Q:How do you know the Bible is the word of God?

A: Regardless of factual verifications and life‑changing testimonies, you can count on this: No opinion poll is going to make Jesus go away.

Josh McDowell set out to disprove scripture but returned from his investigation to write his two‑volume set, “Evidence That Demands A Verdict,” explaining why the Bible is in fact the word of God. He’s not alone. The serious hunter often finds himself the hunted. As Jesus stated, “No man can come to Me unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44).” Perhaps He is actually after you (1 Tim 2:4).

On the factual side, over 25,000 archaeological sites are connected to Bible history. No other religious book can make that claim. However, although archaeology may provide evidence of biblical persons, places and events, that may not be enough proof for you that God had anything to do with it.

Jesus Christ fulfilled more than 300 prophecies which had to match Messianic requirements. What are the odds that one person throughout history could fulfill every requirement accidentally? It could be likened to filling Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, marking one, parachuting a blindfolded person into the Lone Star State and having him pick up the marked coin on the first try. But that still may not be enough to convince you.

That is because there is a spiritual problem: The natural born‑once person is unable to readily accept the scriptures (1 Cor 2:14). You have to be ready to become a twice‑born person. Jesus calls it “born again” (John 3:3‑7). We are all born once physically of our mothers, but can be born again of the Spirit through simple faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8‑9).

Carl Jung said, “The central neurosis of our time is emptiness.” The human soul can never be satisfied by material accumulation or popular recognition. When people welcome and begin to experience Jesus, they sense their emptiness replaced by His presence. If Jesus has not risen from the dead, then Christians would not experience Him as they do. As Paul E. Little has explained, “With Christianity, nothing happens if there is no one out there.”

But it does.

The Bible is comprised of 66 books penned by 40 writers over thousands of years without contradiction or error. You can’t even gossip to five people today and have the same story return tonight. What more do you need?

The words of the Bible can be likened to a lion. The best way to defend it is to let it out of its cage, because it does a fine job of defending itself. Here it comes. Jesus said, “I will come to you” (John 14:18). Ask Him to invade your life today. I triple‑dog dare you.

Happy New Life!

Pastor Huck:

www.calvarybcc.com