Head
At the center of the Christian life is a relationship with Christ, guided and informed by Scripture. As we read, the Holy Spirit guides us toward Jesus. But have you ever wondered what makes us put so much trust in the Bible? Is it really true? Thankfully, the faith that we put in Scripture is not random or a result of guesswork. Instead, the total trust we have in scripture is based on how we got the Bible to begin with. But how did we get the Bible?
While Christ was preaching to the Jews, He told them that “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Truth must be a powerful thing if it has the power to set us free! When you imagine yourself in the position of the Jewish people, this news would have been a bit startling. Throughout history, they had endured constant persecution, from being held captive by the Egyptians to facing persecution under the Romans and encountering unreliable leaders. Their longing for freedom was primarily physical, but Christ’s promise was different. His promise was for freedom from sin and death, a freedom more powerful than they could ever imagine. This freedom could only be attained through trust in His Word. But if truth is the answer to freedom, what is the truth?
What is Truth?
If we are going to talk about the truth, it is important that we understand what the truth is. One way that we can define the truth is that it is all “real things, events, and facts.” Therefore, something is true if it is real. If I told you that the sky was purple and green, you would tell me that I was wrong; what I said is not real. But if I said that the sky was blue, you would agree that I am telling the truth. But how do you know that the sky is blue? One way that you know the sky is blue is because you can look out a window and tell me what color you see! What other facts do you know?
While some truths are easy to trust, like what color the sky is, there are other truths that take more work to find.
Truth Detectives
When it comes to finding the truth, we often need to look for clues and evidence to help us! You get to become a detective, piecing together clues and solving mysteries. While sometimes figuring out what is real is easy, like knowing the color of the sky, other times we need to dig around a little. As Christians, the biggest truths we believe is that God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins, giving us eternal life with Him in Heaven! This, and so many other truths, are passed down in the Bible.
Since the Bible is so important, let’s become like detectives and find our evidence!
Where Did the Bible Come From?
In order to understand the Bible, it is important to begin by knowing where we got the Bible. But the Bible is not one book. Instead, it is made up of lots of smaller books written at different times and often by different people! For example, Moses wrote several books, including Genesis and Exodus. The Psalms were written by King David, while the epistles of the New Testament were written by Paul. Eventually, people brought these individual books together to make what we know today as the Bible! Not only did this process involve lots of prayer, but it also involved careful consideration of if what the authors wrote aligned with what Jesus taught.
Flawed Yet Called
Each person who contributed to the Bible was deeply flawed; just like us, none of them lived perfect lives. You might be asking yourself if they made mistakes in their personal lives, how do we know that they did not make mistakes in the Bible?
While it is true that the work of humans will always be flawed and broken, the work of God is perfect. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul tells us that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” When Paul or any other author of scripture wrote, God worked alongside them, guiding what they said. As Paul says in Hebrews, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). What this tells us is that the words of scripture have never been those of men, they are always God’s!
Additionally, Christ is not simply another prophet; He is God Himself! “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is not simply telling people the truth, He is the truth!
Heart
Trusting the Bible
While different parts of scripture might be difficult to understand or hard to believe, what we can always believe is that it is true. Moses truly parted the Red Sea, Daniel did survive in the lion’s den, and Christ really did rise from the dead. When we say that we believe these things, we are not saying we trust the men who wrote them. Instead, we are trusting in a perfect God who does not lead us astray. Our trust in the Bible is trust in God.
In the same way that God worked through Moses, David, and Paul to bring about the truth, so too does God call each of us to spread the truth. Our personal limitations and flaws do not stop God from doing great things through us. God could have simply handed us a Bible, fully written by Him. Instead, He chose to use people, no matter how flawed, to spread the truth.
Do you have any shortcomings you think limit God from using you? No matter what you struggle with or what mistakes you have made, God still wants to use you to spread the good news of the Gospel.
Transformation of Trust
When you trust the Bible, your life is transformed! Letting Jesus into your heart changes the way you see and respond to the world. Once you know that God loves you unconditionally, you can begin to act in a way that reflects your new knowledge. But in order to live in the truth, you first have to know the truth. You can’t get the knowledge of God’s love into your heart if you don’t have the knowledge in your head. Knowledge first goes to the head, then to the heart. What truth in scripture has changed how you live your life?
Hands
Walking in Truth
When Paul is giving the Ephesians encouragement to defend themselves against those who persecute them, one of the first things he tells them is to “stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth” (Ephesians 6:14). By knowing and living in the truth, you can stand strong against persecution of others. If you do not trust in the truth of the Bible, it is hard to be courageous and share it with others. During those times, talk to your parents about what you are struggling to believe and take time to ask God to give you strength.
If you don’t know what the Bible says, it is hard to live in the truth. In order to help you out, here are some ideas to get started in arming yourself with God’s Word:
- Participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day! Even if you are nervous, God is still calling you! If you need more help preparing for October 5th, check out our conversation guides!
- Memorize scripture verses that remind you of why God made you, what He did for you, and what you are called to do.
- When you wake up or before you sleep, read your Bible! The more you read scripture, the more you will understand the truth.
- Join or create a Bible study. Because scripture can be complex, studying it with others will help you to understand those parts of scripture that you might not understand. Plus, joining a community will give you courage to spread the truth!
- Write out truths about yourself: your name, who your family is, what you believe, what scripture says, etc. If you feel uncertain or are doubting what you know, read out this list to ground yourself.
More Resources
Want to go deeper in strengthening your trust in the Bible? Curious about the history of the Bible? If so, check out these helpful resources and be strengthened in the truth!
- How Do We Know the Bible is True? (Focus on the Family North America.)
- 5 Reasons Why the Bible is True
- How Do We Know the Bible is True? (Focus on the Family Australia)
- How Did We Get the Bible?
- Is the Bible Reliable?
- How Do I Respond to Bible Critics?
- How Do I Handle Bible Difficulties?
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