge direct from God Himself. And it is all there for the taking for anyone who wants to dive in and take the journey.

Recently, I had the humbling opportunity to preach to a gathering of Christian workers who serve in a difficult part of the world. Only a handful of churches exist in their region. Some live in cities where no one, other than the workers, has confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. Open resistance, anti-Christian rants, rejection of biblical authority, and denial of Jesus as the God-Man and Savior prove to be the daily atmosphere in which they live.

Yet they seek to live as Christ’s followers in that setting, laboring for the chance to tell these people about the God of Holy Scripture and the good news of Jesus Christ. I listened to reports of some conversions, small house churches gathering for worship, disciple-making conversations, and the slow penetration of unreached people groups. Here’s what gripped me: Only by the proclamation of God’s Word and powerful answer to prayer will any of the people of this region believe the gospel. After many conversations and lots of listening, I came away convinced that these workers live by the Word and prayer. No tricks, no showmanship, no manipulation, no rallies, and no foolproof program; they depend upon the power of the Word of God for life and ministry.

Quite simply, these faithful gospel workers believe in the sufficiency of God’s Word for the way that they live as Christians and for their ministries.

Should we rely upon the sufficiency of Scripture any less? Do we think that our more sophisticated, Christianized arena of life and ministry can depend upon other things, with Scripture as one of numerous tools in our spiritual arsenal? I fear that we sometime fall into that tragic allurement of the world to go soft on Scripture’s sufficiency.

No doubt, few of us would readily admit to neglecting to live and minister apart from the sufficiency of Scripture! Yet in practice, we sometime profess one thing while doing another. We say that we believe the Bible to be God’s infallible and inerrant Word, and that it is sufficient for life and practice. But our life and practice may prove otherwise. To help my own life and practice, and perhaps yours, too, let’s consider a few evidences that we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. I’m sure that we could add much more to this list, but I hope that it will serve as a starter to spur much more meditation on living in the sufficiency of God’s Word.

1. Theological Refinement

Rather than simply following tradition or preferences or the influence of power brokers or popular trends, one who depends on Scripture’s sufficiency will regularly test his understanding of God’s Word. He will be changed, sharpened, and refined theologically by proper interpretation of the Word (2 Tim 2:15). One sees this worked out in Apollos, who as an eloquent and mighty man in the Scriptures still lacked theological clarity concerning Christology. He relied on Scripture’s sufficiency, so gladly received the instruction of Priscilla and Aquila, finding himself sharpened for future ministry (>Acts 18:24–26).

2. Bread and Life

Resting in the sufficiency of the Word can be found in one’s appetite. Instead of finding deepest satisfaction in other things, even good things, one who lives in the sufficiency of Scripture hungers for the Word as his bread and life. He grows in his understanding of what Jesus declared to the adversary, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). The Word is “more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Psa 19:10).

3. Conviction and Correction

Instead of refusing to admit personal sin and areas of disobedience, when one lives in the sufficiency of Scripture, then he humbly bows and submits to the conviction and correction meted out by the Word. And it comes regularly! When Paul confronted Peter over his aloofness toward the Gentile believers in Antioch upon the Judaizers’ arrival, the issue at hand in Peter’s behavior was his failure to be “straightforward about the truth of the gospel.” How would Paul correct him? He relied on the sufficiency of the Word spoken to the notable apostle, to convict him and bring correction (>Gal 2:11–14).

4. Direction and Discernment

In Scripture sufficiency, we turn to Scripture for direction, clarity, understanding, and discerning the times rather than simply following the popular notions of the day. When Paul visited Jerusalem with Barnabas, he took along Titus as somewhat of a test case concerning where the powers that be stood on the gospel. He sought to stand on the Scripture alone for his understanding of the gospel, and would not cower even to those in power if they swayed from it. Fortunately, he found satisfaction with them that they, as well, relied on the sufficiency of the gospel (>Gal 2:1–10).

5. For Conversion

In the sufficiency of Scripture, we trust the power of the gospel read, talked about, discussed, and proclaimed for the conversion of the unbelieving. We refuse to resort to gimmicks, manipulation, easy-believism, or plucking unripe fruit in order to impress others. We believe that “the gospel… is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (>Rom 1:16–17). Spending several days with scores of Christian workers living among unreached people groups reinforced this truth. They rely on the power of the gospel and prevailing prayer—period—to see the conversion of the people for whom they weep for their salvation.

6. Praying

We pray Scripture, when we believe it to be sufficient, seeing its truth as the foundation for our prayers. As Don Whitney writes in his new book, Praying the Bible, “[T]he Spirit of God will use the Word of God to help the people of God pray increasingly according to the will of God” (37). We find the disciples doing this in >Acts 4:24–30, as they asked the Lord for boldness to speak the gospel. They rooted their petition in God’s revelation of Himself as Creator and His Sovereign Lordship manifested in His Christ (Pss 146:6; 2:1).

7. Worship

When we live in the sufficiency of Scripture, we fill our worship with the truth of Scripture, believing that, as it has been well said, “When Scripture speaks, God speaks.” Merely appealing to emotions or entertainment or crowd-pleasing will not do when one is convinced of Scripture’s sufficiency. Instead, the believer will find that while reading privately and in the public reading of Scripture (1 Tim 4:13), the Word brings him into the presence of the Lord with expressions of praise, adoration, awe, and thanksgiving. The Word believed leads to worship.

