Peter Tan-Chi - The Evidence of Truth
Greetings in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. What a joy it is for us to worship the Lord together. I praise God that despite Typhoon Ulysses, many of us are protected and safe. Today, I want to share with you the message from last Sunday: What should we teach our disciples, and what should we teach our children about the Bible? More importantly, why should we believe the Bible? You see, the truth is that we are all theologians. We all believe in something. The only question is: do you believe the right thing? My prayer is that today's message will help you, inspire you to know more about the Bible, appreciate the Bible, and most importantly, give you confidence in God's Word, the Bible, and apply the Bible to your life to experience God. Wonderful promises.
Why is the Bible important? The Bible tells us who God is. Did you know that God reveals to us in the following ways? First, through creation. When you see the world of nature, when you see the moon, stars, plants, flowers, you realize the amazing power of God, you realize there must be a Creator. But there are limits to our understanding of God. So, God reveals it to us through His Word, the Bible. Because we know from the Bible that God loves us. It is from the Bible that you understand God's wonderful plan for us. It is from the Bible that you understand what God's will is, what is right, and what is wrong. Most importantly, you learn God's promises from the Bible. God is also revealed to us not just through His Word, but through the living Word, Jesus Christ. When Christ came, He said to His disciples, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father".
Today, I want us to understand the importance of the Bible, the Word of God, because it is the Bible that we will understand more and more. Who God is and what God requires of us. The Bible is God's love letter to you and me. Truth is important, and the Bible is about truth, about who God is. Truth affects our lives. All you have to do is imagine that you are going to the hospital, and then go to the doctor. You are beginning to understand now that you want your doctor to tell you the truth. If you have cancer, you want your doctor to tell you, "You have cancer". You don't want your doctor to misdiagnose you. This is exactly what happened to my friend. Last year, I had a good friend who was diagnosed with kidney stones, gallbladder stones, and about stomach pain, but that wasn't a problem. The problem is cancer. Very sad.
I've had friends die because by the time they realized what the real problem was, it was too late. The truth matters and it affects us. You can be sincere, or you can be sincerely wrong. The Bible is so important that Jesus told us: Matthew 4:4, But Jesus answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Have you noticed how important God's Word is? It is likened to food, but Jesus tells us that man does not live by food alone. No, "by all the words". Notice, but by all the words that come out of the mouth of God. The Bible is so important, you need it to sustain your spiritual life and your happiness.
The Bible tells us: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path". You and I both take light for granted, but imagine complete darkness. How are you going to walk? This is why the Bible is vital. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. God's Word will guide how we live. In Psalm 19, the Bible tells us that His word is precious. My prayer is that you and I will truly appreciate God's Word. Notice what it says, God's word is more precious: "All is to be desired more than gold, and more to be desired than much fine gold". Many people desire money, desire gold. In those days, what was more important than gold? The Bible speaks of God's Word: "Sweeter than honey, and sweeter than the honeycomb".
You see, God's Word is good for you, not only is it precious, it sustains us, but it does us good. Moreover, your servants are warned by this. In other words, the Word of God gives us a warning. It tells you what to do and what not to do. It tells you that there will be consequences. We need warnings, more than that, "Keep these and there is a great reward". God's Word is vital. The Bible says, "There will be a great reward". Did you know that? I know firsthand the importance of God's Word. Hebrews 4:12, The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, even to the division of the heart. Thoughts and intentions can be discerned. The Bible is powerful, it can speak to our hearts, it can change us. My prayer is that you will have an appropriate view of God's word, the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, notice how the Bible describes itself. The Bible is inspired by God. The Bible is inspired. What does the word "inspiration" mean? It comes from the word "God breathed", God is involved. How did the apostle Paul describe the Bible? To give you an idea of how important this is, here's what He tells us, All Scripture is inspired by God. Notice the word "all". All Scripture is inspired by God. The word "inspired" comes from "breath". God is involved. This is the breath of God. God is involved in these works. It is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and teaching people in righteousness. The Bible says that the word of God is profitable. It is useful for teaching lessons. You see it tells us what is right and wrong. "Rebuke," it corrects us. "To convert people to the right and teach them righteousness"
Today, people are very confused about what is right and what is wrong. Who decides what is right and what is wrong? Many people are confused, they like to believe that there are no absolute morals, that's why people are confused today. You know what they say? What is true is true for you, but not for me. What works for you may not work for me. There is confusion between right and wrong. Do you know why? There are no standards. But God tells us, and this is important, God created us, God tells us what is right and wrong. This is why you know that killing is wrong, because God says, "Thou shalt not kill". Stealing is wrong, because God says, "Thou shalt not steal". Commitment of adultery is wrong, because God says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery". Lying is wrong, because God says, "You shall not lie".
