Why the Bible is True

The Bible is more than just a good book or a guide to moral living. The Bible is the one true God revealing Himself to us through His Word. It is imperative that Christians understand, believe and defend the Bible. The Bible can be proven to be true – from its first words to the last. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Rev. 22:20). In this series, we will look at the Bible from many different perspectives – and see how God’s Word is THE truth!

PART 1 ~ ORIGINS ~

"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom,
and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion." (Jeremiah 10:12)

The Bible starts out in Genesis with the clear statement that God Himself created everything. If you believe and trust in God, then you must also believe that what He says about Himself is true. Evolutionists have many theories on how life began – but the only person who was actually there – the only “eye-witness” is God Himself. The more scientists learn about how life works, the more they prove that what God said is true.

For example, DNA has been discovered to have a very complex “language” written into itself so that each cell will know exactly what to do. Who created this “language”? If we read a book, we know someone wrote it (the words didn’t just happen to arrange themselves intelligently upon the page) – therefore, if DNA has a language, Someone must have created it that way! The vast complexities of the world around us defy the notion that things just happened to evolve that way over millions of years. We are clearly spiritual beings beyond just flesh and blood – humans are much more than just evolved animals. The fact that we can reason and think about non-physical realities such as love, beauty and justice, proves that we are more than just a body trapped within a brain that does the thinking for us. Every person also has a conscience – an inner knowledge of what is right and wrong – such as knowing that murder is wrong – whereas animals don’t have a sense of morals. If we evolved from the animals, where did this conscience come from?

God made us in His image – we are spiritual as well as physical creations and we have more than just instincts like the animals do. Evolution says that suffering and death are the process needed to bring forth survival of the fittest and life – whereas God states that suffering and death were not His plan for us, but were caused because of the rebellion of sin and disobedience to Him. Science cannot explain the reason we grow old and die, but God has clearly stated that the “wages of sin are death” (Romans 6:23). We all die, since we all sin.

What the Bible states:

“God hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7) and the earth is a sphere (Isaiah. 40:22). We know now that the earth floats in space affected only by gravity. Other religious books stated that the earth was flat or sat on the back of a turtle or elephant or was held up by Atlas. “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:5)

God made all life according to its own kind (Gen 1:24) and science proves that life reproduces only after its own kind: dogs only produce dogs, tulips produce only tulips and so on. There is no record, proof or eye-witness account of one kind of living being changing into another kind, as evolution states must have happened.

People used to think the universe was eternal, but modern scientists now know that it had a beginning and that it is finished and complete: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (Gen. 2:1). The First Law of Thermodynamics also echoes the Bible when it states that the total quantity of matter and energy is constant – the amount never changes. According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the world is running down and deteriorating: “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment.” (Heb 1:10-11 ). Ironically, evolution contradicts this Second Law – since things are constantly breaking down and becoming less orderly, not more complex and better!

Science explains that the universe exists in 4 parts: time, space, matter and energy. Genesis 1:1-3 states: “In the beginning (time) God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter)…And God said, Let there be light (energy).”

The order of creation as necessary for plant life is just as God stated it: plants need sunlight, water and soil to survive. God created light first, then water, then soil and then plants!

Jesus confirms that Genesis is accurate when He said, “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matthew 19:4-5) He confirmed that God indeed created us – and the account that He is referring to in Genesis is not just a “myth”.

These are just a few examples of how scientific theories may change through the years as they learn more, but the Word of God is constant and true and doesn’t change. What God said is accurate and correct – it would have to be, if He truly made everything Himself!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3)

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:20-22)

PART 2 ~ HAPPINESS, LOVE AND JOY ~

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17)

Evolution fails to explain the origins of some of the most important things in our lives – the feelings, thoughts, desires and emotions we experience every day. Matter and energy do not “feel”. How do we have the ability to appreciate music, art and beauty? Why do we often long for perfection and despair when we fall so short? How do we explain love, happiness and joy?

The Bible explains that God made us in His image – with the ability to love, with a full range of emotions, and with an appreciation for beauty, joy and perfection.

~ JOY ~ God gives us the ability to experience pleasure and joy:
"Thou hast put gladness in my heart." (Psalm 4:7)
"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)
"For the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8: 10)
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5: 22)
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." (Proverbs 17:22)

~ MUSIC ~ God gives us music as a gift to express our love and worship of Him:
"And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." (Psalm 40:3)
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms." (Psalm 95:1-2)
"The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." (Job 38:7)

~ BEAUTY ~ God creates beauty in the world for His own glory, for us to enjoy and to lead us to Him:
"He hath made every thing beautiful in his time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food." (Genesis 2:9)
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6: 28-29)

~ LOVE ~ God is love. We are made to reflect His love and to love Him and each other:
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matthew 22:37-39)
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." (1 John 4:7-12)
"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)

We have been truly blessed with the ability to feel wonderful emotions and to love and be loved. Let us thank the One who made us by loving and obeying Him!

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3)

PART 3 ~ PROPHESY FULFILLED ~ by Kenneth Leck

Many scholars believe that the Bible is a great literary work, and many colleges and universities offer courses which examine the Bible as literature. Historians believe that the Bible is a great historical work, and archeologists use the Bible as a tool to find “lost” civilizations. The Bible makes its own claims as to what it is: the Bible clearly claims to be the Word of the only true God.

God’s people (the Jews) wondered how they could tell if a prophet was truly speaking God’s Word. God told them that if the prophecy comes true this would be a sign that it is the Word of God.

“…How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) “…when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.” (Jeremiah 28:19)

God says that only He can declare what is to come. It stands to reason that if God is all powerful and all knowing, that He alone knows all that the future holds.

