Can I trust the Bible to be God's Word?

In our study on Psalm 19 we are discovering a powerful and profound testimony by God about His own Word, the Bible.  He makes some amazing statements about His written Word: it is sure, clean, perfect, right, and true.

Biblical Inerrancy

Click HERE for a complete and trustworthy statement on Biblical Inerrancy.

God’s Word is the supreme authority. The Bible is true, not only in all matters of faith and conduct, but in everything it teaches. That’s why our first pillar is: Proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology. (2 Timothy 4:2).

However, for the purposes of both our walk and our witness, it’s important to fully trust God at His Word not only in preaching, but in practice as well.

In Preaching and Practice

Cory McKenna explains with a personal testimony...

Last Friday our Street GO Team came together to share Christ at the annual “Lighting of the Lights” event in Victoria Park.

At the end of the evening, one of our team members asked me if I could speak with a philosophical non-Christian friend that basically came to crash our proclamation of the Christ of Christmas. “I’d love to meet him!"

As I began sharing the truth of God’s Word with this young man, he quickly blurted out that all-to-familiar phrase: “But the Bible is full of contradictions.” On cue, I responded with: “Really? Can you name one?” Silence.

This scenario has played out hundreds of times. Of the thousands of non-Christians I have personally shared the Gospel with over the years, the number who have offered even one supposed contradiction could be counted on one hand (with some fingers left over).

Helpful Hints

That’s why we are sharing the following apologetic resources with a few important “helpful hints”:  

1. The burden of proof

Scripture clearly teaches that because of God's self-revelation through His creation, all people everywhere already know the God of Scripture is real and are, therefore, without excuse for denying Him (Rom. 1:18-20). Further, because God has written His law on their hearts, their conscience also bears witness that they have sinned against Him, so they are already with knowledge of their willful disobedience (Rom. 2:15). This means there are really no “atheists” or “agnostics” and the burden of proof is on the skeptic, not the Christian.

2. Discipleship first, evangelism second

These resources have been posted primarily to bolster and strengthen your own faith and to give you more confidence in your own belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Though they will no doubt give you increased confidence when sharing Christ, they shouldn’t be used as a springboard or starting point for sharing Christ.

3. Gospel first, apologetics second

This point relates to the last one. The focus of every Gospel conversation is Christ and the cross, not apologetics. Please don’t ever introduce questions into a conversation about Christ before the skeptic asks them. Why? Because the questions about Bible contradictions will likely never come! Simply focus on the key touchpoints of the biblical Gospel, as shared HERE in our Gospel tract/Bible bookmark.

Helpful Resources

Here are a few resources to help you if you want to look deeper into how we got God's Word, how it was passed on, can it be trusted and what we would believe about it's accuracy and dependability. 

THIS website is a great resource for all sorts of questions and issues - CARM (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries).

THIS site has tons of great information, research, explanations about creationism, evolution, the Bible, etc.  A wonderful source for all ages to dig deep into not only God's Word but its background, support behind God's Word and the world around us and how it screams forth of a Creator.   The page I have linked to HERE Has an amazing list of very reliable and fascinating information about the Bible.

Just one more source with a much needed warning on the issue of can we trust the written Word of God - the Bible?  THIS is a blog entry by Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Seminary.  I recommend all that Dr. Mohler writes as he is one of the greatest minds in North America and a solid and Biblical man of God.  He warns in this blog about the current attack on the inerrancy of God's Word.  One of his summary statements says it well, 'The rejection of biblical inerrancy is bound up with a view of God that is, in the end, fatal for Christian orthodoxy.'  Our view of God's Word is directly tied to our view of God Himself, you cannot separate those two.  Either God is sovereign and able to clearly communicate with His creation and preserve His communication accurately or He isn't.  And if He isn't then He certainly isn't God in our understanding of Him - all-powerful, all-knowing, able to do anything He pleases. 

Norm