21. How do we know the Bible is the word of God

How do I know the Bible is the Word of God?

This is an important consideration. We know for a fact that the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied about Jesus Christ centuries before He was born. The Bible records these. We know that more than three hundred prophecies or predictions about the life and death of Jesus were fulfilled while Jesus lived on earth. These facts demonstrate that the Bible is no ordinary book; that the people who wrote it were inspired (moved by God’s Spirit) to write down God’s words. No book other than the Bible has had so many of its prophecies fulfilled in history, especially those about Jesus Christ. (See Lesson 5, The Promises and Prophecies about the Messiah).

The Bible also tells us of other future events that will take place (e.g. Revelation 20-22). If we know that the Bible is trustworthy and that many prophecies in it have been exactly fulfilled, then we can trust what it says about the future of the world, about eternity, salvation and how to receive eternal life. The Bible is God’s Book about reality, and how to discern truth from error. It gives instruction about righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16); how to discern acceptable and good behavior from unacceptable and bad behavior. The Bible is the compilation of the trustworthy (infallible) words of God. Do other books record the fulfillment of prophecies as the Bible does (e.g. the Koran or the Bhagavad Gita)? These books contain no prophecies that have come to fulfillment. If books contradict the clear message of the Bible, then we know they are false.

There are absolutes in the Universe. Truth cannot change from day to day or from century to century and remain the truth. In Isaiah 46:9 it is written, ‘For I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like Me.’ If truth changes from context to context then we cannot know anything for sure. God is the standard of truth because He is the truth (John 14:6). God cannot sin, be unholy or lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2) as humans can. He forever remains holy and good and just. He is unchangeable in all His divine attributes (James 1:17). Anything contrary to His nature falls into the category of falsehood and moral corruptness. If we ever found another book that truthfully recorded so many fulfilled prophecies (more than 2000) we would have a contender with the Bible in terms of containing God’s words. The fact of the matter is that there is not another book in the world like the Bible! It is in a class all of its own!

Only God knows the future (Isaiah 46:10) and only He can tell us about it. The Bible records that hundreds of times God has been correct in predicting future events that later came to pass to the letter (e.g. the crucifixion and atoning sacrifice of the Messiah in Isaiah 53:3-12; the 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine in Egypt in Genesis 41-47; the rise and fall of kingdoms in the Middle East in Daniel 2:27-45; the destruction of the livestock and life in Egypt and the Exodus of the Israelites in Exodus 3-14), so we can trust the Bible to tell us about our own future and the future of the world. Even more importantly; what makes the words of the Bible the true words of God and different from other books is the fact that people still testify that the same Jesus who healed and exorcised demons and did many miracles many centuries ago, saving, forgiving, cleansing and healing people from drug and sin addictions, is still doing it today! The transformation of wicked, evil people all around the world, into good, loving and holy people (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), testifies to the fact that the Jesus of the Bible was and is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:5) and is still working miracles among us – salvation is the greatest miracle of all!

The corresponding unity and the internal consistency between the Old and New Testament also demonstrate that the Bible is no ordinary book. Although many of the authors did not live in the same decade, century or even millennium there is a corresponding unity in the Scriptures. The prophecies about the life, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ given in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, and the meticulous way God planned and worked out His redemptive plan for the human race, demonstates that a Mastermind, an extremely Intelligent being, was at work behind the scenes and working within the authors who penned Scripture. The literary integrity of the different books in the Bible also demonstrates that God wanted us to know that the Scriptures are of divine origin. Heroes of the faith like Abraham, Jacob, Judah, Moses, Aaron, Samson, David, Peter and Paul are presented as they really were. We see them with their faults and sins. They are not presented as, ‘holier than thou’ people, but we see them making mistakes, sinning and being judged for their sins. We also see how God used them despite their many sins.

There is also much archeological evidence supporting many of the historic events recorded in the Bible. Investigations have discovered the location of the place where the Red Sea was crossed, the location of Mount Sinai, the location of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah which were destroyed, the location of the site on which the Temple was built, the remains of the walls of Jericho which fell and the sites of many other Biblically recorded events. These events really occurred at places that really existed.

There are many scientific facts in the Bible. Science in Biblical times believed that the earth sat on a large animal or was established on pillars, but the book of Job correctly states that the earth hangs upon nothing (Job 26:7). Science in Biblical times proposed that wind blows in straight lines. The Bible states that wind blows in circles according to Ecclesiates 1:6. There are many such scientific facts in the Bible. The authors of the Bible books didn’t know these things when they wrote them, but the Spirit of the Lord moved and inspired them to write down these revelations (1 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16).

