Articles
Why Believe?
A fundamental question concerning religion is, “Why do I believe the Bible?” This is the most fundamental and important question we can consider. This is because it is the determining basis upon which all else must rest. If the Bible is actually the word of God, revealed by Him and preserved, then all that it teaches is necessary and binding and its truths must be built into our lives. If it is no more than simply a collection of men’s stories and ideas which have been put together through the centuries then it is not worth the time or effort which would have to be spent to learn what it says and to attempt to follow its teaching. There is no way we can hold a middle ground between these two positions. Either he Bible is the divinely inspired word of God or it is a farce when men respect to its teaching.
True Christians believe that the Bible is a divine message given to enable men to know how God expects us to live and to provide hope for life eternal. It is a message which was revealed by the Holy Spirit as he guided inspired men to write it down in ways that were completely accurate. It is a message that has been preserved for us by God’s providence in view of His great love and interest in our soul’s salvation. It is on this fundamental basis that all of our efforts to serve God rest. It is because these things are true that it is vitally important that we know and do God’s will.
It is impossible to escape the fact that there are many who do not accept this position. Many “religious” people, especially those who identify themselves as Protestants, actually do not believe the Bible is divinely inspired. This is one of the reasons they do not feel the necessity to do exactly what the Bible says. As New Testament Christians we sometimes find ourselves called in question on our convictions at this very point. The matter becomes even more crucial when we are faced with certain questions which are raised by those who seek to minimize or ignore what we understand the Bible to teach.
If the Bible is removed from its place of importance in the lives of New Testament Christians then we are left with the question which Peter asked, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life?” (John 6:68). If we are not able to believe the Bible, to trust its promises and to rest upon its truths, then there is no explanation for life, death or eternity. We are helpless in trying to find something worthwhile and hopeless in attempting to explain the meaning of life. The Bible brings us satisfaction and peace above anything else which we can ever know.
The Bible claims for itself to be a message from God to man. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit on the apostles to “guide them into all truth” (John 14:26). Paul taught that the Holy Spirit had revealed God’s message to the apostles and they had written it down so that when the message was read the readers might know the things which had been freely revealed by God (Eph. 3:1-7)