I’ve only touched the surface of the characteristics of those relying upon the sufficiency of God’s Word. Keep adding to it in your own meditations. Let this brief look serve as a reminder that believing that Scripture is sufficient affects life and practice.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Maridav

When it comes to the truth of the Bible, modern people often think like George Gershwin: “The things that you’re liable to read in the Bible, it ain’t necessarily so.” After all, says the skeptic, this book is so chock full of fanciful stories and over-the-top miracles that no reasonable person could believe it. Why should we think the Bible is actually from God?

Of course, it needs to be acknowledged that convincing the skeptic of the divine origins of Scripture is no easy task. Since “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14), it is not as simple as just presenting the facts. The Bible is a spiritual book, so the Spirit must work for us to see it for what it is.

Our arguments may not always convince the skeptics, but that does not mean our arguments are invalid. God has provided ways that we can know these books are from Him.

The books of the Bible have been subjected to the keenest scrutiny and the most rigorous examination by modern scholars.

divine qualities

First, we must recognize that the biblical books have internal qualities that demonstrate that they are from God. Just as natural revelation (the created world) has characteristics that show God is the author of nature (Ps. 19; Rom. 1:20), so we should expect special revelation (Scripture) to have such characteristics that show God is its author.

One example is the efficacy and power of Scripture. It’s not just that Scripture says things, but the Scripture does things. It convicts (Heb. 4:12–13), it encourages (Ps. 119:105), it comforts (v. 50), and it brings wisdom (v. 98). In short, this book is alive. Even more than this, the Bible brings understanding in regard to the biggest questions of life (v. 144). It provides a coherent and compelling worldview that explains reality like no other book.

Another example is the unity and harmony of Scripture. It is incredible to behold how so many different authors—writing in different times, locations, and cultures—can weave together a single, unified, coherent story of the redemption of all things through Christ. Such harmony is not man-made but evidence of a divine origin.

In short, Christians know the Scriptures are God’s Word because in them they hear the voice of their Lord. As Jesus declared, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

historical origins

In addition to the internal quality of these books, we can also look to the historical origins of these books as evidence of their unique character. These books come from God’s authenticated messengers, prophets and Apostles who were authorized to speak for Him. The Scriptures contain not just the words of human beings but the words of human beings who were called to be God’s mouthpieces (2 Peter 1:21).

Of course, we are not always certain of the particular author of every biblical book (for example, the book of Hebrews). But, even in such cases, we have solid historical evidence that situates these books in time periods and circumstances where we know God was actively working among His people to reveal His Word.

Moreover, it should be noted that the books of the Bible have been subjected to the keenest scrutiny and the most rigorous examination by modern scholars. And time and time again, the books of the Bible have proved themselves to be historically reliable and worthy of our trust.

received by god’s people

A final reason to take the Bible as God’s Word is that God’s Spirit-filled people, for generations and generations, have recognized these books are from God.

Even when Paul explains the inspiration of Scripture to Timothy, he first reminds him to remember “from whom you learned it” (2 Tim. 3:14), namely, his mother and grandmother.

It is not just the testimony of biological family, but also God’s family, His church throughout the ages. The Bible contains the books that God’s people have been using, trusting, reading, and applying for thousands of years. And that testimony should be given its due weight.

In the end, these three reasons provide a great basis for believing that the Scriptures are the Word of God. But, even more than this, we have the testimony of the Lord Jesus Himself. Not only did Christ know and use the Scripture, but He unequivocally affirmed its divine power: “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

So, yes, if we believe the Bible, we will believe in Jesus. But it is also true that if we believe in Jesus, we will believe the Bible.

Some questions come from people who are skeptical about the Christian faith. Some come from believers who have skeptical friends. And some come from believers who are struggling with the issue themselves.

Our question is found in the hearts of all three.

Who of us hasn’t wondered at times why we believe this ancient book is the revelation of the God of the universe?

Think about it for a moment: The Creator of all that exists reveals himself to a small group of former Egyptian slaves in a remote corner of the globe. Not to kings and emperors, or to scholars in leading universities, but to shepherds, fishermen, tax collectors, refugees. On documents which no longer exist so that we must depend on the copies that history has handed down to us. Through circumstances completely foreign to our culture and lives today.

Think of King Arthur and Camelot, and you envision ancient history. The Bible sitting on your shelf is more than twice that old. If we aren’t sure King Arthur existed or why he matters, what of this ancient book upon which we build our faith? Why should we believe it to be the word of God?

The Bible claims to be the word of God

This fact does not settle the issue, of course.

The Koran claims to be the word of Allah; the Book of Mormon claims to be the revelation of God. But at least we know that Christians do not believe something about the Bible which it does not claim for itself.

Paul was convinced that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). He meant the Old Testament, which was the Bible of his day.

Peter, the leader of early Christianity, considered Paul’s writings to be Scripture as well: “[Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16, my emphasis).

Jesus believed his words to be divinely inspired: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Luke 21:33).

Speaking of the totality of biblical revelation, the writer to the Hebrews claims, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Someone said, “God said, I believe it, and that settles it.”

His friend replied, “No, God said it and that settles it, whether I believe it or not.”

J. I. Packer called the Bible “God preaching.” Augustine described it as “love letters from home.”

The copies we possess are trustworthy

Now, let’s turn to objective evidence that the Bible is right in its self-description as God’s inspired, authoritative word.

