If you were to die right now, do you know where you would spend eternity?
Introduction
Living in a world with so many different religions, and so many religions claiming to have the truth, claiming to be the way to God, how can we possibly know for sure who has the truth? In a world that is filled with fears, doubts, and uncertainties, can we really be sure that we’ll go to Heaven when we die?
Thankfully, we have a wonderful God who doesn’t want us to be in the dark about this most important matter. He wants all of us to know the truth and to experience truth as it really is. He never intended this to be a guessing game for us, where we each make a choice and just hope we make the right one. That would be a very dangerous game, would it not? God wants us to be sure about this. He doesn’t want us to go through life wondering about God and where we will spend eternity. He wants us to be able to distinguish between truth and error, truth and false religion. God has made it easy for sincere seekers to find the truth. He even labeled it for us so we wouldn’t miss it.
God spells truth this way: J-E-S-U-S.
You see, Jesus Himself is the truth.
Jesus Is The Truth
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus plainly states that He is “the truth.” So if truth is to be found, it is to be found in Him. There is no truth apart from Him, for He encompasses all that truth is. He doesn’t simply represent the truth. He is the truth. The search for truth must always begin with Jesus, because He is the beginning and the end of all truth.
Maybe you’ve been searching for truth for many years, but you’ve never been able to find it. That’s because you’ve been looking in all the wrong places. Jesus holds the key to all truth, and He holds the key to peace with God. You can end your search today. You can have peace with God, and your eternity wonderfully secure if you are a sincere seeker of truth. This means having a willingness to accept truth on God’s terms. God’s terms are clearly set forth in His holy Word, the Bible. As you read this message, ask God to speak to your heart. Ask Him to open your eyes to His truth. If you come to God with a sincere desire to know Him, He will surely reveal Himself to you.
Jesus Is The Light
Jesus is not only the truth, He is also the light—He is the light of the world. Those who are void of the truth are in total darkness:
(Referring to Jesus) – “The true light who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9 – NET)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 – BSB)
Truth and light go together. This means that darkness and falsehood go together. Outside the light of Christ, there is total darkness and all deception. Without the light that Jesus provides, you walk in darkness and are not able to see the truth. Away from the light of Christ there is total darkness and you are not able to find your way:
Jesus said, “Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.” (John 12:35 – BSB)
Outside the light of Christ there is false religion, false doctrine and false prophets. All that is false, all that deceives, all that turns a person away from the truth, is outside the light of Christ where there is nothing but darkness. This darkness and all its deception has its origin with Satan (a mighty angel who sinned against God, and cast out of Heaven). Listen to what Jesus said about the devil:
“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:43-44 – BSB)
Just as Jesus is the truth, so is Satan the lie. He is “the father of lies.” He is the father of darkness. There is no light in him, for darkness is his domain and darkness is his playground in people’s lives. There is no truth in the devil, so it’s not possible for him to speak a word or do anything without deception. Whenever someone rejects the truth that is in Jesus, they leave themselves open to deception. They have no other option but to believe what is false. Satan is filled with darkness and lies, and seeks to turn people away from the light and the truth that is in Christ. Therefore, in order to keep ourselves from being deceived, we must place ourselves within the light of Christ, who is the truth.
Jesus stands as a lighthouse in the world, providing direction for those who are sincere truth-seekers. Lighthouses shine brightly in the darkness of the night for the purpose of assisting ships in navigation by providing them with a point of reference. Finding your way to port is a lot easier when you have that beacon, that point of reference to provide you with direction. Jesus is like a lighthouse drawing individuals out of the darkness into His light and into His truth. He stands as a beacon, providing direction for those who are in search of the truth. Follow the beam from the lighthouse and you will find your port. Follow the beam of light from Jesus and you will find the truth:
“I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 – NET)
Jesus shines the light of His soul-saving gospel upon the world. His light shines for everyone who hears His message of life. People will be either drawn to His light, or they will be repelled by it. Those who are drawn to the light of Christ, will respond with humble and receptive hearts of faith. Those who are repelled by it will do so because they love their sins:
“Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.” (John 3:19-20 – NET)
Those who resist the gospel of Jesus Christ, do so because “they love the darkness rather than light.” Since they hate the light of Christ, which exposes their sin, they refuse to come to Him.