Question to consider: Have you come to the Jesus of the Bible, willing for Him to do the miracle of giving you a new heart and transforming your life into a life of godliness, holiness and love?

Read: Revelation 20-22; 2 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 46:9; John 14:6; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; James 1:17; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 53:3-12; Gen 41-47; Daniel 2:27-45; Exodus 3-14; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Heb 13:5; Job 26:7; Ecclesiastes 1:6.

20. Can we trust the Bible?

Part 3 Special Revelation the Bible

 20 • Where did the Bible come from?

God, in His power and wisdom, inspired people throughout the history of the world to write down what He has said to them and what He has done (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16). These records are very important to us because they show us who God is and what His will for us is. The written account of what God has said to humans is called the Bible. ‘Bible’ means, ‘collection of books’. It is an account of God’s words spoken over two thousand years from about two thousand BC to about 85AD.

God told Moses how the world was created and of Abraham and His family in Genesis 1-50. God mainly revealed His word to the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, centuries ago. But God also spoke to other cultures and nations of the world in different ways, especially through the inner witness of His Spirit in their hearts, through the conscience (Romans 2:15) and through the general revelation of His creation (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:19-23). God used more than 40 people to write His words found in the Bible. The Bible consists of 66 books (See Lesson 23) separated into two sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament records God’s words spoken before Jesus was born into this world, and the New Testament records God’s words after this event.

Some of these books are historical records of God’s actions throughout history; others give account of what He spoke. Some prophecy about the world’s future and some tell how God judged sinful nations. Some are written as poetry, songs to God, wisdom-literature—such as the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes—and letters by God’s messengers (apostles) written to God’s people teaching them about God’s divine words. There is also apocalyptic literature like the books of Daniel and Revelation. Many people throughout history have tried to destroy the Bible, but God has protected and preserved it through the centuries. God’s people made many copies of the original manuscripts (called the autographa) before there were printing presses and electronic media. There is no other book in history with more handwritten copies than the Bible (more than 4500 manuscripts of the New Testament alone)! It has been translated into more languages than any other book in the world.

Some people say that there are errors in the Bible and that people have changed God’s words. The original manuscripts of all the different books in the Bible were without fault or mistake. Because so many centuries have passed by and because there are literally thousands of copies made of the whole Bible or parts of it, we are not sure which are the originals or if we still have them. It is a remarkable fact that of all the manuscripts that we have of the Bible (comprising more than 5500 copies of parts of, or the whole Bible), most of them correspond word for word. If you take human fallibility and error into account when copying manuscript after manuscript by hand over many centuries, it is quite understandable that there would be a few errors. Most of these differences in the manuscripts that exist today are of grammatical nature. But remarkably, no truth about God, Jesus Christ, God’s standards of right and wrong, what sin is, God’s justice, how to obtain eternal life and how to live a life pleasing to God, written in the Bible, has been changed, falsified or distorted! The book of Proverbs 30:5, 6 says, ‘…every word of God is pure, He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.’ And in Psalm 119:89 it is written, ‘…forever your word is settled in heaven.’ Jesus also said in John 10:35, ‘the Scriptures cannot be broken.”

Many people would argue that because we do not know whether we have the original manuscripts of the Bible, it is impossible to know the true, authoritative and original words of God given to the primary authors. We must realize that the Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew and some parts in Aramiac, (the book of Daniel) and that all the books of the New Testament were written in Greek. Yet, because we have so many manuscripts in Hebrew and in Greek available to us today, and because of the fact that most of them correspond word for word, it is not only possible but certain to determine the original meaning and intent of the Holy Spirit, and the exact words of God given to the original authors.

Some people say, especially followers of Islam, that they are uncertain which translation or which Bible to read because there are so many, especially in English. We must make one point clear: any translation is only authoritative (to be recognized as God’s true words binding on our consciences, to be obeyed and believed to be true), in as much as it corresponds with the original manuscripts in the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures. And because we have so many manuscripts it is possible to determine what the original meaning and words given by God were and what the intent of the Holy Spirit was, as people were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

One reason why there are so many translations in the English language is because people view the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible differently. Some Bible translators view God’s word in the original as inspired and infallible only to the extent of conveying the theological intent of the Holy Spirit in each portion. Others view infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible in the sense that each word in the Bible was chosen by the Holy Spirit and the people who wrote it down were superintended by God to write each word exactly as God wanted it. Nevertheless, even if you compare all the recognised translations of the Bible in the mainline Protestant churches you would come to the same conclusion as to who God and Jesus Christ are, what God’s standards for right and wrong are, what sin is, the way to eternal life and how to live a godfearing life.   

