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The Bible
A wondrous book given by God to men
By Matt Slick
What is the Bible?
Is it inspired or man-made, inerrant or faulty, myth or history?
For some, the Bible is a wondrous book given by God to men.
For others, the Bible is a collection of myths used to control people's thinking.
Whatever the opinion, it goes without saying that the Bible is perhaps the singularly most influential book in history.
The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 authors, over about 1,600 years, on three continents, in three languages.
It contains history, poetry, fiction, doctrine, narration, and prophecy.
It is historically accurate, contains incredible claims of God's work and words, has prophecy, and it all points to one man: Jesus.
The Jews wrote and assembled the Old Testament, and the Christians wrote and assembled the New.
Both testaments contain teaching, prophecies, and doctrine.
But, it is the New Testament where we see Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
In fact, the Bible is about Jesus. "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me," (John 5:39).
I always tell people when they come up to something difficult, "Put Jesus into it and see if it makes sense."
Usually, the light comes on, and things then make sense.
Take for example, the offering of Isaac by Abraham and notice the similarities between Isaac and Jesus:
- Only begotten Son, Isaac in Genesis 22:2, Jesus in John 3:16.
- Offered on a mountain (hill) Genesis 22:2 and Matthew 21:10.
- Took donkey to place of sacrifice, Genesis 22:3 and Matthew 21:2-11.
- Two men went with him, Genesis 22:3, Mark 15:27, Luke 23:33.
- Three-day journey--Jesus: three days in the grave, Genesis 22:4 and Luke 24:13-21.
- Son carried wood on his back uphill, Genesis 22:6, John 19:27.
- God will provide for Himself the lamb, Genesis 22:8 and John 1:29.
- Son was offered on the wood, Genesis 22:9 and Luke 23:33.
- Ram caught in thicket of thorns, Genesis 22:13 and Jesus' crown of thorns, John 19:2.
The comparison continues, but you can clearly see that Jesus is reflected in the Old Testament which explains why Isaac was offered.
He was a prophetic typology pointing to Jesus as the true sacrifice.
Okay, so we now see that the Bible is about Jesus.
This is fine intellectually, but what does it mean to us as Christians on a spiritual level?
As Christians, the Bible is not simply a book of stories and moral truths.
It is the very Word of God, inspired, inerrant, true, and infallible.
It is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).
But, it is also more than that. It is the truth of God that resonates in the souls of those in whom the Holy Spirit indwells.
It is the means and the measure of our lives made real by God's indwelling.
It is the revelation of God's will for us and the world. It is the promise of God to deliver the believers.
It is, in reality, the loving and true words of our God. In this sense, it is alive.
Because of the God breathed nature of the Bible, we Christians need to inhale its goodness on a regular basis.
It is no different from our need to breathe. We must constantly take in air in order to live.
Likewise, we must constantly take in God's Word in order to live spiritually and to grow in our love and obedience to God.
We cannot ignore His word and expect to grow in grace and life. We cannot set His word aside and expect to walk in goodness and truth.
We cannot forget about God's Word and expect to walk in holiness.
On the contrary, in order to grow in our relationship with God, we must have the Word of God in us.
In order to walk in goodness and truth, we must study His word, so it can guide us.
In order to live in holiness, we must live in God's Word.
There is no other way. We need His word. We need His truth. We need His food for our souls.
It is the cross of Christ that makes all this possible in us. The cross is where the love and truth of God was most perfectly manifested.
God's Word, when deeply studied, reveals two things: God and yourself.
It reveals to you the sovereign and holy God of the universe who loves you and desires your salvation and presence.
But, it also reveals the sin in you.
It is like a mirror that enables you to see who you really are as it reflects yourself back to you compared to Jesus, the one who sacrificed Himself for us so that we might become more like Him as we study His holy Word.
So, do you meditate on God's Word? Do you make it a part of your life?
Do you desire it like medicine, like food, like air?
Do you experience its goodness as it washes over your soul and cleanses your heart and mind from the filth of the world?
If not, repent, open the Bible, pray for understanding and truth, and then read.
Do it regularly. You need it.
And settle that sin issue.
Say the following prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You. I receive Your free gift of salvation.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that according to your Word, I am now born again, has eternal life, and I am now Your child.
Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Please use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
If you have just put your trust in Jesus Christ, you have been born into God’s family.
As a spiritual baby, you need to grow by feeding on God’s Word – the Bible (1 Peter 2:2).
You must have a good modern translation Bible and begin prayerfully reading it. Start in the New Testament, such as the Gospel of John or Paul’s letters to the Ephesians.
Also, you need to join a Christian fellowship where the Bible is taught and where God is truly worshiped.
God bless you as you begin your new life with Him!
Matt Slick is the President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.
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