Welcome to The Reasons to Believe podcast, episode #187. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International.
Our Reasons to Believe Scripture Passage for today is I Cor. 2:13. It reads, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
Our Reasons to Believe quote for today is from J.C. Ryle. He said, “Give me the plenary, verbal theory of biblical inspiration with all its difficulties, rather than the doubt. I accept the difficulties and humbly wait for their solution. But while I wait, I am standing on the rock.”
Today we are returning to the topic of scripture, its infallibility and interpretation using “Our God-breathed Book: The Bible – The Verbally Inspired, Eternal, Inerrant Word of God” by John R. Rice. Our Reasons to Believe powerpoint today comes from Chapter 1: “Inspiration: Holy Ground: Pull Off Your Shoes!” Part 1.
In the back side of the desert of Midian, Moses saw a burning bush and drew near. But God spoke to Moses out of the bush and said, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exod. 3:5).
That bush burning in the desert signified the miraculous presence of God to speak to man. The Bible is as truly miraculous as that burning bush. The bush had natural branches but they burned with supernatural fire. The Bible has human language, but it nonetheless speaks with the voice of Deity. The Bible had human writers, but they wrote God’s words. “Which things also we speak,” the Apostle Paul writes, “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (I Cor. 2:13).
So God speaks to us out of His burning Word in this desert world. And we beg the reader to approach this study of the Bible doctrine of inspiration with holy reverence and humility. We are not wise scholars with arrogant assurance passing judgment on a fallible human document. We are poor, frail sinners seeking to examine the very Word of God.
WE ALREADY KNOW THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD
Does someone say that we are not unbiased, that we do not approach the subject of the inspiration of the Bible with an open mind? Certainly we are not without preference and not without convictions. Certainly we are not, with an open mind, as willing to reject the Bible as to accept it. No, we have well-established convictions. We come with reverence, already accepting the Bible as the very Word of God, which it claims to be. We come bowing to its authority as the authority of God and of Christ. We come to believe all its statements, to humbly try to follow its commandments, to claim gladly as many of its promises as our frail faith can claim.
Lord willing, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.
—PRAYER—
Now, if you are listening today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, allow me to show you how.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “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.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Until next time, my friend, please keep in mind these reasons to believe. God bless!
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