We begin with the manuscript evidence. No original manuscript of any ancient book exists today. The materials used in that era could not stand the effects of elements and time.

For instance, we have only nine or ten good copies of Caesar’s Gallic Wars, none made earlier than nine hundred years after Caesar. Tacitus, the greatest ancient Roman historian, wrote fourteen books of his Histories; we possess only 4½, none made earlier than the tenth century AD. We can find only five manuscripts of any work of Aristotle, none copied earlier than fourteen centuries after Aristotle wrote the originals.

By contrast, we possess five thousand ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and ten thousand copies in other ancient languages. Fragments and parts of these copies date back as early as thirty years after the originals were written. Complete versions of the Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, and Hebrews date to the early part of the third century. Revelation dates to the latter half of that century. Complete volumes date to the fourth century. Extensive quotations of Scripture in the letters of early Christians date to AD 100.

“Textual critics” are scholars who devote their attention to comparing ancient manuscripts and trying to produce a copy as close to the original as possible. Those who work with biblical texts believe that the Old and New Testaments we possess today are virtually identical to the originals. The only questions that remain affect matters of spelling, punctuation, and isolated verses. None relates to essential doctrines or practices of the faith.

Archaeology confirms the biblical record

Archaeological finds continue to give us confidence that the biblical writers accurately recorded history.

For instance, the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2) was once dismissed as non-historical. Now, tour guides in Jerusalem point groups to its location in the northeast quarter of the Old City. I’ve seen the ruins myself.

We have a stone inscription documenting the life and office of Pontius Pilate; the ossuary (coffin) of Caiaphas, the High Priest of the crucifixion; an inscription found at Delphi that describes the work of Gallio, proconsul at Corinth (Acts 18:12-17); and scores of other artifacts that document the accuracy of biblical history and description.

The best test for the Bible

There are strong evidential reasons to believe the Bible is God’s word. But the best test comes from personal experience.

I once owned a 1965 Ford Mustang and found myself under its hood as often as I was behind its wheel. Chilton’s Car Repair Manual became my constant companion. I learned to trust its advice because it worked.

Try living by the Bible. Accept its Savior as yours. Make its principles the guideposts of your life. And you’ll learn for yourself that its words are the word of God.

What makes the Bible different from other religious books?

My grandfather was born before the turn of the twentieth century. In his lifetime, he saw the advent of the automobile, commercial airplanes, and the computer. But he never met a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or a Mormon. Our question never occurred to him.

Today, it’s a common issue: Why do we believe the Bible is right and other religious books are wrong?

Other religions are just as sincere in their commitment to their sacred writings as Christians are to ours. Is it not the height of bigotry and hypocrisy to claim that our book is right and theirs are not?

In our post-9/11 world, there has been an explosion of interest in Islam and an accompanying cry for tolerance. When we claim that our holy book is true and theirs is not, aren’t we just as intolerant as those who attacked our nation?

Different paths, different mountains

Conventional wisdom these days dictates that the various religions are just different roads up the same mountain. It doesn’t matter which God you trust because they are all the same. Allah is Jehovah; Buddhists and Hindus seek the same God we worship. Different holy books are simply religious diaries. Who’s to say that your diary is right and mine is wrong?

Such an approach to world religions and their writings feels tolerant and hopeful. But is it true? Do other religions agree with this characterization of their faith commitments?

In a word, no.

Buddhist beliefs

Buddha taught that there is no “god,” despite the fact that some of his followers now worship him. He instructed his disciples to avoid all material desires that they might cease their sufferings. The Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path are the keys to enlightenment. The Tripitika is the oldest compilation of the rules, sermons, and doctrines of this approach to life.

Hindu beliefs

Hindus believe in thousands of territorial deities but no “Lord” of the universe; Brahman is the divine force that sustains the universe, not a personal God to be worshiped. The Rigveda, their earliest scriptures, refer to Brahman as the power that is present in religious sacrifices and actions. Their Upanishads glorify the concept of Brahman over other inferior forms of personal deities.

Muslim beliefs

Muslims believe that Allah (the Arabic word for God) is the one supreme ruler of the universe, that Jesus was a prophet but not the divine Son of God, and that “salvation” comes through obedience to the Koran. This book is Allah’s self-revelation through his prophet Muhammad. All other holy books are inferior to it, for its pages alone contain the very word of God.

Jewish beliefs

Jews believe that Yahweh revealed himself through the Laws and Prophets of their Scriptures, that Jesus was not the Messiah, and that the New Testament is not the Word of God. They base their hope of heaven on the mercy of God in response to their lives of obedience and morality.

Mormon beliefs

Mormons believe that God revealed himself in the Bible but also in their Book of Mormon, a history of the early peoples of the Western hemisphere. Joseph Smith translated the book from golden plates that he claimed to have received from the angel Moroni. Doctrine and Covenants contain further revelations received by Smith from God. The Pearl of Great Pricecontains more writings of Smith. They picture God as an eternal being of flesh and bone who had physical relations with Mary to produce Jesus. Salvation and heavenly rewards come through obedience to these revelations.

If any one of these religions is right, the others by definition are wrong. None believes that other religions are equally correct or divinely inspired. The scriptures that the various world religions trust do not describe different paths up the same mountain but very different mountains.