Reality to consider: The fact that more than three hundred prophecies and predictions in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s life, prove conclusively that the Bible has divine origin.

Read: 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 1:19-23; Romans 2:15; Psalm 19:1-6; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 119:89; John 10:35.

19. What are we saved for?

• What are We Saved for? Displaying God’s Worth

To be saved means you belong to Jesus Christ and that your sins are forgiven. But it also means much more than that. It means that you have been justified and reconciled to God (Romans 5:1, 10-11). In simple terms; that means God looks at you through His Son, Jesus Christ’s merits and achievements. Because of your sins you were guilty before God (Romans 3:19, 23). You were legally sentenced for crimes of high treason against the King and Creator of the Universe. You were then spiritually taken to God’s holy court of justice and put on trial because of your sins. But then, through saving faith, you were found not guilty because of Jesus’ perfect life and sacrifice on a cross. (Romans 3:24-26).

Everyone who has ever lived has this legal sentence against him/her (Romans 3:19). By receiving the gift of salvation, Jesus became your advocate in God’s Holy Court, and your substitute who has paid for your sins (1 John 2:1, 2). By trusting in Jesus your case has been legally dismissed because of His perfect life and payment on the cross. His sinlessness (righteousness) has been accounted to you and your sins fell on Him when you trusted in Him (Philippians 3:9; Romans 4:5-7). In other words, God sees you as if you have never sinned. You are set free when you trust in Jesus! That is what justification means. But more than that: by trusting in Jesus you have been united with God through the Holy Spirit. That means: God, the Creator of the universe, lives inside you (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20) and there is open communication between you and Him! That, in essence, is why you were saved – to be in a living, dynamic relationship with God (Romans 8:15).

The Bible tells us that God has a plan for His children, and it is that   they should become conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18). God wants you to become more and more like Jesus; to partake of His divine, holy and loving nature. This doesn’t mean you will become a god who will rule a universe, as false teachers teach. God wants to transform you by the work of His Spirit inside you, but you remain yourself; a creature with limited abilities (Ezekiel 36:26, 27). God made you to glorify Him, not yourself or any other creature or human being (Revelation 4:11)! The change God wants to make in you can be likened to that of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. Just as the caterpillar becomes a butterfly over time, your transformation will be total! God wants a divine metamorphosis to take place in your inner person as you surrender your life to Him and give your body as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1, 2).

In Ephesians 1:12, 14 God says: ‘We are saved in order to praise the glory of God.’ God is such a magnificent being and His glory is so wonderful that we will spend eternity praising and glorifying Him and His grace and glory (Revelation 5:12, 13). 1 Corinthians 10:31 states: ‘Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.’ That is why it is good for us to sing to God and to praise and glorify Him. He is the Creator, Sustainer and Saviour of the universe, and it is fitting for us to praise Him. It is a privilege and pleasure to praise Him. Psalm 150:6 reads: ‘Let everything that has breath praise Him!’ Psalm 148:13 reads: ‘…let them praise the Name of the Lord for His Name is alone exalted; His glory is above the earth and the heaven.’

Question and truth to consider:  Are you reflecting God’s worth and glory to the people around you? God wants us to be like mirrors reflecting the brightness of the SON of God to all those around us, so that other people can become His children. We are not, however, that brightness ourselves; Jesus Christ alone is (Hebrews 1:3)!

Read: Romans 5:1,10,11; Romans 3:19,23; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 3:19; 1 John 2:1, 2; Philippians 3:9; Romans 4:5-7; Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:15; 8:29; Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ezekiel 36:26, 27; Revelation 4:11; Romans 12:1, 2; Ephesians 1:12, 14; Revelation 5:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 150:6; 148:13;  Hebrews 1:3.

18. The evidences of saving faith

The Evidence of Saving Faith—Fruit; Treasuring Christ

It is a sad fact that many people who claim to belong to God, who claim to be followers of and believers in Jesus Christ, will not reach heaven and do not have everlasting life (Matthew 7:21-23). Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ And then I will declare to them ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Many call themselves ‘Christians’ but their lives show that they belong to themselves, the world and the devil (2 Peter 2:1-3, 13-15). Jesus said that a person will be known by the fruit he/she bears. A good tree is known by the good fruit it bears and a bad tree by its bad fruit. In the same way the deeds you do, the fruit you bear, will show whether you belong to Jesus Christ or not (Matthew 7:16-20).

