09272015WeCanKnowThatTheBibleIsGodsWordDonRuhl

We Can Know that the Bible Is God’s Word 

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • September 27, In the year of our Lord, 2015

Prelude: 

Skeptics deny that the universe and man have a purpose. 

They cannot see purpose in creation, because

they deny that God exists.

Not believing that God exists,

they deny that absolute truth exists.

Although they see that natural, math, and scientific laws are absolute,

they deny that moral laws are absolute.

Therefore, they view the Bible as merely the word of man, because 

the Bible presents absolute moral law.

Anything the Bible teaches

they view as relative, and

certainly not absolute.

Some people believe God exists, but 

they reject the Bible, or

parts of the Bible.

Some of these God-believers claim to be Christians.

They like some things about God, but

other things that the Bible says about Him,

they do not like.

The question then becomes: 

Can we know that the Bible is the word of God?

Yes, we can know that the Bible is God’s word.

Persuasion: 

Is Truth Subjective or Objective? 

Everyone operates from a worldview.

Your worldview: Either God created us or we evolved.

Your worldview: We can know His will or we cannot know His will.

What do we mean by subjectivism? This means that truth is:

Dependent upon the person,

Always changing,

Different for everyone, and

based on feelings.

What do we mean by objectivism? This means that truth is:

Not dependent upon the person,

Always the same,

The same for everyone, and

Outside of self.

The Bible is objective truth. Therefore,

it depends upon God,

it never changes,

it is the same for everyone, and

it comes from God.

Most people want to determine spiritual truth by their own hearts.

However, we do not do this with

any other part of the world that God created.

We do not do it with natural laws.

We do not do it in math.

Yet, most people see those as not subject to interpretation, whereas

they see religion or spiritual matters as subject to interpretation.

We can know

the absolute truth, the objective standard, and

we can know that we know it.

Millions have discovered the freedom and comfort of these truths,

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8.31–32).

3 Now by this we know that we know Him,
if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and
does not keep His commandments,
is a liar, and
the truth is not in him
(1Jo 2.3–4).

I urge you, therefore, do not reject this freedom, but

embrace it, and live it, and

you shall see what Jesus and John meant.

What I am saying about the Bible is this:

it is inerrant,

it is without mistake,

it is worthy of our trust,

it is powerful, and

it is authoritative.

That means any hope of redemption from this Earth,

comes from believing and living

the teachings of the Scriptures, because

the Scriptures give us the teachings of the Creator.

The Bible Is Inspired 

The God of heaven breathed into the Bible,

so that what comes out of the Bible

are the very words of God;

the words that He means for us to know,

as though

He stood right before us and

declared the words of Scripture.

If God appeared to us right here in this auditorium,

would He say anything different

than what we already read in the Bible?

I do not believe that we would, because

He gave us everything that He wants us to know

right in our Bibles.

In Jude, the Author of the Bible, the Holy Spirit,

had one of His writers inform us

what we should do in regard to what He has revealed,

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Unfortunately, man wants to pick out parts they want to believe and live.

How can we determine what applies and what does not?

Who are we to attempt to do anything of that nature?

The so-called, “Jesus Seminar,” of the 1980s and 1990s,

thought they could separate the historical Jesus from the legend.

They used seven tools:

Distinguish between the historical Jesus and the stories.

Distinguish between the Synoptics and John.

Identify Mark as the first gospel.

Identifying the hypothetical Q document (supposed source of Matt and Luke).

Question eschatological (apocalyptic) Jesus.

Distinguish between oral and print cultures.

Reverse the burden of proof. Liberal scholars used to have to prove that Jesus was not historical. Now, we have to offer proof that He lived.

What made those seven criteria authoritative?

They concluded that 80% of the Gospels was fiction.

The Bible claims divine inspiration for all its parts,

35b “…the Scripture cannot be broken…” (John 10.35).

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Ti 3.16–17).

20 …knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2Pe 1.20–21).

Can the God who created all things,

also see to it that we get His message?

The God who feeds you daily,

can He also make sure that you have pure food for your soul daily?

Such inspiration of the Bible does not mean

only the thoughts of God and

that the writers expressed those thoughts anyway they desired.

Otherwise, we would have

the infallible God

giving His infallible will

to fallible men

to make a fallible Book.

What wise man would ever think

that he can put into words for humanity

what the Creator of humanity supposedly could not do?

Some friends of the Bible will argue

that the Bible is not accurate on nature, science, or history,

believing that the Bible just presents poetic truths in those areas.

Yet, they want us to believe

that the Bible gives us the right teachings!

The Argument for the Bible 

We can summarize the argument in this fashion:

If the Bible possesses divine qualities, it is the word of God.

The Bible possesses divine qualities.

Therefore, it is the word of God.

Since it is the word of God, it has the power to change lives,

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Rom 1.16).

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2.41–47).

There are people sitting all around you

whose lives have changed, because

of what they have read in the Bible, and

they believed its message and started living it.

Exhortation: 

What do you think of the Bible? 

Is it the word of God?

Does it speak the truth?

If you think that it is the word of God, and 

that it, therefore, declares the truth,

are you ready to do something about it?

Here is what the Creator 

told the first preachers to say, and

what happens to the people

who believe it and

who do not believe it,

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16.15–16).