The Bible tells us, "that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work". It's very important that we pass on the Bible, the Word of God, that we Allowing our disciples, including our own lives, to submit to the authority of God, the Word of God. Now you understand why Satan doubts and attacks the Bible so that we don't trust God's Word. Today, I want to share with you the importance of understanding why we believe what we believe. The Uniqueness of the Bible: What Makes the Bible So Unique? Written about 1600 years ago by 40 different writers from different areas of life, from kings, farmers, soldiers, philosophers, fishermen. Above all, there is a common theme: the redemption of humanity and how God loves us.
From Genesis to Revelation, you will see the heart of God. Over 25% is about prophecy. Where can you find a book like the Bible? Where can you find a book that has no geographical errors, no factual errors, that has been miraculously preserved, unless it was inspired by God? 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, First of all, you should know that no prophecy in the Bible is open to any personal interpretation; for no prophecy was ever by the will of man, but men spoke the words of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Come. In other words, one who is inspired by the Holy Spirit. God was involved in the writing of the Bible. My question to you is, what do you really believe? What do you believe in the Bible? Second, if someone asked you, "Why do you believe the Bible?" what would you tell them?
Think about it: What do you believe in the Bible? If you believe the Bible, why do you believe the Bible? Why is this important? The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts. Always be prepared to answer everyone who is asked about the reason for the hope that is in you, with gentleness and reverence". This verse tells "We, prepare". Always prepare. The word "preparation" comes from "justification," which is what the word "apologetics" means. Be prepared to explain to people why you believe what you believe. But heed the warning, "Meekness and Fear".
As I share these principles with you, my prayer is that you will understand the heart of God. God not only wants us to believe in Him and His Word that He loves us, but He also wants us to be able to share it with those we love. But please note, first, "Holy Christ the Lord in your hearts". You must put Christ first so that you can explain the gospel clearly. You must obey God's Word. Why do I believe the Bible? Can I share 10 principles with you? What are these 10 principles? You can have more, but for me, number one, science. Second, the bibliographic test. Biblical Criticism Third, internal evidence. Fourth, external evidence. Fifth, archeology. Sixth, prophecy. Seventh, look at the nation of Israel. Eighth, look at the prophecies about Jesus Christ and His life. Ninth, see how lives are transformed by the power of God's Word. Tenth, my personal story.
Let's start with number one, science. What's the meaning? Many people believe that science and faith cannot coexist. There is a myth that science and Christianity cannot mix, that science conflicts with the Bible. It doesn't get any more outrageous than this. The truth is, science and the Bible go hand in hand. In fact, science supports the Bible. In Job 26:7 it says: "Hang the earth in vain;" In Isaiah 40:22, the Bible says: God sits on the great circle of the earth, and the word "circle" comes from the Hebrew word "Sphere". The Bible is wonderful and inspired by God. Many people think that belief in God, belief in the Bible is only for the uneducated and ignorant. This is not true. There are many faithful followers of Jesus who believe in the Bible, and they are scientists, not just ordinary scientists, famous scientists, Nobel Prize winners.