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6-8)

The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies concerning the Messiah, the Redeemer who would come to earth to save His people from their sins. Did you know that Jesus fulfilled every one of these prophecies (over 300) concerning His first coming as the promised Messiah? The chart below lists just 8 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.

In his book, "Science Speaks", mathematician Professor Peter Stoner calculates the chance of one man fulfilling just 8 of the prophecies concerning the Messiah is 1 in a 100,000,000,000,000,000. To try and grasp what this number represents, Professor Stoner gives the following example. “If we take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas, they will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them according to their own wisdom.”

Professor Stoner continues, “Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.” Professor Stoner concludes that coincidence is ruled out based on the science of probability, which proves that God Himself inspired those prophecies. The American Scientific Affiliation reviewed Professor Stoner’s calculations and findings, and their committee stated that his results were accurate, regarding the scientific and mathematical principles which were applied.

It is truly amazing when you consider the fact that Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies concerning His identification as the Messiah. (On the last day of His earthly life, in a 24-hour time period, Jesus fulfilled 33 prophecies concerning the Messiah.) These prophecies were written centuries before His birth as proof by God of Jesus’ identity as His own Son and the only Saviour of the world. God doesn’t want anyone to doubt, so He gave us these amazing prophesies to prove who Jesus is. Who do you believe Jesus is? Will you believe the proof?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1-3)

PART 4 ~ WORDS and DNA ~

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

Words and thoughts that make sense have to originate from an intelligent mind. When I was a young child, I liked to play with my grandfather’s typewriter. I would spend hours typing out pages of random letters, which I would bring excitedly to my grandparents, to ask if I had made any actual words. It was rare if I ever made even one word from my random typing. When we read a book or a letter, we automatically assume that it was written by a person whose intent was to communicate their thoughts to us. We would never assume the words just happened to occur randomly, or that they were created somehow by the paper or book itself.

While it’s easy to understand this – we often face a challenge to understand and defend the same logical conclusion about how we were made. If you take a stand for God and His word, and proclaim that He indeed created us in His image – that we didn’t just happen to evolve by random chance over millions of years – you may be labeled as unintelligent, unreasonable or as someone who puts their faith over reason and intellect. But is it really more intelligent and reasonable to believe that everything we see was created by itself, randomly and by chance?

God expects us to use our minds that He has given us, and He exhorts us to “come now and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). God does not want us to choose either reason OR faith – because He has provided so many wonderful ways to prove to us that He does indeed exist and has created us – and these things can be proven by reason.

DNA is a wonderful example of this proof. Scientists realize that DNA has been encoded with a language type database: the DNA molecules are not only complexly put together in just the right way, but they also include an amazing source of information and instructions which tell each cell what to do. At the molecular level, the intricacies of design and function are incredible and show an amazingly complex plan – one that could only have been created by our Creator!

Scientist Richard Dawkins in “The Blind Watchmaker” admits that living things "give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose," and says that the nucleus of every cell contains "a digitally coded database larger, in information content, than all 30 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica put together."

So just how did DNA get these complex instructions and the ability to do everything so intricately and accurately as it does? We each start as a single cell which divides and creates the intricate parts of our bodies – following an awesome design and plan. God gave us minds and intellect to be able to reason and think about these things – so that we could also learn about Him, our Creator, and what He wants us to do. The Bible is clear that all things were made by “the Word” – God’s Word caused everything to come into being that we see. Jesus is also “the Word” because He is God. Faith in God and trust in His word is very reasonable. It is unreasonable to believe anything but the truth!

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works." (Ps 139:14).

PART 5 ~ DOWN THROUGH THE AGES ~

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

Some people claim that since the Bible was written so long ago, there's no way to prove that our current Bible is accurate. That's simply not true! There are so many ancient manuscripts that are available (over 25,000!) to compare to our own Bibles - and 99% of any differences between these manuscripts and our current Bible are minor - such as a missing letter in a word or reversing two words: "Jesus Christ" with "Christ Jesus". None of these differences change the meaning of the text. Any questions about the different versions of the Bibles we have today or the meaning of a verse or word, can be resolved by studying the original Greek and Hebrew texts.

Even more compelling is the fact that although the Bible was written over a period of 1500 years by more than 40 authors, each of these men, living in different places, times and cultures, were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write God's Word exactly as He intended. Although these men were so different in their own lives, the Bible is incredibly consistent as a whole! Consider the fact that the truth of man's redemption - Jesus as God, being man's only salvation from sin and hell - is throughout the entire Bible - in each book. Here are just some examples below:

OLD TESTAMENT:
"I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD." (Genesis 49:18)
"The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: He is my God." (Exodus 15:2)
"He forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation." (Deuteronomy 32:15)
"And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD...I rejoice in thy salvation." (1 Samuel 2:1)
"The God of my rock; in Him will I trust: He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour." (2 Samuel 22:3)
"Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation." (1 Chronicles 16:23)
"He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before Him." (Job 13:16)
"Salvation belongeth unto the LORD." (Psalm 3:8)
"But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation." (Psalm 13:5)
"He that is our God is the God of salvation" (Psalm 68:20)
"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished." (Isaiah 51:6)
"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD." (Lamentations 3:26)
"Salvation is of the LORD." (Jonah 2:9)
"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7)
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." (Zechariah 9:9)
NEW TESTAMENT:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." (Mark 8:35)
"And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Luke 3:6)
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Corinthians 1:21)
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13)
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15)
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11)
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him" (Hebrews 2:3)
"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:9)
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:14)
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." (Revelation 12:10)

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)