Those who are drawn to the light of Christ will know in their hearts that truth and everlasting life are found only in Him—as a work of God within our hearts:
“For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 – NET)
These individuals will understand that their sins are not something to be embraced, but something they need forgiveness for. Instead of running from the light of Christ, they run to the light and embrace the truth and the forgiveness that is found only in Him:
“But whoever does what is true comes to the light…” (John 3:21)
Those who do what is right and true, are those who go to the light of Christ. Instead of being repelled by the light because of their love of sin, they respond according to the truth in humble recognition of their need for forgiveness of their sins.
The Truth of Christ Explained
Regarding the truth of Christ, there are certain facts about ourselves, about God, and about the Lord Jesus Christ that each of us must know in order to apply what He has done for us. Those facts are commonly known as The Gospel of Jesus Christ:
“For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – NET)
This passage of Scripture is the heart of the gospel message. This speaks of Christ’s death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection. This is the very purpose Jesus came into the world. This is the very reason He left His throne in Glory to come to this earth in human form. You see, Jesus had to die on that cross. This was the only way that we could have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that “we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Also, the author of the Book of Isaiah wrote the following:
“But because of your iniquities you are separated from your God, and because of your sins He has hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2)
As sinners, we are separated from God, and if we die in our sins, this separation is forever. Eternal separation from God is the price we pay as sinners before a holy God. We are all born with a sinful nature, which results in a sinful life. Therefore, none of us are exempt from this penalty.
Those who die in their sins will be resurrected to stand before God’s throne of judgment:
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” (Romans 2:5-6 – NIV)
[11] “Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books…… [15] And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-12,15 – BSB)
This whole scene, as described above, is looking ahead to what is known as The Great White Throne Judgment. Everyone throughout history will stand before the Lord Jesus (in resurrected bodies – Jn. 5:28-29). Those who die with Jesus as their Savior, will not be judged for their sins, but will be ushered into the “Eternal Kingdom” of the “new heaven and new earth”:
“But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13 – BSB)
“For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.” (2 Peter 1:11 – NET)
Those who die in their sins without Jesus as their Savior, will stand before Him as their Judge. A guilty verdict will be issued when their name is not found written in the Book of Life. At that point, they will be cast into the “lake of fire,” which is symbolic for a place of torment. Everyone will receive a just sentence. The severity of the sentence and punishment will be according to a person’s sins and the kind of life they lived. Those who lived decent lives, who were good and kind to others, their punishment will be light. Those who were truly evil, who inflicted much harm and pain on others, their punishment will be severe. The least of sinners will receive the minimum sentence, while the worst of sinners will receive the maximum sentence.
Note: The Bible does not go into detail about what the lake of fire is. However, what it does not mean is that it’s a place where people walk around in flames of fire. Revelation is a book that is characterized by symbolism and figurative language. Therefore, this description must be understood as symbolic for a “place of torment” (Lu 16:28; Rev 20:10), where Jesus describes as a place of “eternal punishment” (Matt 25:46) and “agony” (Lu 16:24-25). The Bible does make it clear that there will be degrees of punishment (Lu 12:47-48; Mark 12:40)—for God is just and merciful, who will punish them according to their works (Rev 20:12-13). No one will suffer what they don’t deserve. In other words, the punishment will fit the crime. While God is just and must punishment sin, He’s also merciful and compassionate. Everyone will be judged with these two attributes undergirding it all. I believe the greatest form of suffering a person will experience, will be emotional, mental and spiritual agony. Foremost will be the knowledge that they missed out on the glorious joys of Heaven in the presence of God. What this place of punishment looks like, or how a person will live, is unknown. The Bible is silent on that. But it does make it clear that it’s not a place where any of us would want to spend a single day in it.
All humanity is on this road of eternal separation from God, a road that leads to world of darkness and unknown experiences of torment.
But that’s the bad news.
The Good News is that God loves us and has provided a way of escape for us. The way of escape is through the Lord Jesus Christ:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath.” (Romans 5:8-9 – NET)
“And these will go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into everlasting life. (Matthew 25:46)
Those whose names are written in the Book of Life, will be ushered into “everlasting life” (Heaven).
