Do YOU Dare Trust the Bible?

Life is hard — always requiring decisions about things we’ve never experienced before. While there’s no shortage of opinions about what you should do, truth and wisdom seem to be in short supply. Perhaps that’s because the majority of folks now reject the only source of Truth?

According to a Gallup poll released in May 2022, most Americans don’t view the Bible as a valid source of truth for life. Nearly one-third of the population sees it as an ancient book of fables. Only 20% of the nation believes the Bible offers wisdom for living well.

Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) wrote, “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death“ (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). Without a foundation for life, we barrel down the road toward destruction.

As the tide toward self-directed, sin-infected living increases, Bible-believing Christians will need great courage to stand on the Word of God. Now is the time to heed the instruction of 1 Peter 3:15:

Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you but do it courteously and respectfully (AMPC).

Why I Trust the Bible

As a child, my family went to church but left the Bible on a bookshelf. When I left home and hit some rough spots, though, I found myself searching for wisdom. I tried the Bible out of desperation — with no confidence in it being God’s Word. While faith in 2000-year-old advice seemed foolish, every time I read the Word, I sensed a timeless wisdom that intrigued me.

It would be years before I would read from Genesis to Revelation — and seek to apply all I read. But I discovered The Word works when you walk it out. You can’t use an Exacto knife and remove the portions you dislike. It’s a package deal. Thirty-plus years have passed, and the Bible has never let me down. I trust the Bible because it changed my life by giving me direction, hope, and purpose.

Why Trusting the Bible Matters

The Bible offers wise guidance for every aspect of life:  money, health, eternity, business, government, and relationships.  It has proven to be a timeless source of hope, joy, guidance, nourishment, and comfort for millions. Failing to heed the words of Scripture leads to chaos and destruction. The Bible is the voice of God — calling us to wisdom and love.

The Word reveals the character of God and His will for you — and the world at large. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word points to the One who became the incarnation of the written word. Jesus — the Way, the Truth, and the Life – embodies all the Bible says, revealing God completely. And as believers, we are being transformed into His image. We need the Bible to help us along the way.

Why You Can Trust the Bible

For me, fulfilled prophecies powerfully confirm Scripture. Did you know that over one-fourth of the Biblical content related to future events at the time it was written?

And to date 80% of those prophetic words have already come true.

Over 300 of the 2500+ prophecies of Scripture were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Mathematicians say the odds of only eight of the 300 occurring are 1 in 10¹⁷ (10 + 17 zeroes)! Trying to calculate the odds of the estimated 2000 fulfilled prophecies of Scripture generates incomprehensible numbers.

There is other evidence of the Bible’s trustworthiness too. Let’s look at what the Bible says about itself and explore some proof of its claims.

The Bible’s Claims About Itself

• God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16),
• Inerrant (Psalm 12:6),
• Plumb Line for Attitudes & Actions (Hebrews 4:12),
• Pure (Proverbs 30:5),
• Eternal (Psalm 119:89),
• Foundation for Life (Matthew 7:24-29), and
• Most-Valuable Treasure (Psalm 119:72).

God-Breathed

The miracle of 40 different men who lived in vastly different cultures and times (a 1500-year span!) creating one coherent storyline certainly attests to divine inspiration!  Imagine asking forty individuals today to write a comprehensive report on the world’s social, moral, physical, and eternal needs — and offer one solution. It’s an impossible proposition — only God could do it.

Beyond the literary wonder of the Bible, consider the scientific advancements made in the 19th century by scientists pursuing ideas they discovered in God’s Word. Renowned scientists such as Louis Pasteur, Galileo, and Copernicus trusted the Bible and used it to guide their investigation of the natural world.

The Creator and Sustainer of all has a good bit of wisdom and insight we can use – and He put it in the Bible!

Inerrant & Pure

It’s mind-boggling that the best-selling book of all time — a book that has never been proven wrong — has so little respect. Archaeology and other historical documents repeatedly confirm the informational accounts of the Holy Bible.

The Bible actually has more source texts — copies written close to the date of the actual events – than any other historical document. According to the Institute for Creation Research, there are close to 25,000 early manuscripts of the New Testament from the first century. In contrast, only ten manuscripts exist of Caesar’s Gallic Wars — another piece of literature from that era.

Also, despite centuries of handwritten copies, when the oldest manuscripts are compared to newer copies, the content is nearly identical — no content changes only grammatical errors.

Plumb Line for Attitudes and Actions

We need an external source of truth because each person naturally believes their opinion is right. The Word of God establishes an immovable line of truth exposing biases and propelling us toward unifying truth. Aligning minds, hearts, and actions requires the eternal wisdom found in the Word of God.

Fallen human nature is self-centered — but the Holy Spirit effectively uses the Word to call us out of ourselves to a pure, eternal standard of Truth. Even more amazingly, that same Truth effectively ministers comfort and hope to believers who feel the sting of sin and death as they walk this earthly journey.

But How Can I Trust the Bible?

The Bible is supernatural truth for the natural world. The application of its truth is difficult and sometimes counterintuitive. But faith is the substance of things not yet seen or obtained (Hebrews 11). Our job is to read the Bible — and step out in faith based on what it says. You trust the Bible by acting on its words — this proves the Word because God is always faithful to what He says. Acting on the Word of God also proves your love for Him.

You need the help of God to understand and trust the Bible. Initially, my pride resisted the idea of needing help to read the Bible. It didn’t make sense to me that reading skills were not enough. But God’s goal for us is integrity of head and heart — and only the Spirit of God is up to that task.

The Spirit of God reveals the heart and mind of God to you when you seek with honesty. And even more, the Spirit empowers you to act upon God’s stated will. This opens up vast vistas of understanding that lead to deeper and deeper trust in the Word.

Share How the Word Changes Your Life

This article barely scratches the surface of the reliability of the Word of God. The Bible can stand up to your scrutiny. If doubts remain, please delve deep into the many apologetic resources available.

I promise you, the Word of God is powerful and transformative. I look forward to hearing your story of the Word at work. Commit to reading the Word for 30, 60, or 90 days, bookmark this page, and share what God has done in your life!