Examine the evidence

So far, we have demonstrated the fact that the world’s great religious books cannot all be right. In fact, if any of them is correct in its teachings regarding the supernatural and eternal, the others are by definition wrong.

So, how do we decide which documents to trust?

Examine the evidence for their truth claims.

Hindu documents, for instance, posit an afterlife filled with reincarnations. Is there any historical support or objective evidence for such a position?

Does objective, independent evidence exist to document the Buddha’s enlightenment or Muhammad’s experiences with Allah?

A number of cities, inscriptions, and places are described only in the Book of Mormon. To date, none have been found by archaeologists.

Conversely, independent evidence for the existence and deity of Jesus Christ is remarkable. Manuscript evidence documenting the trustworthy nature of the biblical materials is overwhelming. There are excellent reasons to believe the Bible is what it claims to be: the word of God.C

What makes the Bible different from other holy books?

In a word, Jesus.

He taught that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). The Bible was written to help us believe in him and find life in his love (John 20:31).

The sacred writings of the various world religions each tell a different story about the divine, the afterlife, and the purpose of life today. Different roads lead to different destinations. The road you choose determines where your trip will end.

Choose wisely.

Isn’t the Bible filled with contradictions?

Here is one of the most common ways skeptics justify their skepticism about the Bible. The question is based on the commonplace supposition that contradictions are bad. If you can find a statement I make that disagrees with something I’ve already said, you’ll feel justified in rejecting both. Even though one may be right. Even though they both may be.

Why?

Contradict the contradictions

We have Aristotle (384-322 BC) to thank or blame. In his desire to compile all knowledge into an organized system, he devised laws of logic as organizational tools.

One of them is called the law of contradiction: A cannot equal B and at the same time not equal B. A fish cannot also be a mammal, if a biologist like Aristotle is going to classify it. From then to now, we Westerners have adopted Aristotle’s law as the basis for determining all truth. If we can find a contradiction in the Bible, we have reason to dismiss its veracity.

But there’s a fly in the ointment. Aristotle applied his laws to physical and rational truth, not to spiritual or relational experience.

It may appear contradictory to claim that you love your children and yet sometimes wish they’d never been born. But if you’re a typical parent, both are sometimes true.

Jesus claimed to be fully God and fully man; God is three and yet one; the Bible is divinely inspired but humanly written; God knows the future but we have freedom to choose. Inside every essential Christian doctrine, there is a paradox, an apparent contradiction.

Many of the so-called contradictions in the Bible fit into such spiritual or relational categories. For instance, the Bible teaches that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Yet it also states clearly, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). And it warns, “For those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:8).

How can God both love and hate? Don’t ask Aristotle. But you can ask any parent.

Not all truth fits into test tubes. My seventh-grade geometry teacher claimed that parallel lines never intersect. But to prove it, he’d have to draw them forever. Black and white are not the only crayons in the box.

Consider the context

The second category of apparent contradictions in the Bible is more historical and factual.

For example, here are two of the common questions I’ve been asked. Each is clarified when we understand the larger context of the text in question.

“The Old Testament teaches, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But Jesus told us to turn the other cheek. Which is right?”

Both.

Moses was dealing with an ancient culture in which blood vengeance was common and drastic. If you kill my son, I kill your entire family. To limit retribution to the actual criminal and crime was a great step forward.

On the other hand, Jesus was speaking to the issue of personal insult. People in his day used only the right hand in public (as the left was used for personal hygiene). To “strike you on the right cheek” (Matthew 5:39) with my right hand meant to slap you, a threat to your social standing but not your life. Here you are to forgive rather than punish.

“Matthew says that Judas hanged himself; the book of Acts says he fell down and died. Which is it?”

Matthew’s gospel does indeed record Judas’ suicide by hanging (Matthew 27:5). In Acts 1, Peter says, “Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out” (v. 18).

It may be that Judas’ body decomposed so that when the rope broke or was cut, it fell as Peter describes. Or it may be that the Greek word translated “hanged” is actually the word impaled (both meanings are possible) so that Peter describes more vividly the way Judas killed himself.

Either option is a possible way to explain the apparent contradiction.

When we consider the intended meaning of the text and its larger context, such apparent contradictions are resolved.

Check all the options

The third category of supposed contradictions is not the result of context.

For instance, 2 Samuel 24:1 states that the Lord incited David to take a census of the people; 1 Chronicles 21:1 records, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.”

But the Jewish people saw all that happens as within the providence and permission of God, so that Satan’s activity (1 Chronicles) was permitted by the Lord and thus attributable to him (2 Samuel). And the people grew in their knowledge of God so that the Chronicler (writing four hundred years after 2 Samuel) could record Satan’s activity in more detail than the people had earlier understood.

Matthew 4 records Jesus’ temptations in a different order than does Luke 4. But neither claimed to be writing chronology, so the order is immaterial. One could set them in time order, the other in spiritual priority, for instance.

1 Kings 7:13 states that Huram, one of the builders of Solomon’s temple, came from the tribe of Naphtali; 2 Chronicles 2:14 says his mother was from the tribe of Dan. But she could have lived in the territory of Naphtali, or her parents could have come from both tribes.

The real contradiction

The next time someone claims the Bible is full of contradictions, ask him if he has read the Bible. Then ask if it is a contradiction to dismiss a book he hasn’t read. Then offer to help him study the Bible and meet its Author.