If the real Jesus is in your life and heart, then you will be loyal to God and love your fellow human beings. You will be loving, good, kind, peace-loving, patient, joyful, faithful, self-controlled and humble (Galatians 5:22-2l3). You will not continue living sinfully. Adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, sorcery, idolatry (serving other gods), theft, envy, untruthfulness, contentions, selfish ambitions, covetousness, murders, heresies, foolishness, pride, drunkenness, revelries and taking God’s name in vain, will fall from you like withered leaves fall from a tree in autumn (Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23). A preacher once said: ‘The proof of the fact that you belong to Christ, that you are a true worshipper of God, is that you have a heart that treasures Christ above all other things.’

Jesus said in Matthew 13:44: ‘The Kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man finds and reburies, and for joy over it goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.’ And in Matthew 13:45, 46 it is written: ‘The kingdom of God is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found a pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it’. Jesus Christ, and all the excellencies He possesses, is that great Treasure and the Pearl of great price. True faith in God esteems God for Who He is and cherishes Him above all else. In the pressure cooker of life, when things get tough, a person who belongs to God will value Him above all the other things the world can offer.

Consider a tree that is planted by a river. In a gale, a storm, a flood, a hurricane or tornado the tree will not be uprooted because the tree’s roots have gone deep into the ground to make it strong against the elements (Psalm 1:1-4; Jeremiah 17:7) When a Christian faces the storms of life, his/her foundation will be on a rock which stands firm in adversity (Matthew 16:17,18; Matthew 7:24-27) and his/her roots will be deep in Christ. The building that will stand against the wrath of God on judgement day (1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10) is the building whose foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-11). Those who trust in uncertain riches or in the strength of man will be utterly disappointed and ashamed when God comes in judgement. If a Christian must choose the most valuable thing from all that is valuable, he/she will choose Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 10:36: ‘He who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he who does not take up his cross [endure suffering] and follow Me, is not worthy of Me.’

Questions to consider: Is Jesus Christ more valuable to you than your close family: your wife, husband, child or mother? Is Jesus more valuable to you than all your possessions and friends? Is God the Treasure you hold fast to when all else is taken away from you?

Read: Matthew 7:21-23; 2 Peter 2:1-3,13-15; Matthew 7:16-20; Galatians 5:22, 23; Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23; Matthew 13:44-46; Psalm 1:1-4; Jeremiah 17:7; Matthew 16:17, 18; Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11; Matthew 10:36.

17. Chosen by God

Election

The decisive reason why any person is saved from their sins and born of the Holy Spirit, is not because of the works they do, or because of any quality that may be in them, or any apparently noble disposition, but because of the election of God. Salvation is by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8, 9)! Jesus said the following to His disciples: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16 NKJV). When Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, about 2000 years ago, he mentioned the reasons why God chose them to be His children, “.for you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (I Corinthians 1:26-29). God is passionate about receiving the glory for any person’s salvation!

Years ago, a mission leader in a particular church told me that a person is saved by God because of their own choice. He said: “you choose yourself to be in the kingdom of God!” That is definitely not what the Bible teaches! When Paul writes about election, about the fact that God doesn’t choose everybody to be saved, he says the following: “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Romans 9:14-16). And in Romans 8:29-30 Paul explains how God saves people: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

It is very clearly taught in Scripture that God has predestined some people to be saved from their sins, and not all people (Ephesians 1:3-5; Acts 13:48). It is very important to know that God has predestined people according to His foreknowledge, as the apostle Peter wrote when he addressed the believers: “..elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:2). This foreknowledge doesn’t mean that God saw in the future who would choose Him and believe in His Son, and on that basis, He decided to choose them! If that were true, then people would be saved by works and not by grace! However, the Bible makes clear that believers are saved by the grace of God! Grace means unmerited favor. We cannot achieve salvation! When it comes to the salvation of sinners, all the glory belongs to God (Romans 3:27, 28)! When the Bible says that some people are predestined according to foreknowledge, it means that God had knowledge of some people before they were born, even before time began (2 Timothy 1:9), and because He set His love on specific persons (John 10:27, 28) and because of His ultimate freedom to choose, and because of His own glory (Romans 11:36), He chose some to salvation and not others.