Did you realize that over the past 100 years to the year 2000, more or less, more than 65% of Nobel Prize winners were Christians? Let me give you an example. Dr. William Daniel Phillips, an American physicist, won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on lasers. Here's what he says now: "I believe that observations about the orderliness of the physical universe, and the apparent fine-tuning of cosmic conditions for the development of life, suggest a responsible intelligent creator. I believe in God because of my personal faith, A confidence consistent with what I know about science", Joseph Taylor, Jr., another famous Nobel laureate. American astrophysicist who also won the Nobel Prize in Physics. His discovery opened up new possibilities for studying gravity. Here's what he said: "There is no conflict between science and religion. Our knowledge of God grows richer with every discovery we make about the world".
In other words, science and the Bible are not in conflict. It's amazing how progressive the Bible is on hygiene and health. In Leviticus 13:46, he talks about isolation: He shall be unclean on the day that the plague is upon him; and he shall live alone outside the camp. It's amazing, even in astronomy, the Bible says, you can't count the number of stars. For many years, people thought you could count the stars. Now, with the latest discoveries from telescopes, they've discovered that there are billions of stars in its galaxy. There are billions of galaxies in our known universe. In other words, the Bible is wonderfully advanced in many ways. Biblical Criticism. What does biblical criticism mean? Biblical criticism means was it copied and transmitted accurately? What is the time difference between the original codices and the earliest codices?
Now remember, we don't have the original transcript today. We have a transcript of a transcript of the original. So, what's the time difference? How many manuscripts are available? What do you mean when you say biblical criticism? The Bible has a higher test, not just biblical criticism. I call it canon criticism, where the standard is imposed by itself. For example, the authority test: Who wrote the New Testament? Are they apostles? Are they witnesses at the scene? Are they consistent? Are there any factual errors? What's the date it was written? Was it close enough to the incident? Were they recognized and accepted by the early church fathers? This is what the canonicity of the Bible means.
Now you begin to understand why these books made famous by the movie "The Da Vinci Code" are not included in our scriptures: The Gospel of Thomas. Gospel of Judas. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and Other Gospels. Why? Look at the date they were written, it doesn't qualify because they were written 100 years later. On the contrary, if you look at the Bible written by Paul, James, John, and Peter, they were all contemporaries of Jesus. So, who wrote the Bible matters. Let me give you an example of how ridiculous the Gospels made famous by The Da Vinci Code are. For example, the Gospel of Thomas. It reads: Simon Peter said to them, "Let Mary depart from us, for the woman is not worthy of life". Jesus said, "I will lead her myself and make a man of her, that she may also become a living spirit, like you men. For Every woman who makes herself a man will enter the kingdom of heaven".
This is ridiculous and goes against the clear teachings of the disciples of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus. This is why you have to understand how we have our Bibles. Why can you have confidence in the Bible? Look at the difference between other ancient manuscripts and the Bible. Famous Manuscripts: Pliny's History, first written around 850 AD. What is the time span? Years? Number of manuscripts, seven. You have the Annales by Tacitus, from the first to our earliest, 900; Plato's Metaphysics; Caesar's Gaul. War; Herodotus' History. Note the time gap, almost a thousand years. But look at the New Testament. I'd say not even 80 AD. I, that was written before the temple was destroyed. However, for the sake of calculation, the earliest copy we have is 130 AD. How many ancient manuscripts do we have? There are many manuscripts, and when you compare them all, they are not entirely different, they are saying the same thing, in theory, there is no difference. That is why you can put your faith and confidence in what we say.