It is a contradiction to me that a holy and perfect God would want me to live in his perfect paradise.

I’m glad it’s not a contradiction to God.

Who decided what books should be in the Bible?

My earliest experience with the Bible was leafing through an ancient King James Version my parents kept in the guest room. The fountain-penned family tree calligraphied in the first pages fascinated me. The printed thees and thous made no sense—the begats even less. I assumed the entire thing had been handed from God to man in black leather.

Most people know better. They’ve heard somewhere along the way that some books were excluded from the Bible and wonder why. Maybe a group of church officials decided the whole thing. Maybe there were books that told a different story than the one we have in our Bibles. Maybe there was a smoke-filled room somewhere. Maybe there were hanging chads.

The actual story is nowhere near that interesting.

How the Hebrew Scriptures came to be

Christians typically call this section the Old Testament, but those who wrote the New Testament didn’t.

When Paul, writing from death row in Rome, asked Timothy for his scrolls and parchments (2 Timothy 4:13), he was asking for his copies of the only Bible he knew. Most scholars appropriately call these thirty-nine books the Hebrew Scriptures, in deference to the Jewish faith they express.

The Hebrew Bible was first divided into Law, Prophets, and Writings, the arrangement current in Jesus’ day (see Luke 24:44).

The Jews numbered the Scriptures as twenty-four books, combining Ezra/Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and the 12 Minor Prophets as “The Twelve.” These books were written and compiled over centuries of use.

According to Jewish tradition, a council of rabbis and scholars met at Jamnia on the Mediterranean Sea in AD 90 and again in AD 118. They finalized the list of books as we have them today, recognizing what their people had accepted as God’s word for centuries.

How the New Testament joined the Old

Eventually, the Christian movement began recording its faith and doctrines as well. The eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life and ministry were dying or growing old. Fraudulent claims were beginning to appear. Believers needed a canon (“rule”) by which to measure truth and defend the faith. The New Testament was the result.

Over time, four criteria were developed for accepting a book as inspired.

1. The book must have been written by an apostle or based on his eyewitness testimony.

Matthew, the tax collector, was a disciple of Jesus before he wrote his gospel, as was John.

Mark was an early missionary associate of Paul (Acts 13:4-5) and was a spiritual son to Peter (1 Peter 5:13). Early Christians believed that he wrote his gospel based on the sermons and experiences Peter related to him.

Luke was a Gentile physician who joined Paul’s second missionary journey at Troas (note Acts 16:10, where Luke changes the narrative from “they” to “we”). He wrote his gospel and the book of Acts based on the eyewitness testimony of others (Luke 1:1-4).

Paul’s letters came from an eyewitness to the risen Christ (cf. Acts 9:1-6), as did the letters of James (half-brother of Jesus), Peter, Jude (another half-brother of Jesus), and John.

This criteria alone excluded most of the books suggested for the canon.

2. The book must possess merit and authority in its use.

Here, it was easy to separate those writings that were inspired from those that were not.

For instance, The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ tells of a man changed into a mule by a bewitching spell but converted back to manhood when the infant Christ is put on his back for a ride (7:5-27). In the same book, the boy Jesus causes clay birds and animals to come to life (ch. 15), stretches a throne his father had made too small (ch. 16), and takes the lives of boys who oppose him (19:19-24).

It wasn’t hard to know that such books did not come from the Holy Spirit.

3. A book must be accepted by the larger church, not just a particular congregation.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was an early instance of a letter that became “circular” in nature, i.e., read by churches across the faith. His other letters soon acquired such status.

By the mid-second century, only the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were accepted universally by the church, as quotations from the Christians of the era make clear. Others were not considered to be inspired by God.

4. A book came to be approved by the decision of the church.

The so-called Muratorian Canon was the first list to convey the larger church’s opinion regarding accepted books of the New Testament canon. Compiled around AD 200, it represented the usage of the Roman church at the time. The list omits James, 1 and 2 Peter, 3 John, and Hebrews since its compiler was not sure of their authorship. All were soon included in later canons.

The list we have today was set forth by Athanasius in AD 367. His list was approved by church councils meeting at Hippo Regius in 393 and Carthage in 397. These councils did not impose anything new upon the church. Rather, they codified what believers had already come to accept and use as the word of God.

By the time the councils had approved the twenty-seven books of our New Testament, they had already served as the established companion to the Hebrew Scriptures for generations.

So, who decided what books should be in the Bible?

Ultimately, their Author.

The same Holy Spirit who inspired the biblical revelation (2 Peter 1:20-21) led the Christian movement to those books he inspired.

You can know that the Bible you hold today is the book God means you to have.

He did, in fact, hand it to man, through man—though the color of the cover is your choice.

As Christians, we know we are to obey God, to grow spiritually, and to actually apply the Bible to our lives. But applying God’s word to your life can be a challenge. Thankfully the word of God itself gives us an understanding on how to best apply God’s word in our everyday life.

While these truths are huge topics within themselves, here are five practical steps found in Scripture on how to apply God’s word.