When we speak about the election of God, we must realise that we will never completely understand why God chose some and not all people to be saved. It is, in a sense, a mystery to us. As Deuteronomy 29:29 says: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever”. And when Paul concludes his revelation on the election of God, he says: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). What we should hold on to is this: the decisive reason why anyone gets into the kingdom of God is because of God’s predestination and election. People repent of their sins and believe in Christ Jesus because God grants them faith in Christ Jesus, and repentance towards God (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:25)! Faith and repentance are gifts from God to those whom God elected before time began (Ephesians 1:3-5; 2 Timothy 1:9).

And the decisive reason why some go to hell for all eternity is because of their own rebellion and sin and their own unwillingness to believe in Christ Jesus as Lord, Savior and Righteousness! The Bible is clear that people go to hell and will suffer everlasting punishment because of unbelief and their personal sin (John 3:36; Revelation 21:8, 27). Yes, God did not choose all to salvation, but the rebellious and unbelieving will have only themselves to blame when they open their eyes in hell. God’s justice will be unleashed upon sinners in hell and even there the glory of God’s justice will shine brightly and be evident for all to see.   

Scripture to consider: John 1:12, 13 declare: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Read: Ephesians 2:8,9; John 15:16; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Romans 9:14-16; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-5; Acts 13:48; 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 3:27,28; 2 Timothy 1:9; John 10:27,28; Romans 11:36; Deuteronomy 29:29; Romans 11:33; 2 Timothy 2:25; John 3:36; Revelation 21:8,27; John 1:12,13.

16.Have you received Christ?

Have You Received Jesus as Your Saviour and King?

The Bible states in John 1:12 that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in Him Name”.  We must receive Jesus Christ in our lives. It is like any big gift a person is offered. If someone offers you a big gift (e.g. a microwave or a bicycle) you have to let go of the things you are holding in your hands to take the gift. If you let go of the things you are busy with, you will be able to handle and use the gift for what it was intended. God wants us to let go of our bad and good deeds (Galatians 5:19-21), all of them, for us to receive Him. If we hold on to our own achievements, good works and sins we won’t be able to receive Jesus (Romans 9:30-33).

The Bible states that there is only one Jesus Christ, but there are some people that speak of another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4) and of another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). When we believe in Jesus Christ and His wonderful sacrifice for us, we must believe what the Scriptures (God’s Book) teach (John 7:37). We must receive Jesus Christ for who He really is (Matthew 7:21-23)! We cannot receive Jesus as our Saviour but not receive Him as our King and the Ruler of our lives. If we receive Jesus as our Saviour from sin and as the Victor over Death, but not as our King (Lord) and Ruler, then we have a false Jesus, not the real Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4; Romans 10:9, 10). We must receive Jesus as our Saviour, King and Treasure of Righteousness (Matthew 13:44-46).

It is like being grateful to a person who gives you a motorcar as a present; but then telling him that you only want the engine and wheels, but not the chassis and the cab. If you insisted on taking these only, the motorcar won’t function and would be useless. The purpose of the car, namely, to drive around in, would be lost. In the same way, you cannot only take the things you like about Jesus. You must take the whole package! Jesus wants 100% of us! He is worthy to receive our all. He is our Creator and therefore the Possessor of our lives (Genesis 14:22). When we receive Jesus Christ, we are no longer our own. We then belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:13-20).  We have exchanged ownership from Satan and self to Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13, 14). Sadly, many people want Jesus as their Saviour but not as their King. They only want an insurance policy to keep them out of hell, but they still want to be in control of their own lives. They still want to be in the driver’s seat of their own destiny. This kind of ‘faith’ will not save us from eternal death.

The true faith that saves us—Whom God gives to all His children—implies full surrender of our lives to God (Mark 10:21; Matthew 16:24,25; Acts 17:30). True faith implies surrendering our lives to God and Jesus Christ now and for eternity. Some people want the gift of eternal life, forgiveness of their sins, a happy life, escape from hell and an inheritance in heaven, in other words, they want the gifts of God, but not the Giver of these gifts. That is not the true faith that the Bible talks about. Romans 10:9 states: ‘If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.’ In other words, if you surrender your life to Jesus as your King (Mark 10:21; Luke 9:23-26) and believe in His wonderful sacrifice and His resurrection from the dead, then you will be saved (be granted eternal life). Luke 9:24 says: ‘He who desires to save his life will lose it but he who loses his life for Jesus’ sake will save it’. As one songwriter said: ‘Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.’

