1. Through the process of reason.

2. Through His written Word, the Bible.

3. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh (Chapter 3).

4. Through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit (Volume II, Chapter 3).

In this chapter, we will build on the importance of reason introduced in Chapter One.

THE PROCESS OF REASON

A good investigator can tell you many things about a person's skill, habits, and character by examining something he made or handled. As a young person I enjoyed reading Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I always delighted in watching the details unfold as he applied the powers of perception and deduction. But he was only a fictional character. Today, technology aids the investigator in analysis and things are not so "Elementary, my dear Watson" as they used to be.

Just as perception, deduction, and analysis are applied to obtain answers, we can learn about God through a careful examination of the universe, which is the work of His hands.

The orderly laws and principles of our universe and our world provide strong

evidence of God's power and wisdom.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes

out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has

pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pav-

ilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the

heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat"

(Psalm 19:1-6).

Because God has created the worlds, mankind dares not deny His existence.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

GOD'S WRITTEN WORD, THE BIBLE

The second way we can know God is through the study of His communication to man - the Bible. The detective who examines only what I have made can never say that he knows me. He can learn things about me, but before he can say he knows me, I must communicate directly with him. Through this interaction I tell him what I think, how I feel, and what my desires are.

This self-revelation may be in conversation, in writing, or by some other means of communication. But only through this interactive communication does it become possible for the detective to know me.

If we are ever to know God - if God's thoughts, desires, and purposes are to be known to us - then He must take some initiative and reveal Himself to us. It would be of little help to us in our human predicament if God were silent.

But God not only exists; He has communicated to us. He has told us who He is, what He is like, and what His plan is for Planet Earth. The Bible is the Word of God. The evidence is more than convincing to those who will honestly consider its claims.

Is the Bible Just Another Book?

It is important to realize that someone's saying the Bible is God's Word does not automatically make it so. However, when we use logic and reason, there are only three possible explanations for this incredible book:

1. It is the work of good men.

2. It is the work of evil men.

3. It is what it claims to be - the Word of God.

People who claim that the Bible is the Word of God are often criticized for arguing in circles. The charge goes something like this: "You claim the Bible is the inspired Word of God. To prove it, you quote a passage from the Bible that says so." I readily acknow-ledge that nothing is proved in this argument. It is based on assuming something to be true, using that assumption as fact to prove another assumption, and using the "proved" assumption to prove your original assumption!

Can We Believe What It Says?

In the case of the Bible, reasoning in circles is not necessary. Instead of assuming that the Bible is the Word of God, we can begin by demonstrating that the Scriptures are a reliable and trustworthy historical document. This can be done by applying the test of historical accuracy to the Scriptures:

1. It must be transcribed to us accurately from the time it was originally written.

2. It must be correct when it deals with historical personages and events.

3. Any revelation from God should be without any scientific absurdities which would betray mere human authorship.

Is It Textually Reliable?

The Bible meets the textual requirement. There is more evidence for the reliability of the text of the Bible than there is for any thirty pieces of classical literature combined. Not only does the Bible have more evidence than the classics for its textual reliability, but it is in better condition textually.

The thirty-seven plays of William Shakespeare were written in the seventeenth century after the invention of the printing press. In every one of Shakespeare's plays there are lacunae (gaps) in the printed text where we have no idea what was said originally. This forces textual scholars to make a conjectural emendation (a good guess) to fill in the blank.

With the Bible, the abundance of manuscripts or handwritten copies (there are over 25,000 for the New Testament alone) verifies that nothing has been lost through the transmission of the text.

Is It Historically Accurate?

The accuracy of history recorded in the Bible is additional proof. The names, places, and events mentioned in the Bible have been recorded accurately, as for example, Isaiah's record of King Cyrus giving orders for rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and laying the foundation for the temple, as recorded in Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1.

Not only is Isaiah's record of the event accurate regarding people, times, and events, but Isaiah recorded the events more than 160 years before they happened. Example after example is well documented and could be given as evidence.

Is It Scientifically Reasonable?

Finally, where the Bible speaks on matters of science, it does so with simple yet correct terms devoid of absurdities. Non-biblical accounts written during the same periods border on the ridiculous. The Bible is not at all what one could expect from a book written by men in "pre-scientific" days. Matters dealing with science are written about with restraint: "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in" (Isaiah 40:22).

For example, let's compare the crude Babylonian story of creation with the Genesis account of creation. The Babylonian account contends that the earth was made from a dismembered part of one of the gods after in-fighting in heaven. The Genesis account states that, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Not only does the Bible meet the minimum requirements for textual and historical accuracy, but the Bible also provides powerful evidence of a divine origin.

Is the Bible a Unified Whole?

Consider the unity of the Bible as it holds the unfolding message of God, written over time, without contradictions. It is the expression of who He is, what He has done, and what He is going to do. Most significantly, the Bible describes God's relationship with mankind from creation to eternity, and it does this with amazing cohesiveness.