Our names get written in the Book of Life through faith in Christ. Jesus, as the Son of God, lived a sinless, perfect life. He fulfilled God’s Law and God’s will completely and perfectly. Thus, He was able to pay the price for our sins. He was our substitute—the righteous for the unrighteous. He “died for us” on the cross so that we could be “resurrected into everlasting life.” He was punished for us so we wouldn’t have to be punished. In Christ, His righteousness is applied to us:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21– BSB)
Jesus died on the cross for our sins, paying the penalty that we owe:
“For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received-that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – NET)
“For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23– NET)
“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18 – BSB)
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fills in the gap of separation, and “brings us to God.” He is our bridge from where we are to where God is.
In Romans 6:23 (above verse), we have both the good news and the bad news in this one verse. The bad news is, if we die in our sins we will suffer punishment for those sins. The good news is, we don’t have to! Jesus completely satisfied the penalty God has placed on sin. Because of that fact, God is able to offer eternal life as a free “gift.” It’s up to us to either accept it or reject it. If you accept God’s gift of life, you will receive forgiveness of your sins, and you can look forward to eternity with God in a place so wonderful that no one is able to comprehend it. But the Bible does give us a glimpse of it in Revelation 21 & 22. In chapter 20, we previewed the scene of the “Great White Throne Judgment,” where we see that those without Christ will suffer in a place of torment, referred to as “the lake of fire.” That’s a terrifying and heartbreaking scene, and none of us want to go there. None of us want our loved ones to go there. But the flip-side of that is found in the very next chapter:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.” (Revelation 21:1-7 – BSB)
This is a wonderful glimpse of the Eternal Kingdom (Heaven), where we will be forever in the presence of the Lord. It previews what we have to look forward to—to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Life in the here and now can be tough with so much hardship and suffering in the world. But this passage lets us know that all of this will someday be behind us, and that a glorious inheritance awaits those who have accepted God’s gift of life. This is the truth that we have in Christ. Through Him you can secure your place in Heaven. The blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross makes all this possible. Through Him you can experience forgiveness of your sins, and have the assurance that things between you and God are right:
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7 – BSB)
The blood Jesus shed for us, will completely wash away your sins. His blood will thoroughly cleanse you of everything that stands between you and God, no matter how great your sins may be. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was all-sufficient to cleanse even the most vilest of sinners. Those who go to Jesus in faith, who accept Him as their Savior, can know for sure that their eternity is in the security of God’s hands:
“And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13 – BSB)
In a right relationship with God through faith in Christ, we can “know” for sure that we “have” eternal life in His glorious presence. We have God’s word on it!
A Close Look At John 14:6
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Realizing that those who read this book will come from many different religious backgrounds, with various ideas and questions about Jesus Christ and God’s plan of salvation, it will be helpful to take a close look at each of the statements Jesus made in John 14:6, which we began with in the beginning of this message.
➤ “I am the way” — Here Jesus plainly states that He is the way to the Father. There is no other way to God. Though the world claims many ways to God and to Heaven, there is only one way, and that is God’s way—the way that He Himself has provided.
Good works can’t get us there. Living a good moral life can’t get us there. Church membership can’t get us there. Following the rules of some religious organization can’t get us there. Baptism can’t get us there. None of these things can get us to God. There is no possible way that we can work our way to God, because no matter what we do or how good we are, we are still sinners. Anything we do is still in sin. Sin is what keeps us out of Heaven.
Therefore, our personal sins must be forgiven, and Jesus is the only one who can provide for that. The sinless life He lived, and His death on the cross, provided the only way of forgiveness. We obtain this forgiveness via faith in Him:
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 – NET)
“For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23– NET)
God offers eternal life to us as a “gift” of His “grace.” It’s received through our “faith” in Christ.
➤ “I am the truth” — Jesus plainly states that He is “the truth.” There is no need to look any further. There is no use in looking any further. The truth is right here. If we are to know the truth, we must know Him.
➤ I am the life” — Jesus plainly states that He is “the life.” If we’re to have everlasting life, we must have Him (as our Lord and Savior).