1. Apply God’s Word by Remaining in Jesus/ Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Not to oversimplify, but the Scriptures are clear that it is impossible to obey God’s commands without the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

(Also see: Romans 8:3-4, Ephesians 5:18)

2. Apply God’s Word through Prayer/Asking for the Power
We need to be intimately connected with Jesus and to be filled with his Spirit to apply his written truth. The primary means of grace on intimately connecting with Jesus is prayer. When we lack something, we are told to ask Jesus directly for it. In order to be filled with the Spirit, thus having the power to apply God’s word to our life, we are to pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18), asking for all that we need, including the power to obey:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6)

(Also see: James 4:1-2, Matthew 7:7-8)

3. Apply God’s Word by Reading, Understanding, Memorizing, and Meditating Over the Word of God
If you hope to apply what God has written, there is no getting around the fact that we must do the most obvious thing: read it. You can’t obey someone if you don’t know what they have said. Additionally, we must not only read it, we must understand the Scriptures. Digging deep in our study of what God has actually communicated in his inspired pages is a crucial step in applying it. We must also memorize the word of God and prayerfully mediated over it as well so that God’s truth is firmly in our hearts, for “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart” (Matthew 12:35 NIV). If we hope for our lives to reflect God’s revealed will, then we must immerse ourselves with his word:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8)

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

(Also see: Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 1:9-10)

4. Apply God’s Word by Actively Believing in Faith that God’s Word is Truth
What you truly believe is reflected in what you do. Like our mother’s told us when we were young, “Actions speak louder than words.” We can say we believe, but what we do proves what we believe. Knowing this, therefore, means that we should not try to reverse the flow. We must not try to change what we do to alter what we believe. Rather, to change our actions, we must get down to our core beliefs. To apply God’s word to your life, you must genuinely and actively put your faith in the fact that what God has said is true:

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18)
(Also see: 2 Corinthians 4:13, Galatians 3:5-6. Philippians 3:9)

5. Apply God’s Word by Willfully Choosing to Obey
The fact that we are unable to apply God’s word without the Holy Spirit does not contradict the fact that God gives man the freedom to choose. God’s Holy Spirit does not compromise man’s free will, but rather through the Holy Spirit man’s will is set free. Once we have been justified through faith, we have a part to play in actively choosing to participate in the process of our sanctification. Once we are filled with the Holy Spirit, intimately connected to Jesus Christ, prayerfully seeking the power to obey, understanding and knowing the word of God, putting our faith in the truth of the Bible, the last step is to choose to apply God’s word to our life:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11 NIV)

(Also see: Philippians 2:12-13, Galatians 5:1)

Applying God’s word your your life will never be easy and we will never do it perfectly on this side of eternity. But through God’s means of grace, he will give us the power to grow in him every day.

Believing in God is the most fundamental aspect of Christianity. Bible Verses about Believing in God are listed to speak to our relationship with Him and how we can grow stronger through time.

They go beyond talking specifically about what it means for us as Christians to believe in Him. This article touches on 20 Biblical Verses that talk explicitly about Belief in God and why it’s so important to us as believers!

The Apostle Paul states, “Let no one deceive you in any way”. To be deceived is to be misled by something or someone. As a result of this, it frequently becomes difficult for the believer to sort out how he should react. It’s easy enough for a person not to believe that they have been deceived. The difficulty lies in determining how

Where in the Bible does it say only believe?

Foundationally, the Bible says in Hebrew 11:6. He that comes to God must believe that he is. This, Believing is the only requirement to participate in Christ’s Church, therefore believing is the only way in. As a result, believing is the one and only entry requirement. We must fully embrace God in all situations in order to experience genuine Christian living.

Believing in God but not Religion

The security of institutional religion may be obtained by confining Christianity to the performance of proper rituals, which is rather simple.

We go to church services, read the Bible, ask God for help, take Communion and sing in the choir. We also give our money away and even teach the Bible at times.

All of these factors are vital and must not be overlooked, but they are not all about Christianity. These tasks are pointless if Christ has not yet been enthroned in the heart of the individual.

The power of believing is one of the secrets of godliness, and it’s hidden in this basic truth: “Only Believe.” This brief phrase and order hold the key to Christian success. It demonstrates how easy and practical a successful Christian life maybe if properly understood.

Here are some Bible Verses about believing in God,

Hebrew 11 vs 6 – Rewards for Those believing in God.

Hebrew 11 vs 6 (ASV) – And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him ; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.

This Scripture offers growing Christians advice on how to live as followers of Christ, which is characterized by faith.

While the first, easy step in pleasing God is to accept Christ’s saving work, it is a believer’s continuing, living faith that pleases God in the day-to-day conduct of life.

Only someone who believes in God may please him. We may please God at various stages of our lives, including when we are justified and as a sanctified life.

It is only because of Christ’s credited righteousness that we may please God, “without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him” However, once saved, we are to please Him by living by faith. We are to, once we have believed in Him, “believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Once we have believed in God’s saving grace through faith in Christ, we must also believe that, as stated in Scripture, “he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.” When a sinner believes, there is joy in heaven, but we truly please Him when we live by faith.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – The Word of God works Believers.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB) -For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.

In this verse, Paul expresses his unending gratitude for the Thessalonian Christians’ faith, which resulted in their belief in God when he preached to them.

They accepted what he said as God’s Word, not man’s word. Paul recognized that God’s Word had taken root in their lives and was bearing spiritual fruit.

This comment expands on Paul’s remarks at the beginning of this letter when he also mentioned his “constant” mention of the Thessalonians in his prayers.