Although the Bible was composed by men, its unity reveals the hand of God overseeing the process.

Consider these facts:

• The Bible was written over a period of about 1,500 years.

• The Bible was written by more than forty different human authors.

• These authors came from a variety of backgrounds:

a. Joshua was a military general.

b. Daniel was a prime minister.

c. Peter was a fisherman.

• The authors wrote in different places:

a. Moses wrote in the wilderness.

b. Paul wrote in prison.

c. John wrote in exile on the Isle of Patmos.

• The writing took place on three different continents - Africa, Asia, and Europe.

• The Bible was written in three different languages - Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

• The Bible covers many subjects but is amazingly consistent in the way it deals with those subjects, from Genesis to Revelation.

The entire Bible fits together perfectly, each part dependent on the other for the whole. The Bible has two major divisions - the Old Testament and the New Testament. The most important message of the Bible begins in the Old Testament as it records the creation, man's rebellion against God, and the consequences of that rebellion. The Old Testament goes on to provide the foundation and preparation for God's solution to man's rebellion - salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, are the coming to pass of God's provision. They record the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and return to heaven of Jesus Christ - God in the flesh.

The book of Acts records the testimony of many witnesses and the spread throughout the then-known world of God's plan to redeem men, revealing the beginnings of the Christian church.

The Epistles (letters to the young churches) give the explanation of a new life in Christ and guidelines for living a holy life.

The book of Revelation describes the consummation of human history and gives insight into eternity.

Try this experiment yourself. Find ten people of similar backgrounds who live where you live. These people should all speak the same language and have similar cultural backgrounds.

Separate them and have them write their opinion on just one controversial subject, such as the meaning of life. When they have finished, compare the conclusions of the ten writers. Do they agree with each other? Of course not!

But the Bible did not have merely ten authors - it had forty. It was not written in one generation but over a period of 1,500 years, and not by authors with the same education, culture, or even language. It was written on three different continents. Finally the Scriptures cover not just one subject but hundreds.

The unity and harmony of the Bible cannot be explained by coincidence or collusion. The unity of the Bible is yet another objective reason to believe that it is indeed the revelation of God to man.

Before moving on, let me offer one more piece of objective evidence that the Bible is the Word of God - fulfilled prophecy.

What About Fulfilled Prophecy?

The Bible itself gives the purpose of prophecy, and that purpose is to let us know that God exists and that He has a plan for this world. By foretelling people, places, and events hundreds of years before their occurrence, the Bible demonstrates a knowledge of the future too specific to be merely a good guess. By giving examples of fulfilled prophecy, the Scriptures provide strong evidence that they are indeed God's Word: "I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.... Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, 'My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them' " (Isaiah 48:3,5).

The following are a few Old Testament prophecies about Christ and their fulfillment recorded in the New Testament:

Literally hundreds of biblical prophecies predict future events with precision.

It is illogical to think that fulfillment of prophecy was the result of coincidence or chance.

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come" (Isaiah 46:9-10).

God exists and He has communicated who He is and what He is like. We can know God and we can know His purpose for our lives.

Note: If you still have intellectual doubts about the Bible, see the listing of resources in the back of this book for further reading and investigation. You may want to consult that listing now or contact Living Message Fellowship for further evidences that the Bible is God's Word.

CONSIDER
Jesus Christ came to give us spiritual life, and to restore what has been lost because of sin.

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

REASON
• The Bible meets the test of historical accuracy.

• The unity of the Bible reveals its divine origin.

• Fulfilled prophecy is too specific to be discounted.

• God has communicated to man.

• Sin is a reality that affects every one of us, every day, in our search for meaning, peace, and fulfillment.

RESPOND

Keep going. Consider, reason, respond. What are you thinking right this minute? Take your time and answer.

Your response is very important! Please take a minute to fill out and return these response sheets in one of the enclosed envelopes.

The Living Message Fellowship staff is dedicated to helping you. Please contact us with your questions or concerns at 1-800-503-2214.

1. Re-read:

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

Since God has communicated to us through His creation, what does creation say about Him?

2. "Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods! Therefore I will teach them - this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD" (Jeremiah 16:20-21).

Men do make their own gods. Why do you think we do that?

3. a. Does the phrase "the life of a creature is in the blood" sound like it came from the pen of a 20th century A.D. medical doctor or a 1500 B.C. writer of the Old Testament Scriptures?

b. This phrase was recorded around 1500 B.C. by Moses under God's direction (Leviticus 17:11). Could this just be a coincidental statement or does this further show that the Bible is scientifically sound?

4. " 'A prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.' You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him" (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

a. Did God take the writing of Scriptures seriously?

b. What is God's requirement for a prophet to be considered genuine?

c. What does this say about modern day prophets or psychics?