“In him was life, and the life was the light of all humanity.” (John 1:4)
➤ “No one comes to the Father except through Me” — Jesus plainly states that no one comes to the Father except through Him. Any religion that does not point to Jesus as the sole means of our salvation, are in opposition to the words of Christ. Those who have the truth, point to Jesus Christ. Any religion that does not proclaim Christ and life through Him, in Him alone, is guilty of false doctrine. Not only does Jesus points to Himself, but so does the Father:
“And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35 – BSB)
“Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37 – BSB)
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44 – BSB)
The Holy Spirit also points to Jesus:
Jesus said, “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-15 – BSB)
We see, then, that each Person of the Triune God (God exists as a Trinity), points to Jesus as the way of salvation. Any religion that doesn’t point to Jesus as the way of salvation, is pointing people away from the truth, and leading them down a road that will end in the miseries of darkness, which will last forever.
Truth recognizes Jesus as the sole means of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Truth recognizes the significance and absolute necessity of the death and resurrection of Christ. Truth recognizes the significance of the blood Jesus shed for us. Truth reveals the majesty of Jesus, that He alone is able to bring us into a right relationship with God.
Conclusion
Right now the light of Jesus Christ shines brightly on you, and His voice speaks loud and clear:
“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 – NET)
You’ve heard His “message.” Now what will you do with it? Will you “believe” and receive Him as your Savior? Or will you walk away from Him?
Whatever voices you may be hearing in opposition to Christ, you need to reject those voices and listen to the only voice that matters. Truth only comes from one voice, one source. That means every other voice you may be hearing is coming from the realm of darkness. Which voice you respond to will determine where you spend eternity.
The voice of Jesus says “come, I am the way, the truth and the life.” All other voices are telling you to turn around and walk the other way. As long as you reject His voice and His call to come to Him for salvation, you will remain in darkness. Spiritual darkness is a very dangerous place to be. You can be sure that every form of evil is being accomplished at the expense of souls all over the world. There is only one safe place to be, only one haven where you can be totally protected from deception and eternal loss—and that’s in the loving care of Christ, the one true Savior of the world. Turn to Christ now in faith, while the light still shines brightly:
Jesus said, “While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light. (John 12:36)
You can experience the light of salvation and be set free from the darkness that destroys. You can be set free from sin and its penalty. You can be set free from doubt and concern over where you will spend eternity. Jesus, who is Himself “the truth,” wants to “set you free” from all that:
“So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…… So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-32,36 – BSB)
Jesus speaking to Paul when he first met Him:
“I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:17-18 – BSB)
This could be your story, if you will but receive Jesus as your personal Savior in the humility of faith.
How To Trust Christ As Your Savior
God’s plan of salvation is a wonderful thing. He has made it easy for us. The hard part was the suffering that Jesus endured on our behalf. Our part involves believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins, and that He rose from the dead. But it’s more than a passive belief in Him and what He did for us. It’s an active faith. True faith in Christ involves a decision we make in our hearts. Trusting Jesus as our Savior is really a decision to become one of His followers:
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)
While good works and a moral life can’t get us to Heaven, neither can a heart that has no interest or intention of living for Christ. If all you want out of this is a ticket to Heaven, then you have missed the point. As mentioned in the beginning, it’s not merely about getting to Heaven, but about coming into a right relationship with God. A home in Heaven is a by-product of a right relationship with God. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we come to Him in recognition of His Lordship and authority as King of kings and Lord of lords:
“He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16 – NET)
We are to worship Him as Almighty God, as the Second Person of the Triune God, for God exists as a Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you remove one member of the Trinity, God ceases to exist. Therefore, coming to Christ involves recognizing who He is and what our proper response is to be in light of that. It’s the realization that we are choosing a new Master and a new life, one that is committed to seeking and carrying out His will. This is His rightful place in our lives, and we must give Him the respect and honor that is due Him.
As we discovered, Jesus is not only our Lord and Savior, He’s also our Shepherd—one who takes care of us and protects us, who leads us and guides through life and gives us purpose. There’s no better place to be in. There’s nothing more wonderful than a close, personal relationship with God. There’s no safer place to be than in God’s will. There’s no greater joy than walking in fellowship with God. There’s no greater peace than knowing that all is well between us and God:
“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1– NET)
Through faith, the righteousness of Christ is applied to our account, which brings us into harmony and peace with God.
Speaking to certain unbelievers of His day, Jesus said to them: “but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.” (John 5:40 – NET). These people turned and walked away from Jesus.
What will you do?
