Building Christians Up From The Foundation & Unto Perfection
Hebrews 6:1-3
Hebrews 6:1-3
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Before you read: This article is part of a larger series that builds upon itself from the foundation up, with each study building on the last. If something in this article does not make sense to you or if you believe it to be incorrect, please ensure you have read the entire series before passing final judgment. Also, be sure to visit this page’s FAQ And Objections: Which Religion Has More Proof
If we were to see a flame in the noontime sky that shines brighter than the sun, could we be sure it was God? If we hear a voice shout like thunder, would we know it is God? Or might it be a created angel? This is why God does not always show Himself in this way—because this would never be enough proof in the first place.
What kind of proof could God give us to show who He is? If God is the causeless cause, then He must be eternal. He must also be able to tell us the end before there is a beginning. God (since He must not be bound by time) must be able to declare things that have not happened yet with 100% accuracy.
Isaiah 46:9-11
9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Not only must He know the future, but He must also be able to make it happen no matter how impossible it may seem. If there is a God who can do that, then there should be no further need to prove who He is. The Bible does exactly that.
Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
In this single set of verses, the God of the Bible declares that He alone is God and that He can prove it. The way He is going to prove it is by telling us what will happen in the future.
Any so-called god that is not able to offer us a view of the end from the beginning with 100% accuracy is not God. How many religions in the world have a God that does that? The answer is only one.
These are not just vague prophecies. They aren’t things that can be self-fulfilled, and they are not all found in one book written after the events took place.
There are, in fact, a collection of 66 books written by several people over hundreds of years that provide more information by each writer. They not only agree with each other, but they were fulfilled to the letter! The only exceptions are the prophecies for the end times, which are not supposed to be fulfilled yet.
The “wise men” who showed up with gifts for Jesus as a baby were astrologers. They kept the calendar and watched the stars to gather information. When the Bible talks about a star they followed, it was a star that was already expected to appear when the time was at hand for Jesus to come. They knew from the prophecy given by Daniel during the Babylonian exile that Jesus would be born around the same time that this star could be seen.
Who ever heard of a virgin giving birth to a child? What about foretelling it to happen at a certain time, in a certain place, and to a certain bloodline—all centuries before it happened?
The prophecies in the Bible about Jesus alone are incredibly detailed, and they were fulfilled as written, with the exception of events to come at His return. The scriptures told when He would be born, where, how, and so much more. All of this was recorded before the Jews even began to return to their own land!
We also have prophecy fulfilled 100% as it relates to the Jews and their exile. We have all kinds of prophecy fulfilled throughout the entire Bible! Clearly, if this is our test, then the God of the Bible has passed it!
If you look in the book of Daniel, chapter 11, you will find an entire chapter that you can follow along with history, verse by verse. The book was written long before these things came to pass. If you want to see how exact the prophecies are and how they have been fulfilled, there is a study here.
Even in the first five books of the Bible, there are prophecies that have not failed. Deuteronomy 30:1-5 tells of the exile of the Jews and their return to the land. Leviticus 26:32 tells us that the land would be desolate until their return. This is exactly the case, as it was barren until they began to return in 1948. Now the land is producing agriculture again.
There are too many things for me to list here. So these are just a couple of examples. But the point is that these prophecies were not vague, self-fulfilling, or written after the event.
No other religion can claim their god has given such detailed information that was fulfilled exactly as said. Only the God of the Bible has done this.
There may be other “prophets” who have given predictions, but they are often vague predictions without detail or a timeframe. They are NEVER 100% correct either. But the Bible is detailed and 100% correct.
Obviously, Islam also uses the Bible. So why can’t that religion be correct instead? The simple answer to that is it contradicts itself and the Bible. For example, in order to explain these contradictions, Muslims claim the scriptures have been corrupted. But their Quran states that the scriptures cannot be corrupted.
Catholicism should not be considered a Christian denomination. It is actually its own religion. In Catholicism, many practices go directly against what the scriptures say, so much so that there is idol worship and prayers to the dead. They also have other books not included in Biblical canon that contradict the Bible.
Mormonism suffers the same problems. The beliefs and practices are directly against what the Bible says. Even though they, like the others, also claim the Bible to be the scriptures they believe, they do not follow its teachings.
There are indeed many different denominations in the Christian faith. Each one has a different understanding of the scriptures. I have found NONE to have a completely accurate understanding, though. This is to be expected when humans are involved. We read the same thing but understand it differently.
But, the differences between actual Christian denominations and other religions altogether stem from deception. Islam claims the Bible, but it is a lie because they claim it was corrupted. Catholicism claims the Bible, but it’s a lie because they add to and remove from it while ignoring its warnings against their beliefs. Mormonism claims the Bible, but again, they also add to it, and they make its warnings against their beliefs to be ignored.
Christian denominations may disagree on interpretation, but they don’t outright add to, take away from, or ignore the scriptures.
The greatest, and at the same time the weakest, evidence is your own personal experience. It is the greatest because it is what matters most to you. It is the weakest because it doesn’t matter to anyone else.
Acts 17:27
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
I can give you all kinds of intellectual proof. I can tell you about the prophecies in the Bible. I can present historical proof. I can even give you scientific proof and refute what some call science, but is actually a religion.
But until you believe it and meet with this God on a personal level, you will never know the full reality of who God is. The Bible is a witness giving a testimony, but you will never understand it on a personal level unless you believe the Gospel and respond accordingly.
John 6:44
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
No one comes to God unless God calls them. This is absolutely true. Unless you have a personal experience with God, nothing I say or teach matters. So who does God draw to Him?
John 12:32
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
John 6:45
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
All men will be drawn to Jesus. You have heard of the God of the Bible, but have you learned of the Father? Do you know who He really is? There are all kinds of preconceived ideas people have about God. But will you lay them all down to learn of the true God?
James 4:8-10
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
If you want to know God, the best thing you can do is humble yourself and acknowledge your sin as it is. You may feel the weight of the world on you when you look at your sin, but Jesus will lift you up and cleanse your hands. He will put in you a new heart.
Hebrews 3:15
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Luke 24:32
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Most people can feel the tug on their hearts. Some cannot, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t drawing you! It means your heart is hard and will not submit to Him. If you feel that tug, come to God now because He is calling, drawing you. If you don’t, examine yourself and see if you may be hard-hearted toward God.
The first step to knowing God is to humble yourself. The Bible says Jesus is like a rock. Either you can fall on Him and be broken, or He can fall on you and crush you.
The time is now, today, that you are being drawn. Even if you don’t feel the tug but know it’s true, you can humble yourself and become broken. This isn’t weakness or pain. This is how you can be remade.
If you need to know more about salvation, go ahead and skip to Unit 3.
Now, since we have already talked about the God of the Bible, we may as well begin examining the claims made in the Bible. So in the next few studies, we will begin to examine the Bible, its history, its claims, and its accuracy.
Unit 1:3 – Is the Bible the Word of God OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 1 – The Bible and Faith in God
September 13, 2024 at 8:41 am | | No comment