Acts 16:31 – Believe in The Son of God and Be Saved.

Acts 16:31 (NIV) – They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”

In Acts of The Apostles, Following that, the city magistrates in Philippi beat and imprisoned Paul and Silas for telling the story of Jesus.

An earthquake released them and the other prisoners from their cells that night. They all stayed, preventing the jailer’s execution.

Now the two explain how Jesus offers sin forgiveness, saving the jailer and his family from an eternity in hell (Acts 16:20–30).

Believing in God through His Son Jesus is the only way to be saved. It’s not just about believing in God, but also of having faith and trust in Him (Ephesians 42:18–19).

Believing is critical to understand when it comes to accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Here are Bible Verses on Believing for salvation.

John 3:16 –  Believe in God and Have Eternal Life.

John 3:16 (ESV) – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Christ was not sent to condemn the world, but rather to bring salvation. This is an example of God’s boundless love. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, on the other hand, are condemned by God.

Many people choose darkness rather than the Light when they could simply believe in God through Christ Jesus because of their inherent preference for evil.

Romans 15:13 – Joy and Peace in Believing.

Romans 15:13 (KJV) – Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Paul exhorts those who have been saved to be filled with “joy and peace in believing” or putting their faith in Jesus, according to Romans 15:33.

In other words, Paul is not appealing to God to simply fill their hearts with joy and serenity. He is asking that as these believers put their faith in God, their faith will bring them delight and serenity.

In other words, assist them in continuing to believe in order for them to experience joy and peace.

John 6:35 – Believe in God and Want No More

John 6:35 (NIV) – Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

People have come to Jesus in search of another miracle as well as more free food (John 6:26). Instead, Jesus advises people must seek the “real food from heaven” if they want to have eternal life. This does not correspond to excellent deeds, as Jesus has previously stated, but rather to believe in the One sent by God.

Here, Jesus states that He is the One who has been sent by God. Only by Believing in Jesus Christ can one find eternal life.

This is an appeal to everyone who hear to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. Coming to Jesus entails making the decision to leave the world behind and follow Him.

Believing in Jesus is trusting that He is who He claims to be, that He will do what He promises, and that He is the only one who can.

John 20:31 –  Living by The Power in His Name.

John 20:31 (NLT) – But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

Believing in God and in the Power of His Name is a privilege given to every believer which is achieved and completed by believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Believing in Jesus makes a difference because Believers can enjoy eternal life through His unfailing promises while unbelievers.

The only requirement for everlasting life, as outlined in John’s Gospel’s purpose statement, is believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Nothing else is necessary.

If a person believes that believing in Jesus isn’t enough, he doesn’t believe the saving message.

Mark 11:24 – Answers to Your Prayers?

Mark 11:24 (AMB) – For this reason, I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

Believing that God will answer our request isn’t a spell we cast on Him to force Him to do what we want.

If we pray with the correct intentions as stated in James 4:1–3 and within God’s will (1 John 5:14–15), we will receive God’s ordained ministry.

“If any among you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who liberally gives to all without reproach, and it will be given him,” the Bible says (James 1:5).

We shall obtain what we ask for if we pray for discernment first and ask in God’s will. We won’t ask according to His will if we ask without discernment, and we have no reason to anticipate such a request to be granted.

“Believe that ye received them.” It is self-evident that such terms usually connote a prayer for spiritual rather than temporal blessings.

Subjective faith becomes an objective reality in the location. We are to believe that we will receive what we ask for right now, not somewhere in the far future.

In most, if not all, cases of prayer for peace, forgiveness, or illumination, the promise is psychologically accurate, even if it sounds exaggerated.

Isaiah 43:10 – The Fulfilment of Promises.

Isaiah 43:10 (NIV) – “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

Isaiah began his prophecy of hope and comfort in chapters 1-39, warning of impending punishment for unrepentant masses of nonbelievers and rewarding a faithful remnant with blessings of future prophecies. With deliverance and national restoration for those who believe, he continued into chapters 40-66, where he described the fulfillment of these promises.

God chose the nation of Israel as His witness to the entire world. They were to lead pagan civilizations into the fold of salvation by preaching the gospel to them.

They were supposed to be a source of enlightenment for non-Jews. They were intended to instruct people about God and warn them against the weakness of idols.

God never breaks His word, whether it is a promise of punishment for disobedience or a promise of blessing for loyalty. To rescue His people from their transgressions, God sent His Son into the world at the appointed moment.

John 5:24 –  They will be no condemnation.

John 5:24 (NLT) – “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life

Jesus is condemned for violating Mosaic law regulations and claiming to be God’s equal after curing a man on the Sabbath.

In this passage, Jesus claims many of God the Father’s characteristics. Among them are God’s power, judgment, love, and majesty. According to Jesus, those who reject his message dishonor God, and only those who believe in him will be saved eternally.

The first step of believing in God is accepting His Son Jesus Christ and confessing that He is Lord and Savior.

Believing in God means we believe all the Bible teaches, especially about Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament which begins with four biographies of His life called Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Also believe the teachings about His Holy Spirit and thereby have a fruitful life through the power of that divine person who lives inside us.

 What does the Bible say about believing?

However, only the reality can set one free according to the Bible. Nobody is liberated until he has received the truth. It makes no difference how anyone feels about it.