A Suggested Prayer
If you’re ready to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, then here’s a suggested prayer. God is not so much interested in your words as He is your heart. While prayer is not necessary, it’s the most natural way to communicate your heart to Jesus, whom you’re placing your faith:
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I believe that You shed Your blood for me so I could have forgiveness of my sins and eternal life. I accept Your forgiveness and I accept You as my Savior and Lord of my life. Thank You for the new relationship I have with You. May You enable me to live my life in a way that honors and pleases you. Amen
“Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.” (John 6:37 – NET)
“And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13 – BSB)
New Life Guidelines
Now that you’re a Christian, a follower of Christ, it’s all-important that you establish your daily walk with God. You now have a personal relationship with God, and in order to grow in this relationship you must seek Him with all your heart. Those who have the closest relationship with God are those whose hearts are set on Him. God loves to fellowship with His people, and He makes Himself available and known to those who enjoy a love-relationship with Him:
“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.” (John 14:21– BSB)
Personal time with God: God has a wonderful plan and purpose for each of us, but we can only learn and experience His will for our lives as we walk in harmony with Him. This occurs as we spend time with Him. To know God intimately requires regular time alone with Him. Communion with God is experienced through prayer and God’s Word—the Bible. To help us in our walk with the Lord, we have the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God comes to dwell within each of us the moment we place our faith in Christ. As we seek God, the Holy Spirit teaches us His Word, helps us in our prayer life, and empowers us to live for Christ. As we grow as Christians, our relationship with the Lord becomes more and more precious. There is absolutely nothing in life that can compare to a close walk with our loving God.
Note: As you begin reading God’s Word, it’s recommended that you begin with the Gospel of John, the fourth book of the New Testament (NT). Once you have completed John, continue reading through the rest of the NT. Read through the NT several times before moving on to the Old Testament (OT). It’s important to become grounded in the NT first before trying to understand the OT, for it’s the NT that allows us to interpret the OT. As you begin the OT, it would be helpful for you to start with the books of Psalms and Proverbs. As you continue reading through the OT, always keep reading the NT, as this will provide you with a proper balance.
Church involvement: Along with your personal walk with God, it’s very important that you find a good Bible-teaching church, where the Trinity of God is taught and where Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the one and only true Savior of the world. It’s through the local church that God carries out His will on earth, and where Christ-followers fellowship and serve God together. There is strength and encouragement among God’s people. New believers, especially, need the guidance and wise counsel that is to be found in a good church.
Baptism: Once you unite with a good church, it’s important that you get baptized. The purpose of baptism is not for salvation, but to publicly profess that you’ve become a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Facts About The Bible
➤ Written over a period of approximately 1500 years.
➤ There are 66 books of the Bible, written by over 40 individuals from many different walks of life.
➤ Written in three languages:
Hebrew & Aramaic (Old Testament)
Greek (New Testament)
➤ Written on three Continents: Asia, Africa, Europe
Considering all the above facts, it’s obvious that no individual or group could have planned such a book—so many elements, yet it all fits together perfectly in complete unity. A book such as the Bible could only be of Divine Authorship.
Additional Facts About The Bible
➤ There are a great number of ancient copies of the original writings in both the Old and New Testaments—far more than those of any other work of ancient literature.
➤ There are a great number of ancient writings from the early church fathers who quoted from the Bible. Some of those individuals knew the Apostles who walked with Jesus. There are so many quotations from the New Testament that nearly the entire New Testament can be reconstructed from those writings.
➤ There is undeniable archeological support that confirms the accuracy of the Bible.
➤ There are hundreds of Biblical prophecies that have already been literally fulfilled. The Old Testament contains over 300 prophecies relating to Christ alone that were fulfilled in His first coming, when He entered the human race and completed the work the Father sent Him to do. The notion that all of these prophecies were fulfilled by chance or coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. The number is so astronomical, it’s simply not possible.
Note: There are also many prophecies yet to be fulfilled when Jesus returns to this earth – not as Savior, but as Judge – to complete the plan of God for humanity and for this world.
Conclusion — The idea that the Bible was written merely by man is an unreasonable conclusion. The evidence for Divine Authorship is overwhelming. Christianity is based on solid historical support and the everyday experience in the life of the believer.
“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21– BSB)
“Facts about the Bible” were compiled from Evidence That Demands A Verdict, by Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
