“I don’t believe in the Bible.” “The Bible is outdated and doesn’t pertain to us today.” “The Bible is full of errors.” “The Bible is just a book of lofty ideas written by man.” “You can’t prove the Bible.” We’ve all heard the comments.
On the other hand, there are those who believe the Bible to be the inherent Word of God. “All Scripture is is inspired by God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) “The Bible is to me what a compass was to sailors of long ago.” “I can know God through His written Word.” “I would starve to death spiritually if I didn’t have the Bible as my daily bread.” “Where else can I gain wisdom and know absolute truth except from the Bible?” “How else would anyone know about the Savior, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life?”
Does it take faith to believe the Bible? Of course, it does! The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The secular definition of faith is: the firm belief in something or someone who cannot necessarily be proved. The controversy between those who believe Biblical truth versus those who think the Bible is fallacy began in the opening statement of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Truth to those who believe, but a preposterous statement of fallacy to those who think earth exploded into existence.
Whenever there is controversy, multiple questions must be answered. How did the earth position itself the exact distance from the sun to be warmed, but not to burn up? If earth appeared as a solid planet, why aren’t the stars solid? Why do seeds from trees, plants, or flowers always produce its same species? How then, did man become human beings with no evidence that we evolved from another species?
The Bible speaks of a time when the sun stood still “for about a day” (Joshua 10:1-15) so the Israelites could defeat their enemy. But 40 minutes of the 24-hour period was missing. The Bible again fills in the details (2 Kings 20:8-11). “The Lord made the sun’s shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.” Scientists do not have the technology to affirm or discredit this Biblical account, but the Bible does. It gives the full account through the testimony of two eyewitness: Joshua and Isaiah.
God’s written Word reveals who He is – the eternal, sovereign and holy God; what He has done – created the heavens and the earth; what His purpose is – that all who believe in His Son, Jesus, would be conformed to His image to live with Him for all eternity; and it contains His message of salvation by grace through faith.
Do we believe God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, or do we believe man, a created being? Which is greater – the Creator or the created, truth or theory, faith or fallacy? To deny the reality of creation is to deny the existence of God. It’s your choice.