With the heart, Romans 10:10 teaches us that man believes. This is something we must grasp. Believing is the basis of everything else. It’s all about believing with your heart.

Believing is a crucial component of every Christian experience. Jesus included it as part of the early “preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God” in Mark 1:15 to underscore this point.

He says repent and “Believe the gospel”. And that is the message of the kingdom “Repent and Believe the gospel”. What you believe determines how you live.

Believing in God – Only Believe.

It’s no surprise why we see mediocrity and shallow Christianity in the world today. So many people have such a weak faith. This might be due to lack of knowledge in some instances, but it may also be due to the way the Gospel has been presented, which lacks the important deep understanding of the work of grace.

In other cases, efforts have been made to belittle or mock the divine principle “Only Believe.”

It may sound too easy to be true to some. The conclusion is that such persons “went about trying to establish their own righteousness, which they had no knowledge of.” Others believe that teaching on Grace might result in carefree Christians.

Believe in God’s Plan

Naturally, humans are concerned about how they appear outside and what they do in the physical. Obviously, this is what makes them accepted or rejected by others, at least initially. So they try to approach God same way where knowledge and revelation are lacking.

However, what a man is, he is from the inside. There is a popular saying that “You can’t tell a book by its cover. This applies to human beings also. You can’t tell a character by the “coverings”. What we really are, we are from the inside out. “As in water, face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man” (Prov. 27:19) “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7)“.

What does believing in God mean?

The word “heart” in the Bible refers to the “mind,” and it’s conceivable to appear attractive on the surface while being a filthy, polluted mess on the inside.Jesus revealed this in Matthew 23:27,28.

For you are like whited sepulchers, which appear lovely on the outside but are full of dead men’s bone and all uncleanness on the inside; similarly, you appear righteous on the outside but are full of hypocrisy and iniquity on the inside.”

This clearly characterizes the religion or life of a person who has not been born again, as there has been no change in his heart, and he instead struggles with morality but fails.

The goal of Bible passages regarding trusting in God is to demonstrate the simplicity of God’s act of grace in Christ, particularly in the areas of salvation, righteousness, eternal life, prayers, blessings, and miracles.

It will introduce every reader to Christ’s life and dispel any type of distraction or religion that may exist. Please join me on board. God will bring good out of your situation. You have to believe it.

Here are a list of Bible Verses about believing in God.

• Jeremiah 17:7-8
• John 7:38
• John 20:29
• John 1:12
• Romans 10:11
• Hebrews 11:1
• 2 Corinthians 4:18
• John 6:47
• Romans 10:9
• 1 John 3:23

See this Video on Bible Verses about Believing in God

DOWNLOAD FREE BIBLE WALLPAPER – BIBLE VERSES ABOUT BELIEVING IN GOD, FAITH, AND TRUST

Peter Enns has once again stirred the soup of my mind with a recent post titled: “Why I Don’t Believe in God Anymore.” However the title is supposed to be somewhat provocative and induce a further look. In truth Enns insightfully presents a distinction between belief in God and trust in God. After reading his article I felt motivated to move past the ceiling of basic belief in God and move into a greater realm of trust–despite the risks. For their is no trust without risk. Here is an excerpt of Enns piece:

I see a huge difference between “I believe in a God who cares for me” and “I trust God at this particular moment.” The first is a bit safer, an article of faith. The latter is unnerving, risky–because I have let go.

You’ve all heard of the “trust fall.” There’s a reason they don’t call it a “belief fall.” Belief  can reside in our heads. Trust is doing it, risking it. Trust is humility, putting ourselves in the hand of another. Trust requires something of us that belief doesn’t.

When God promises Abraham that he will have more offspring than the stars in the sky, translations of the next verse conventionally say that Abraham “believed” God. (Genesis 15:6)

“Believe” isn’t the right word there. “Trust” is. The Hebrew word is the same one we get “amen” from. “Amen” is not a social cue that grace is finished and it’s time to eat. It is the final word in the prayer: we’re done talking now, Lord, and we now move to trust.

God promised an old man a lot of kids. Abraham trusted God to come through. That is way harder than believing. Believing has wiggle room. Trusting doesn’t.

The same thing holds for the gospel. “Believing” in God–or even having “faith” in him–doesn’t cut it. At least the way these words are used today.

Beliefs can be collated into a “belief system”–an intellectual construction of what sorts of things are right to think and not think about God. Followers of Jesus, however, are called to do something much harder.

Jesus tells a famous story about why those who follow him need not worry about anything. Don’t fret about how much you have, what you wear, or what you will eat. Don’t worry. Trust. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Jesus illustrates the point in what at first blush seems rather off topic–at best marginally helpful. He tells us to consider the grass of the field and the birds of the sky. Look at them, Jesus says. They’re doing just fine and they don’t worry for a second.

Of course they don’t worry, Jesus, because they are–if I’m not mistaken–grass and birds. Grass doesn’t have a brain and birds are skittish little things that fly into windows. These things aren’t really relevant, Jesus, because, you see, by definition, Jesus, these things are incapable of worry.

And when you put it that way, you can see the profound point–and challenge–of what Jesus is saying: worry should be as impossible for us as it is for grass and birds. His followers–if they get it–should be as incapable of worry as insentient grass and bird-brained birds.

“Believing in God” doesn’t get you to that place Jesus is describing here. Belief leaves room for worry. Trust explodes it.