BY JACK WARD
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” (2 Timothy 3:14)
We are always learning. We have spent many years in school learning the basics: reading, writing and arithmetic. And then we went on to learn a skill that would allow us to make a living.
Kyle walked up to his teacher’s desk, holding a report card with a big red F.
“If I were you I would change this while you still can,” he said.
“Why is that?” asked the teacher.
“Because my dad told me that if I brought home one more failing report card, someone was going to get a beating.”
We are not to stop learning about the word of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only have we learned the word of God, but we have the assurance that this is the word of God.
What would you tell someone if they asked, “How do you know the Bible is true?”
Just consider the New Testament. The New Testament claims that it was written by eyewitnesses. There were hundreds (500) of eyewitnesses. Let’s put it this way: If you have an event that was witnessed by people publicly, and it involves a remembrance, some kind of memorial ceremony that began immediately after the event and has continued until this day, you can be absolutely certain that the event took place.
The Lord’s Supper is one of these remembrances that we are doing today that was begun in Acts Chapter 2. Jesus instituted it at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.” The first church observed it in the first century and we have been doing this ever since. Acts Chapter 2.
How is a REMEMBRANCE different from traditions? Like Christmas?
First of all we don’t know when the tradition started. Traditions are not tied to actual events. They evolve; they catch on.
Is baptism a tradition or a remembrance? Baptism is another example of a remembrance that began with the first church and continues to this day. It is described and detailed in the Bible. It began in the New Testament and continues until this day.
Israel was a small country during Bible times. The Bible was written by people who witnessed the events or knew those who witnessed the events of the Bible. And also think of this: People knew each other or families pretty well. The gospel of John could not get away with the story of Lazarus rising from the dead if it did not happen. When John wrote his gospel there were still relatives of Lazarus living. They would have disputed it. The story would have stopped. But it was not stopped, so the story must be true.
Don’t you think someone would have produced Jesus’ body if they could? That would have stopped everything about the Christian sect if they could have come up with a body. You can’t say the disciples hid the body. They fled before the fear of the cross. Would they suddenly have the courage to steal the body of a dead man? It doesn’t make sense. Therefore we conclude sensibly that Jesus died and rose again from the grave, that the Bible must be reliable in its account of the resurrection.
Faith is not a leap in the dark. When Jesus appeared before the disciples after His resurrection He didn’t say, “Take my resurrection by faith.“ No. He said, “Touch me, handle me, see that it is I.”
Faith in the Bible is very good sense. “Come let us reason together, saith the Lord.” It is reasonable to believe that the Bible is God’s word.
Is it reasonable to believe the Bible is true? Is absolute truth reasonable? Think about this. When was the last time you opened a bottle of Pepsi and it didn’t taste like Pepsi. It almost never happens! Pepsi has proven to be reliable and trustworthy. Do we expect more of Pepsi than the Bible? If man-made Pepsi is reliable, how much more can God’s own word be reliable?
The Bible is reliable and trustworthy because God has a specific purpose and God has a specific goal with the Bible.
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31.
Hear Pastor Jack’s sermons and more at www.tomahawkmbc.com.