Bretanark Blog Books Contact

<

Why I believe the Bible is true
What now

I hope that this book has aroused a desire to seek the truth of God.  Putting academic arguments aside, the critical point is that God is real, and he seeks a personal relationship with you.  My relationship with him is more intimate than with my wife.  If all my arguments were disproven, this relationship remains.  In fact, my understanding starts with my relationship – knowing that God is real.  Then all these other things fall into place.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

God created us to relate with.  He destroyed Noah’s world, which irredeemably rejected him, yet not even death kept Jesus from reaching out to them:

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – 20to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience towards God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Cross in clouds

God continues to reach out to us to restore relationship with him.  Our imperfection opens us up to shame that makes us hide from God as Adam and Eve did.  God provided Jesus to cover our shame and empower us to live righteously.  We must recognize this and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.  If we call out to God to receive us through Jesus, we immediately enter into a relationship with him, that gives us endurance through life’s troubles and the inheritance of perfection after this life.

Those who reject Jesus’ amnesty on sin will stand before him on judgement day without excuse to face the full consequences of their sin – to spend eternity in Hell.  If the Bible is true, you’d better get right with God now.  If you’re not sure, you’d better work it out before it’s too late.  We have but one life.

Hebrews 9:27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Romans 3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – 26he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Praying hands

>

Comments