What does internal evidence mean? It refers to the ability of an author or witness to tell the truth. That's called internal evidence. For example, if you look at the Bible, See how it describes the author himself. David, 2 Samuel says: "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me" Jeremiah: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying" Paul: "You know that we preach by the Lord Jesus What command is given to you"? Revelation, John: "The revelation of Jesus Christ was given to his servant John". Notice how these authors talk about this being a direct revelation from God. Peter said in 2 Peter 1:16, We were The power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are told to you, not by cunningly concocted fables, but by eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Peter said these are not legends, but see 1 John Chapter 1: Concerning the original way of life from the beginning, which we have heard, seen, seen with our own eyes, and touched with our own hands. Then the next verse says: "I made it known to you". In other words, internal evidence. Very important. In Acts 2:32, this Jesus, God has raised him up, and we are all witnesses of this first hand. No wonder, look at what happened to the author.
What happened to them? They were all martyrs and died for their faith. Jacob, beheaded. Nathanael Bartholomew, crucified. Matthew, slain by the sword in Ethiopia. Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece. Thomas, pierced with a spear in India. Philip was crucified in Türkiye. Peter, crucified upside down. Judas, crucified. Jacob, was beaten and stoned to death. Simon the Zealot, crucified. Paul, beheaded. If these people knew it wasn't true, why would they die for it? You see, if men really believed this to be true, they would die. If you lie to someone and they truly believe it's true, they could die doing it. But no one would die knowing it wasn't true. These are the people who wrote the Bible and they tell us that Jesus died and rose again.
Now, let me ask you: Did they lie? Did they make up a story? If they did, why did they suffer and die for what they wrote about? Think about it. External evidence. What does this mean? Refers to individuals, places, events, are they confirmed by history or archeology? Is there any other basis for confirming what is written? This is what external evidence means. I'm happy to tell you that there are outside sources, there are also non-Christian writings by unbelievers that confirm the truth of Jesus, the truth of Christians. What are these external resources? For example, the most famous of these is Josephus. Josephus was a historian. He is Jewish. Here is what he wrote about Jesus: Then there was a wise man named Jesus. Pilate ordered him to be found guilty and put to death.
Those who became His disciples did not forsake His discipleship. They reported paying attention to grammar. Three days later, he reported to them again that he was crucified and that he was still alive. Josephus didn't say, "I have become a believer". He simply said, "This is the story that's going on. He died and rose again". Secular sources corroborate the New Testament narrative. Pliny was the governor of Bithynia and he wrote a letter to his good friend the emperor named Trajan. This he wrote about the Christians, because Trajan was curious about these Christians. This is what he said: They were accustomed to meet on a certain day before daybreak. When they sang hymns to Christ, mind you, the divinity of Jesus had been practiced as early as the first century, they solemnly swore not to do any evil but to It is a Christian's reputation to abstain from all fraud, theft, and adultery, and to never break one's word.
What about archeology? Archaeological findings do not dispute the Bible. All archaeological findings support the Bible. One of my favorites is Taylor Swift. What is Taylor? Talon is a description of King Sennacherib's battles, including the battle at Jerusalem. This was discovered not long ago in Assyria, now Iraq. Some people were shocked by this magical edge, which has eight sides. Today you can visit the British Museum. My wife and I went there in person to check on Xiang. In this book, it talks about a lot of things, it talks about King Hezekiah, and it talks about the story in 2 Kings 19.
What is the story of 2 Kings 19? It tells how King Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem. But God promised King Hezekiah that they would not capture Jerusalem, not even shoot arrows, and the most important thing was that King Sennacherib would go back. I will protect this city. He described what happened, how they failed to conquer Jerusalem, and how the king was defeated. But that doesn't explain what's going on. Unless you read 2 Kings, and that's exactly what it is. In 2 Kings, the Bible tells us why King Sennacherib did not conquer Jerusalem. Because in 2 Kings 19:35-36, the angel of the Lord went out that night and killed 185,000 people in the Assyrian camp. Someone got up early in the morning and saw that they were all dead bodies. Sennacherib king of Assyria left camp and returned to live in Nineveh. You see they won't tell you what's going on.