Questions to consider: Do you have the real Jesus of the Bible in your life? Is Jesus only an insurance policy and a ticket for you to escape hell, or is He the King and Treasure of your life? The early Christians knew what it meant to confess Jesus as their King.  If they professed Him as King, it meant persecution or even death!

Read: John 1:12; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 9:30-33; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6-9; John 7:37; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 10:9,10; Matthew 13:44-46; Genesis 14:22; 1 Corinthians 6:13-20; Colossians 1:13,14; Mark 10:21; Matthew 16:24,25; Acts 17:30; Luke 9:23-26.

15. Saved by grace alone

• Not by Works—It is a Gift from God

What separates Christianity from all the other religions of the world is this: the belief that it is by the sovereign grace of God that we are saved and united to God (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:4-7)!  All the other religions of the world believe that you must work your way up into heaven in order to have a chance of being accepted by God. They think eternal life is achieved by a system of merits; that your good and bad deeds will be weighed against each other in the balance when you die. If your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, you’ll be accepted! This is not what the Bible teaches about being accepted by and reconciled with God. With Jesus it works the other way around!

When Peter, a follower of Jesus, asked Him, ‘How can a person be saved?’ Jesus replied, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God; with God all things are possible’ (Mark 10:27). There is a better chance of you getting into heaven on a ladder of sand than being saved from your sins by doing good deeds! Or as someone said: ‘There is a greater chance of you crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a paper boat than being saved from your sins by your own good works.’ The fact of the matter is that we are greatly indebted to God because of our sins, and no sinful human being can repay that debt because we are all full of sin (Romans 7:14; Jeremiah 17:9). The devil and our own sins have made us captives of hell and the kingdom of darkness (2 Timothy 2:26; Ephesians 2:1-3).

But Jesus bought us back and the price was His own life, His death, His own blood (Revelation 5:9). We cannot make our lives right by our own performance or effort. Only a superhuman can take our debt away and that superhuman is the God-man, JESUS CHRIST! It is Him and Him alone. Even if you never sin again until your death, you will still be guilty of your past sins and deserve eternal death and separation from God’s glory because of the just nature of God (Nahum 1:2, 3). We cannot make up for our previous mistakes and sins before God by our own efforts. We need to be perfect in order to be in God’s presence. We need Jesus Christ’s perfect life and His righteousness when we are in God’s presence (Hebrews 12:14; Isaiah 35:8). We know that the punishment of sin is death. But Jesus was perfect and lived a perfect life. He took our sins upon Himself and paid our debt so that we can stand without sin before God (Romans 3:25, 26). Jesus fulfilled all the laws of God perfectly (Romans 8:3, 4) and thereby obtained a perfect righteousness. When we put our trust in Jesus, God clothes us with His righteousness (His perfection) and our sins are laid on Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In other words, by faith in Jesus a divine transaction takes place. By faith we stand perfect and without sin before God and therefore are accepted by God, apart from anything we have done (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26,28). That’s why we need Jesus so desperately!  And the world needs to know about Him! Human beings essentially have six problems: The guilt, pollution and power of sins, the alienation that sin brings, ourselves, and the reality of physical and spiritual death. And Jesus Christ is the solution to all of them. He came to forgive (Colossians 1:14) and cleanse us from our sins (1 John 1:7), save us from the power of sin, self and Satan (Colossians 1:13, 14; Romans 6:6, 7), reconcile us back to God (Colossians 1:20-22) and He overcame death by being raised from it by God the Father (Hebrews 2:14, 15). If we receive Jesus Christ, these problems are overcome, and we receive everlasting life! Romans 6:23 states: ‘The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

Reality to consider: Ephesians 2:8-10 states: ‘It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For you are God’s workmanship…’

Read: Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:4-7; Mark 10:27; Romans 7:14; 2 Timothy 2:26; Ephesians 2:1-3; Revelation 5:9; Nahum 1:2,3; Hebrews 12:14; Isaiah 35:8; Romans 3:25,26,28; Romans 8:3,4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:14; 1 John 1:7; Colossians 1:13,14; Romans 6:6,7; Colossians 1:20-22; Hebrews 2:14,15; Romans 6:23.

14. What is sin and repentance?

14 • What is Sin and Biblical repentance?

