"Part 5: How can I believe the Bible is the true Word of God? "
The Bible claims to be the only book inspired by God. That means that all the other religious texts that exist are false and misleading. That’s a big call!
So how can we trust that it really is the only way to God? How can we trust that it is even true?
Most other religious texts describe what we need to do to become acceptable to God, or to achieve ‘spiritual perfection’. That often means trying to live good lives and praying particular prayers at particular times of day. It is about what we need to do ourselves to become acceptable to God.
The Bible is very different. As described in previous articles, we can never make ourselves good enough for God. Instead we have to accept God’s grace and mercy that He can make us good enough.
And when God does that, miracles happen. We can trust the Bible when the promises God makes in it to us, become real to us. When we receive God’s forgiveness and are filled with His Holy Spirit, we no longer just believe with our minds, but experience God in very practical and physical ways.
We can trust the Bible when we see that what we read in it, comes true in our own lives.
GOD STILL HEALS
Throughout the Book of Acts, the disciples brought God’s power to people, preaching the salvation message and praying for all with needs.
2. Healing is an integral and normal part of a Christian’s life, and is described as a gift in the church.
3. The sick are told to call for the elders and the prayer of faith will save the sick.
Miracles and healings were a key part of Christ’s ministry, demonstrating the power of God. And they continue in God’s church today – see some of our True stories for examples of God’s miraculous provision.
The miraculous promises made by the Bible still happen in our lives today.
BIBLE PROPHECY
The prophecies of the Bible throw light on the past, present and future. They have predicted many events with amazing accuracy, even though we often only understand a prophecy after the event occurs.
Many Bible prophecies have already been fulfilled – the birth, life and death of Jesus; the rise and fall of world empires like the Assyrians, Greeks and Romans; the return of the Jews to Palestine. Even some very specific prophecies like the effect on Egypt of the construction of the Aswan Dam, built in the 1960s.
View the other articles in this series that summarise what the Bible says about what we need to do to re-establish our relationship with Him – to truly become a ‘friend of God’.
Scriptures for References
1.) Jesus went about all Galilee … healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people
Matt 4:23-24
2.) For to one is given the word of wisdom … to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles
1 Cor 12:8-9
3.) (AMP) And the prayer that is of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him … pray also for one another, that you may be healed and restored to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. The earnest, heartfelt, and continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available.
Jam 5:15-16
4.) And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea.
Zech 14:4,8
Remaining Parts
Part 1 – You are like God
That seems far-fetched. That in some way, we human beings are like God who sees everything, knows everything, and can do anything.
Part 2: Connecting with God
SO WHAT IS THIS ABOUT ‘SIN’? We are created by God – we are his creatures. We exist because of Him, but sin separates us from Him.
Part 3: What must I do to have eternal life – to be saved?
In the previous articles we covered that: we are all sinners and thus not good enough for God
Part 4: What’s it like being a Christian?
God makes many promises about what He will do for us: We’ll have abundant life – a full and enjoyable life[1] We can go to Him