I read a blog the other day that intrigued me. The author had an experience where he seemed to be communicating to another individual about the authenticity of the bible. It seems that he was trying to “prove” that the bible was a divine work of God and not a work of man.
Sometime ago, it came to me that you can not prove the bible to be authentic or God’s work by merely offering archeological, historical, or scientific evidence. Once again, I am reminded that the natural man does not “receive” or welcome the things of the Spiritual realm. They are void of life and any spirit that could latch on to any and all of the proof that we might offer.
I think we misinterpret our mission, our responsibility, or our duty many times. We are not called to prove the existence of God or to authenticate His Word. We are called to be witnesses of His life, His voluntary and sacrificial death, His burial, and more so, His resurrection. This gospel, this good news is to be preached to every creature. Our mission, our responsibility, and our duty is to be a vessel of honor, clean and ready, in order for God, through His Holy Spirit to use us as an instrument in order to share this gospel, this good news.
At times, we will be confronted with people who will want proof or evidence of our claims. They will want proof that God exists or that the bible is divinely inspired. We must be able to reply to their real need, not their “presenting need.”
Nicodemus is a case and point. After Jesus had “cleansed” the Temple and ran the merchants and money changers out of the Temple, he left the Temple. What did he do? He went into the City of Jerusalem teaching and working signs or miracles. Do you realize the significance of his actions both in the Temple and in the City during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
The Sanhedrin did. Becasue they did, they engaged one of their own, Nicodemus, to meet with Jesus. Why? In the cleaning of the Temple and the working of signs or miracles, they saw Messianic activity. Jesus coming into the Temple was a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. Nicodemus acknowledge that Jesus could not do the signs he was doing without God’s approval or authority, John 3:2. They were contemplating whether Jesus by these signs was a prophet or possibly the Messiah.
Nicodemus made that clear when he said to Jesus, “We know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these things unless God is with him.” What did Jesus say next? “…I say to you, unless one is born again (above) he can not see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus didn’t ask anything about the kingdom, did he? Why would Jesus bring up the kingdom of God when Nicodemus hadn’t said anything about it?
When Nicodemus said that Jesus must be a teacher with God’s approval or authority, Nicodemus was connecting Jesus to Messianic activity or being the Messiah. The Messiah is connected to what? The Messiah is connected to the Kingdom. If Jesus is the Messiah then what of the long promised and long awaited kingdom?
Jesus knew his heart and his need. He by passed the “presenting” need and went straight to the real need. Nicodemus don’t be concerned about the “house” because first, you need the key to the door. Don’t worry about the kingdom; you need to be made ready to get into the kingdom. In other words, Jesus was saying don’t get the cart before the horse.
So, when a natural man who is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins demands proof for the existence of God or for the authenticity of the bible, that is merely a “presenting” need. His real need is for the Holy Spirit as He did with Lydia on that riverbank, to open his heart and regenerate him. He needs to know that nothing will prove to him God’s existence or the bible’s authenticity unless he repents and turns to Christ for salvation. He will not do that until the Holy Spirit moves in his heart giving him life and the faith to believe.
I avoid arguments like that. I do offer reasons why I believe the bible to be true, authenticate, and the divine work of God. Here are ten (10) reasons why I believe the bible is God’s word. These are "proof" to me and more than likely to you, but they will not be proof to a spiritually dead man. Especially when that spiritually dead man wants you to put the cart before the horse. I simply explain why I believe the bible to be the word and then share various portions of the word of God so that it can do its job - not me doing its job - the word will not return to God without doing what it was sent to accomplish - it will either harden the heart or hammer the heart into submission and repentance. (Don't get squirrly with hammer, it only matches harden)
1.
By the gift of faith given to me by God through his Holy Spirit, I believe it to be the Living, true, and inspired word of God
2.
The Longevity of the Bible
The bible has lasted some 3500 years. It was written by some 40 authors in absolute unity with no contradictions. It continues to last, and last and last.
3. The Impact that it has made on humanity
The bible has made a major impact in every area of human life around the globe since it was completed.
4. The testimony of those who have died for it
So many people have died possessing this book. They have given their lives to translate into the heart languages of various peoples. They have died protecting it, possessing it, preaching it, and preserving it.
5. The intensity of the effort to destroy it
The enemies of the bible and of God’s word have made such an intense effort to destroy the bible since the Garden of Eden. If this book were not true and from God, why would such a concentrated effort relentlessly be given towards its destruction?
6. The change that it has made in my life
I believe this book to be a work of God because of the change and impact it has made in my life. It is alive and powerful.
7
. The change that I have seen it make in others lives
I have seen, read, and been told of similar changes and impact in the lives of hundreds of millions of people around this globe from its time of completion until now.
8. The prophesized and predicted events that have come to pass
I have read of prophesies and predictions and have seen, read, or heard of the evidence that each and every one that has been fulfilled, was fulfilled perfectly in each and every detail.
9 The internal quality and spirituality of the bible. No man could have written what was written unless divinely inspired. Human minds do not think in these spiritual terms.
10.
You, who stand before me or sit with me and deny its very authenticity, its divine inspiration, and its “unintelligible” messages, reinforce to me that these spiritual truths are not understood, welcomed, or received by the natural man.
You, sir, are proof that the bible is true.
I realize that none of these reasons are proofs. I did not intend them to be. They are merely reasons why I believe the bible is authenticate and authoritative. They won’t change the heart of a spiritually dead man any more than tangible proofs will. I merely offer them as helps or tools that might aid you the next time this discussion comes up.
By the way, I am not criticizing the blog or blogger I read the other day. I simply saw myself in days gone by when I attempted to “prove” the authenticity of the bible with little or no success. Why? Let me leave you with this,
“The man persuaded against his will, is of the same opinion still.”