Now you begin to understand why King Sennacherib returned in shame, defeated and ultimately assassinated. You see archeology corroborates the Bible. There was a time when people did not believe that Pilate was in charge of Judah and Jerusalem until they saw this amazing inscription from Pilate in Caesarea. Every time we go to Israel, I show them these amazing stone tablets. Erastus, one of my favorites. Why? Because I took this photo on a sidewalk in Corinth. It speaks of Erastus. Why? Because many, many years ago, scholars attacked the Bible. It says there is no position called "Metropolitan Treasurer" and no one called "Erastus" and guess what? Romans 16, 2 Timothy 4, when he talks about Erastus, this wonderful inscription confirms that, it talks about Erastus, the treasurer of the city. The most important are the Dead Sea Scrolls. Why? To me, this is the greatest discovery of the 20th century. Because the Dead Sea Scrolls are parchments, these are archives that were miraculously preserved by the hot and dry weather of the Dead Sea. It contains manuscripts from more than 2,000 years ago.
Why is it so important? Because many skeptics want to tell us that the manuscripts of the Bible are inaccurate. So, they were very excited to compare Isaiah. Why Isaiah? Because in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the book of Isaiah is complete and completely preserved. You must know that the Dead Sea Scrolls contain almost all the books of the Old Testament, except the Book of Esther. So, they were very excited to compare Isaiah with our modern version of Isaiah. The archaeological community and those who criticize the Bible are shocked when they compare Isaiah 53 verbatim. In Isaiah 53, you have 166 words. Of the 166 words, only 17 letters are slightly different. Imagine, 166 with 17 different letters, 10 for spelling, 4 for writing style, and only 3 letters for the word "Light". But you know what? It doesn't change the meaning. In short, the Bible we have today is the same Bible Jesus read 2,000 years ago.
What about the prophecy? Prophecy is one of the best proofs that the Bible is the word of God. Can I tell you why? Because God told his people in Isaiah chapter 46, God said: For I am God, and there is no other God. This is what God said in Isaiah chapter 46 verse 10, I know the end from the beginning, The ancient unfinished business said that God said, "I will tell you what will happen". So, let me give you an example of biblical prophecy. Remember, more than a quarter of the Bible is prophecy. Prophecy about Tyre. Tyre at that time was powerful and very wealthy.
The Bible says: They will break down the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers. I will also scrape away the dust and make her a rock of pure light. How did this famous city of Tyre turn into a rock? Impossible, unless you study history. After being conquered by Babylon, there was another conqueror named Alexander the Great. Why? He wanted to enter Tyre but they wouldn't let him. Alexander the Great was so angry that he decided to build a causeway. He obtained all the rocks and stones and built a causeway from the sea to the island city. The Bible says this city will be destroyed. It's going to be destroyed. It's amazing. Egypt, oh my god. What does the Bible say about Egypt?
The Bible tells us that you must remember that this prophecy is impossible to believe because Egypt was a world power that, like the United States, had advanced civilization. But the Bible says: The land of Egypt will be desolate and desolate, and they will know that I am the LORD. Why? Because you said, "This river is mine". God said, "I will humble you". In addition, God also said: You will be the lowest among the nations, and you will no longer be above the nations. I will reduce them so that they will no longer have dominion over the nations. If you read a little more God said: Egypt will no longer be a place of trust for the house of Israel. When the house of Israel looked to the Egyptians, they thought about their sin.
My friend, if you visit Egypt today, you will understand how amazing God's prophecies are. Edom, once one of the most wonderful kingdoms, was almost unconquerable. Do you know why? Because their city is built on rocks. But do you know what the Bible says? Although you soar like an eagle and make your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there. "This is what the Lord says". If you look at these photos, you will be surprised. This magical rock fortress, the only way you can enter is through a narrow path, is impossible to conquer. But you know what? God says, "I will bring you down" Israel.
