Why Should You Believe The Bible?

WHAT WE BELIEVE.

1. The TRANSFORMATIONof Christ’s Redeemed People (as demonstrated in the apostle Paul):

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” —Romans 1:1

2. The TRUSTWORTHINESSof Christ’s Recorded Prophecy:

“Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures,” —Romans 1:2

3. The Family TREEof Christ’s Required Patriarchy:

“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,” —Romans 1:3

4. The TRIUMPHof Christ’s Resurrection Power:

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,” —Romans 1:4

5. The TRIBULATION(Judgments) of Catastrophe Revealed Precisely:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness,” —Romans 1:18

6. The Internal TRUTHof Convicting Reproof Present:

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them,” —Romans 1:19

7. The External TRACEof Creation Reflecting Purpose:

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” —Romans 1:20

THE BRIDGE OF SALVATION

(See reverse side)

Mankind’s Problem — God’s Solution

1. Sin separates us from God.

Isaiah 59:2; Luke 16:26

2. All have sinned against God.

Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23

3. Sin’s penalty is eternal death in everlasting punishment.

Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14,15

4. Good works can never save us.

Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5

5. Christ paid the sin’s penalty.

John 3:16; Romans 5:8

6. You must repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.

John 1:12,13; Revelation 3:20

7. The Lord Jesus Christ saves us immediately and eternally.

John 5:24; 1 John 5:12,13

YOU

Salvation Not by Works

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).

The Penalty for Sin

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14,15).

All Have Sinned

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Christ Paid the Penalty

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Eternal Separation from God

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” (Luke 16:26).

GOD

Must Receive Christ

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12,13).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

Eternal Salvation

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:12,13).

WHY WE BELIEVE

1. The Bible declares that Christ changes lives(2 Corinthians 5:17). This truth is quite evident in the lives of Christians in every time and place. The apostle Paul, who was once an enemy of the cause of Christ, was transformed into a bold “servant of Jesus Christ.”—Romans 1:1
2. The Bible exhibits the promise and fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies with 100% accuracy.Christ’s place of birth, His betrayal, His suffering, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, to name just a few (Micah 5:2; Zechariah 11:12; Isaiah 53; Psalms 16 and 22). —Romans 1:2
3. The Bible declared that Christ must be a descendant of David,the ancient king and psalmist of Israel. The Lord Jesus met that criterion (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:3,4; Matthew 1; Luke 3). —Romans 1:3
4. The Lord Jesus promised to rise on the third day after His death.He staked His whole reputation on that claim. His enemies posted guards at the tomb, hoping to prove that His claims were false. But three days later, He rose. The empty tomb could not be explained then, nor can it be today, except by this conclusion: Christ is risen indeed! —Romans 1:4
5. God has historically revealed His judgments from heaven. Whenever He warned of a national or personal chastisement, it came to pass to the letter. The flood in Noah’s day, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt’s plagues, the judgment of Tyre, and the calamities upon Israel all testify to the wisdom of taking the warnings of God very seriously! —Romans 1:18
6. God has already placed within each of us a witness of Himself. Those who deny the witness of God still “hold the truth,”even though they suppress it. This inner witness is two-fold. We have all been given a “conscience…bearing witness” of God and of His moral absolutes of right and wrong (Romans 1:19; 2:15). God also holds us accountable for His witness by the Holy Spirit, who continues to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). —Romans 1:19
7. Finally, the obvious design in creation that we observe all around us every day testifies to the God of the Bible. “It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves”(Psalm 100:3). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord”(Isaiah 1:18). “He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Psalm 94:9). This is a logical appeal to the Law of Cause and Effect. The Bible is in perfect agreement with the laws of science, but it opposes the irrational idea that we are all a mere product of chance! —Romans 1:20

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

WILL YOU BELIEVE?

1. You must believe God.

God holds each of us accountable for all of the evidence He has provided to prove that He, the God of the Bible, is the only true God; there is no other. God is holy and we are sinful. Our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). But God became Man (John 1:1,14) to save sinners by His death (Romans 5:8). These are the facts. But saving faith is more than an agreement with facts about God.

2. You must seek God.

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). To seek God means that you must turn from your sin (that is, repent) and turn to God. God has warned us to not delay: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

3. You must receive God.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12,13).

The Lord Jesus said: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

Will you receive the Lord Jesus now?

The following prayer is a suggested guide:

My God, I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ died and rose to save me from my sins. Lord Jesus, I now turn from my sinful life, and I open the door of my heart to receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Thank You for entering my life, for saving my soul, and for making me a child of God. Help me now to live for You for the rest of my life.

“Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear” (Psalm 10:17).

Title: Where Would I Be If … ?

SKU: PMT748ENNK-100

TEXT:

“Where would I be if…?”

This is a question many of us ask at one time or another. The one I ask myself often is, “Where would I be if the Lord Jesus had not revealed Himself to me?”

You see, there came a time in my young life when I realized that I was lost. I was angry and unhappy. Try as I might to be good and do the right things, I failed time and time again. I believed in God but He wasn’t part of my life. There was a gap between us and I was separated from Him by my sin-—all those selfish actions, the hurtful words, the anger and unforgiveness stemming from my parents’ divorce and my Dad’s death. I needed help.

The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus came to bridge the gap. He took all of our sins upon Himself and bore them on the cross that we might have a way back to God. He came that we might come to know God as our Father and that we might have an abundant life. He came to show us how to live for God and willingly helps us do so if we ask.

I had to make a choice. Would I receive Jesus as Savior and allow Him to be Lord of my life or would I continue to try to live without Him? I chose to receive Him and it has been the best decision of my life! I am not saying that it has always been easy. We all have baggage that needs to be dealt with. Life is a journey and this includes a relationship with God. I can testify, though, that He is a faithful Father.

Today, I know peace and a deep abiding sense of joy that comes from knowing His grace and goodness. He is with me in the good times and the bad. He is my Shepherd, my Father, my Best Friend and Confidant.

He invites you too into a relationship with Him. He loves YOU! It all starts with recognizing your need of Him. Turn to God today and put your trust in Jesus Christ, who died for you and rose again. You can express your heart’s desire in a prayer as simple as this:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I ask your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.