…for those who do think religion is about guilt and fear, perhaps the heart of the matter is about motivations and obedience. Should we respond to God out of fear of eternal punishment?…
Why use the Bible?
Understanding why we need to use the Bible is very important in making our faith stronger. Not just blind belief, but the type of faith by God’s definition: seeking His word and glorifying Him by following it. When we open God’s word, we get insight into who God is, what He planned for His creation from the beginning, how we can please Him, and why we should honor Him.
Accepting Jesus
As disciples of Christ we should want to be Biblical in everything we do. So, where do we find the idea of “accepting Jesus as my personal Savior” in the Bible? There is no command to “accept” Jesus or an example of such in the New Testament. Nor is the idea of a “personal” Savior found in the New Testament. Where do we read that Jesus or any of his apostles told anyone to recite “the sinner’s prayer” to be saved?
Are we rich?
How did Moses Know?
Moses’ first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, are clearly not medical textbooks. They do, however, contain numerous regulations for sanitation, quarantine, and other medical procedures to govern the daily lives of the Israelite nation. Missing entirely from the pages of these writings are the harmful remedies and ingredients mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus. In fact, the Pentateuch exhibits an understanding of germs, disease, and other medicinal issues that “modern” medicine would not grasp for at least another 3,000 years.
History and Science
Suffering
Old or New Testament?
The Old Covenant with Israel is only a small portion of the Old Testament. The history of creation, the fall of man with the sin of Adam and Eve, the world-wide flood account, God’s covenant with Abraham, and many other essential truths are all found before Israel agreed to the Old Covenant. The rest of the Old Testament includes a full history of the Israelite nation, teaches wisdom, and contains prophesies pointing to Jesus.
Twisting the Scriptures
The truth is that God did not leave us with a message that could not be understood. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand.” (2 Corinthians 1:13). Also, God would not expect us to “test the spirits, whether they are of God…” (1 John 4:1) if we are not able to understand his revelation. Finally, Paul said that to be “approved of God” a person must be “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15). This would indicate that the Bible can be understood and is a good warning for us to be careful not to twist God’s word so that we can be approved by him.