Why should you believe the Bible? Look what the Bible says about Israel. There is no nation like the Israel described in the Bible and prophesied in the Bible. For example, the Bible says that Israel will be scattered but in the end times, the Bible says, before the end times, I will gather Israel, I will gather the scattered people back to their homes. This is unthinkable. You see the Bible says in Ezekiel 36: I will gather you from all the nations and bring you back to your own land. Your land will become cultivated land and I will multiply the whole house of Israel over you, and the cities will be inhabited, watch. The deserted land was rebuilt. I will increase the number above you, and they will be fruitful and multiply, says God. I will inhabit you as you were before, and I will bless you more than before, and you will know that I am the LORD.
When I first went to Israel a few years ago, they had less than 3 million people. I've been going there every year for over 20 years. Today, the population has more than doubled, almost tripled. Why? Because when God says something, it happens. I don't know about other countries, and I don't know about other countries that disappeared for 2,000 years. Think about 2,000 years, no flag, no land, no borders, no language. How can that country become a country again? I've seen Filipinos, I've seen Chinese people, they went to America, and after one generation, they don't know how to speak Tagalog, and after one generation, they have forgotten their homeland.
But God said, before the end, I will come and bring my people, the Jews, back to their promised land. Guess what? In 1948, the most amazing thing happened. The United Nations decided to give Israel its own homeland. How is it possible? When God says it, it happens. The Philippines is used by God and is the only Asian country to vote in favor of the UN resolution: Return Israel to its people, the motherland. God is amazing and when God says something, it happens. That's why I believe the Bible.
My friends, prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes. There are many more predictions about Iraq, Iran, and the Middle East, but I don't have time to list them all. However, I want you to develop a hunger to study God's Word. Prophecies about Jesus Christ. It's amazing. Why do I believe the Bible? You just need to study all the prophecies about Jesus. There were two thousand five hundred prophecies, two thousand of which have been fulfilled. There are many unfulfilled prophecies about the Second Coming, about what will happen to Israel, about what will happen to Iraq. However, there are over 300 prophecies about Jesus. Now, here are some examples of prophecies about Jesus. Remember I told you that the Bible is a book and the theme of the entire Bible is God's redemption and how He will save His people again. The following are examples of prophecies about Jesus.
Notice, why are these prophecies important? God knows that there will be many false claims, and there will be many people claiming to be the Messiah. God said, I will give you a sign, and I will give you a mark so that you can know who is the real Messiah and who is not the real Messiah. So, here are some examples of signs to show you who the true Messiah is. For example, "He will be born in Bethlehem," Micah 5:2. This was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. The Bible tells us, "Virgin Birth". Oh my God, how could the Messiah be born of a virgin? You will not understand the Old Testament unless you relate the Old Testament to the New Testament. "Son of David," God lets us know who the true Messiah is.
Did you know that many years after Jesus was born, the temple was destroyed? You can no longer trace your ancestors. Jesus had to be born before the temple was destroyed. Why? So they could trace His ancestors. So Jesus is called the Son of David. "Riding on a donkey," "when the Messiah will come". By the way, you should take the time to analyze Daniel 9:24-26. The Bible tells us the exact date when the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. This is amazing. There were also many prophecies about Jesus: how He would be wounded, how they would crucify Him. This is amazing.
For example, Isaiah 53:5-6, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. Because of his punishment we have peace; you notice how this wonderful book, written 700 years before the birth of Christ, talks about how he will die, "he will be pierced," "how he will be crushed wounded" by his stripes we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way. The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. Notice the principle of substitution: how Jesus took our place on the cross. Wonderful prophecy. Why should you believe the Bible? Because of the prophecies of Jesus, the most important thing not to forget is His death and resurrection. The Bible talks about the Messiah dying and rising from the dead.