In Lesson 13 we said that a person is saved by repenting of their sin and having faith in Jesus Christ. But what does repentance entail? What is sin? The Bible says that sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). In other words, breaking any of the 10 commandments of God is sin (See Appendix 1 and Lesson 4). The word for ‘sin’ in the Greek can be translated “missing the mark”. If we fail to live up to God’s standards revealed in the Ten Commandments, we sin. If we fail to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength we sin and fall short of God’s glory. We sin when we don’t have a high regard for God and all He stands for (e.g. justice, love, righteousness, holiness, truth). We sin when we treasure anything more than God. We sin when we don’t love our neighbours as ourselves. None except Jesus has attained to these holy standards, and none ever will.

Jesus said that without repentance we will all perish (Luke 13:3, 5). When Jesus started His public ministry on earth He commanded: “repent and believe the gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). The apostle Peter, after the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost, preached to the Jews commanding them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). Without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. The prophets’ plea in the Old Testament was always “turn from your sins and live” (Ezekiel 18:30, 32; Amos 5:14, 15; Isaiah 55:6, 7). When Paul was in Athens, he reasoned with the philosophers urging them, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Repentance is a Biblical command (Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1).

But what does Biblical repentance entail? First, we must realize that repentance is a gift from God. God grants repentance to whom He will (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). Although God gives repentance as a gift, we are not passive in the process of receiving it. Biblical repentance involves three things: Conviction (a change of thinking), Contrition (a change of heart or emotions) and Conversion (a change of behaviour). If the way you think, feel and behave towards God has not changed, you probably have not come to Christ – you still love your sin. Biblical repentance means turning away from sin and turning to God in faith for forgiveness. Without this turning there is no salvation. Biblical repentance means you hate your sin enough to stop doing it. It means you feel the way God feels about sin – God hates sin. Biblical repentance means that the sin you used to love you now hate, and God whom you used to despise and ignore you now love and joyfully obey.

Unless you understand that you are damned and lost because of your sin (conviction), you will not turn to Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). Once you realise that you are a wicked sinner, call out to God for mercy as the tax collector did in Luke 18:13.  Knowing and admitting that you are a sinner is part of the “change of mind”. We read in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” When King David committed adultery and murder, he wept before God and said, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, these O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17). We see that weeping before God (change of heart) is part of repentance (Isaiah 66:2; James 4:9, 10). A change in behaviour is also part of repentance. When Zacchaeus came to Jesus he said, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Jesus answered, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:8, 9).   

Question to consider: Has God worked in you by the Holy Spirit so that the sin you used to love and cherish, you now despise and hate with a passion?

Read: 1 John 3:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 13:3,5; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Ezekiel 18:30,32; Amos 5:14,15; Isaiah 55:6,7; Acts 17:30; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; John 16:8; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:7,17; Isaiah 66:2; James 4:9,10; Luke 19:8,9.

13. How are people saved?

 13 • How People are Saved From their Sins

Every human who has ever lived, except Jesus, has disobeyed God’s laws (the Ten Commandments) and the Greatest Commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39). Failure to do good to our neighbours, God also calls sin (James 4:17). We all therefore stand guilty before Him (Romans 3:19). Our guilt needs to be removed for us to be reconciled with a Holy God. Because God is holy and just, He set death as the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23), which is deserved by all sinners. This was revealed in the Bible (the Old Testament with its sacrificial system where animals had to die to avoid God’s wrath at sin). An animal or someone had to die for sinners for them to win back God’s favour.

God is the Judge of the world (Psalm 98:9). For Him to be righteous and just in judgement, sin must be punished. If sins were not punished, God would not be just. God is holy and perfect in character and therefore, because of our sin, we are separated from His glorious presence (Romans 3:23). Our own personal sins have built a wall of separation between us and God, which we cannot remove. Jesus came for these explicit reasons: to stand before God in the place of sinners and to be sacrificed as their substitute in order to pay for their sins (Isaiah 53:4, 5, 10; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 10:14). Jesus alone could make atonement (just payment) for our sins, because He is holy and without sin (Hebrews 7:26, 27).

The Bible states that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrew 9:22). Jesus’ blood had to be shed, and He had to die, because the just punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23; Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus cried, ‘It is finished!’ as He died on the cross. God had done everything necessary to remove the guilt of believers and put them in a right relationship with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. God’s anger burnt hot against all our sins, but God’s anger was appeased, and His justice served and satisfied, when Jesus took our deserved punishment on Himself. Nothing and no one else besides Jesus Christ could have removed our guilt before God! This is so because Jesus was without sin – He was God’s perfect offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus broke down the wall of separation between believing sinners and God! Jesus came to reconcile us with God (2 Corinthians 5:18, 21).