A famous scientist named Peter Stoner calculated the probability of how all of these predictions would turn out for one person. He used a science called the laws of probability. What does that mean? To give you an idea of the laws of probability, he said: You put all these coins in Texas and I'd like to believe it's about three feet deep, but look, neither you nor I have any idea how big Texas is. So, I'm going to bring it back to our country, Luzon. Luzon is much smaller than Texas, so my son-in-law did the math, and he said, it's like putting a coin in Luzon, a 5-peso coin, 13 feet deep. Then you blindfold someone, but you have to put an "x" on a five-peso coin and then tell the blindfolded person to take a helicopter to Luzon and drop him off what he picked up. The first coin should be the one you marked the "x" on.
What are the possibilities? Of course, this is impossible unless God intervenes. So I say I believe the Bible. I believe in Jesus because of the evidence. Change lives. You know changing lives is something you can't argue with. Looking at history, people don't realize what happened in Europe. Europe was once very barbaric. They let children die in the streets, women had no rights, slaves were rampant, it was barbaric. And then what happened? Christianity came in, the Bible came in. Look at Europe today, you look at all the big cities, and you see church after church. The only sad thing is that they are now empty.
But I want you to learn something about the power of God's Word, the power of Jesus to transform society. We owe it to Jesus and His Word, the Bible, and His people. For hospitals, orphanages, schools, charities, it's all because of God's word, God's people. Finally, my personal experience, my journey. If you know my life, many years ago, I grew up in a non-Christian family and we didn't worship any religion. Basically, this is material stuff, we're talking about money and business. But God has been working in my heart. As a child, I was always afraid of dying. The reason is, I was forced to attend the funeral. When I was in elementary school, our principal died, so I was forced to go to the funeral. My classmate died of leukemia, and I had to go to the funeral. In high school, my classmate died in a car accident. A year later, another classmate died in a car accident.
So, I always come into contact with funeral services, and I keep asking myself, what is the purpose of life? What will happen if I die? Here, I am afraid of death, and life has no purpose and no meaning. Then one day, I heard the gospel. Some people shared the Bible with me, and some people shared with me things about Jesus. When I gave my life to Jesus, I heard how He died on the cross for my sins, and I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. My life was completely different, I experienced joy, I experienced peace. I'm not afraid anymore. My life has meaning and my life has purpose. That's why I believe the Bible, because it changed my life. Jesus is so real in the Word of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. My friend, I hope you are going through the same thing. The truth is, if you come to Jesus, your life will have a new beginning. In Psalm 119, verses 160, 165, it says this: "The sum of your words is truth;" See? Truth matters. "All your righteous judgments endure forever". God's Word is eternal. "Great peace is for those who love your law; nothing shall cause them to stumble". When I began to study God's Word, God's truth, I experienced great peace. Peace can only come, true peace can only come from God, and God's Word gives us that assurance.
You see, the Bible, if it is false, is unimportant; if it is true, its importance is infinite. The only thing that's not possible is moderate importance. Let me say it again, if the Bible is not true, if it is false, forget it, it doesn't matter. But if the Bible is true, it is of infinite importance. Do you know why? Because it affects your life. Impossible is moderately important. That's why I tell my friends, I tell my children, I tell my disciples, I tell all of you: Biblical faith is not blind. Biblical faith is not a leap in the dark, but the opposite. Biblical faith is sound. This is logical and convincing. You can trust God's word. Why? Because of this evidence. Faith is actually a choice. Many times, people don't want to believe the Bible for reasons other than intellectual.
In fact, they have never studied the authenticity and validity of the Bible or the arguments for and against it. The problem is bias. The problem is a worldview that makes it impossible to believe in miracles. But the fundamental issue is not always your worldview. The fundamental issue can be your moral life. For example, if you live in sin, if you don't pay your taxes, if there are things in your life that you don't want to change, it will affect your attitude toward the Bible. Why? Because obeying the Bible and believing that the Bible is the word of God means that you must obey the authority of the Bible. It means you have to obey, which is why a lot of people struggle. I hope you're not one of those people who struggles to believe the Bible for moral reasons, or because of a closed mind, a worldview that says miracles are impossible.
Have an open mind, study the Bible, and let the evidence guide you to your conclusions. I want to challenge you with the amazing truths God wants you to know today. In Psalm 1:1-3, Blessed is the man! He will not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. The Bible tells us that you can be truly happy, you can truly be happy. Be blessed, it's up to you to choose. What choice? Blessed! Happy is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked. What does that mean? When the Bible uses the word "wicked" it doesn't quite mean a rapist, a murderer. The word "wicked" simply refers to those who do not believe in God. If you listen to unbelievers, if you listen to other people's opinions, that's what the Bible says, you won't be blessed. Do you know why? Who is the blessed? Blessed is he! Disobedience.
Do not believe the counsel of the wicked. Don't stand in the way of sinners, don't sit in the seat of scorners, but "love" your choices. But delight in the law of the Lord, meditate on it day and night, it is a choice to believe, to love, to learn the word of God. Look at the promise: He will be like a tree planted by streams, bearing fruit in its season, and its leaves will not wither. Everything he does goes well. God gives us a choice. Today, He is saying, "Will you make a choice to cherish My word, obey My word, and live a blessed life"? If you want to know what happens, Psalm 1 tells us what happens to those who don't obey the Bible. The Bible says: The wicked are not like this; they are like chaff that the wind drives away. In other words, without legacy, without eternity, there is no future. Notice it says: For the Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the wicked shall perish.
So, God gives us a choice: a blessed life with God's blessing, or you can do it your way and the outcome will not be good. Remember that every choice has consequences. You see, "Faith is a response to evidence, not joy in the absence of evidence", John Lennon. This is the heart of Jesus. Jesus told us in John 8:31-32, If you always keep my word, you are truly my disciples; note the condition: If you always keep my word and obey my word, you are truly my disciples; I pray There will not be any fake followers of Jesus listening to me today. Why? Look at the next verse: You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. Freedom from what? Freedom from the bondage of sin. Freedom from porn addiction. No fear. No anxiety whatsoever.
God wants you to be free, but you will never be free unless you have a high view of who God is, a high view of His word, and follow His word. You know the heart of God. In John 20:30-31, He said: Jesus performed many other miracles in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing in Him you may have life in His name. I want you to note the following: Our faith is based on evidence. Jesus performed many other miracles in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. Many miracles; many other evidences. Our faith is based on truth. There is evidence. This is not blind faith.
And then it says: But these things are written. The Gospel of John was written not to record all the evidence, but to record sufficient evidence. For what purpose? That you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you may have life in His name. Do you see that God's word will help you experience safety? It will help you understand that going to heaven is possible. Why? This is the promise of Jesus. This is God's promise, God never lies. My prayer is that today, you will not only get a right view of God, but a right view of His Word, the Bible, and believe the Bible. When you believe the Bible, you learn to obey the Bible. But you will not obey the Bible and you will not trust the Bible if you do not have a correct view of who God is. If you do not have a correct view of God's word, the Bible why would you like to read the Bible?
Is it possible that you are not studying today Bible, you don't like the Bible because you don't really believe in your heart the Bible is the word of God, and it is God's love letter to you and me? Think about it. If you truly believe the Bible is God's Word, why don't you study it? Why don't you meditate? Why don't you share God's Word with others? My prayer is that you will have a desire to truly study God's Word, and most importantly The key is to learn to obey God's word and believe in God's promises. I want to give all of us a chance to truly experience the Word of God and the promise of eternal life. If you have not reached that point in your life where you have never received God's promise of eternal life through Jesus, you can pray with me today. Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, today, I know that Your word is trustworthy. Your promises are in the Bible. I humble myself now. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. Will You come into my life? I accept Your gift of eternal life. I accept your gift of forgiveness. Lord Jesus, give me a new heart and a new desire. Open my eyes to know Your Word, to love Your Word, to learn Your Word. Most importantly, obey Your Word. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.