We were in jail with millions of life sentences hanging over our heads, justly condemned (Ezekiel 3:20), but Jesus came to set us free by paying with His own blood and clothing us with His perfection and righteousness so that the honour of man was restored (Romans 3:24-26). That is the reason He died. If we admit our guilt, confess our sins (1 John 1:9) and need for Christ’s forgiveness, turn (repent) from our sins and put our trust in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, our sins will be forgiven, and our guilt removed (Mark 1:15; Ephesians 1:7). Repentance and faith work together. They are like two sides of the same coin. Without Biblical repentance there is no saving faith and Biblical repentance without true faith in Jesus is useless. They always work together, and both are granted to the one who will commit Himself to Jesus (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:25). Turning from our sins and fixing our eyes on Jesus open the gate of the Kingdom of God within (Luke 17:21).

Reality and question to consider: In the Bible, in Acts 4:12 it is written: ‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved.’ That name is Jesus Christ! Have you embraced this great Gift God has purchased for you at such a high price? 

Read: Romans 3:23; Matthew 22:37-39; James 4:17; Romans 3:19; Romans 6:23; Psalm 98:9; Isaiah 53:4,5,10; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 7:26,27; Hebrews 9:22; Ezekiel 18:20 Genesis 2:17; 2 Corinthians 5:18,21; Romans 3:24-26; 1 John 1:9; Mark 1:15; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:25; Luke 17:21; Acts 4:12.

1. Creation

 1 • Creation

When you look at the sky, trees, variety of animal life, insects, sea creatures and human beings, do you ever wonder where they all came from?  Many people believe we are some kind of accident because of an explosion billions of years ago. When we look at the order, design, beauty and complexity of creation, it seems logical to conclude that there is intelligence behind all we see, hear and experience (Romans 1:19-21). Many scientists today have come to the same conclusion. There is so much design and irreducible complexity in the normal functioning of the human body alone, that the most intelligent people have concluded that there is a Mastermind behind all of creation.

If you examine the complexity of the human eye and how it operates, or the human ear, let alone the functioning of the brain with its billions of electrical impulses, it is logical and marvellous to realize that God created all of this with so much insight and wisdom (Psalm 139: 13-16). As Psalm 19:1 says: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork’. When you look at a machine like a motorcar, or a tall building or a toy, it is reasonable to conclude that someone designed and made it. Most cultures and religions have concluded that there is a God behind all of creation (Acts 17:23-29). Creation itself, therefore, is evidence of the existence of a Creator just as the existence of a bicycle is evidence of someone who designed and made it. God’s Book also states that God made the world in six days (Exodus 20:8; 31:17). The fact that we have a seven-day week in the world, testifies to the fact that God created the world in six days and that He rested on the seventh day, just as He told us in the Bible. Many people will dispute the fact that God could create the universe in six days; yet even today many scientists believe this to be the truth. Scientists cannot empirically observe the age of the earth: sound science requires observation and experimentation. God alone existed in the beginning, so we can believe what He says in His holy Book. Those who try to calculate the age of the earth are not scientists but speculators. If God is God, then He could have created the universe in only a few seconds, let alone in a few days. Nothing is impossible for God (Mark 10:27)!

The proponents of Darwinian evolution have a strong belief in the absurd. From a huge explosion millions of years ago (according to the Big Bang Theory) they expect to get order, design and complexity through a time span of millions of years. Because no one could observe the theories they propose (macro evolution, and changes from one kind of animal to another) Darwinian evolution is based on faith and a lot of imagination! Darwinian evolution doesn’t make any sense and, sadly, many a believer in God has fallen prey to their fairytale lies. The fact remains: no one knows the exact age of the universe. What we do know is that God created everything that exists out of nothing; a feat only God could accomplish (Hebrews 11:3). As the Bible says, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1). And in John 1:1-3 it says, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.’ Romans 11:36 states: ‘for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever.’

Truth to consider: Everything we can see, feel, taste, hear or smell had a beginning; and God is the reason for that beginning. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to come to this conclusion—it is common sense. Those who stubbornly deny this truth are called fools by God’s Holy Word (Psalm 14:1).

Read Romans 1:19-21; Acts 17:23-29; Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 19:1; Mark 10:27; Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:17; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1; John 1:1-3; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:13,15-18; Genesis 1:1.