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WHY WE SHOULD ACCEPT THE BIBLE'S INSPIRATION (Part 6) By Bob Myhan Many attempts have been made to prove that the Bible is inaccurate. Most of these involve the unreasonable expectation of the use of the technical languages of the sciences. But the Bible uses phenomenal terms. Newspapers use phenomenal terms when they indicate that the sun rose at 5:59am or set at 6:09pm. Thus, a Hebrew word may be translated, “chews the cud,” when it refers to an animal that chews its food thoroughly without implying that the animal ruminates. Another unreasonable expectation is the use of modern scientific classification—such as phylum, class, order, family, genus and species— in referring to animals. The “great fish,” of Jonah 1:17, for example, is called “a whale” by Jesus in the KJV of Mt. 12:40. At most, this is a translating error. The word, here, is the same as that used in the Septuagint—the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures—at Jonah 1:17. In other words, it was a “whale” of a fish. #6 THE BIBLE’S ANSWERS The Bible answers the three most important questions that a man could ask. One, who does not believe there is a Creator, or who believes there is a Creator but does not believe He has spoken, can only guess what these answers might be. 1. What Is Man’s Origin? The Bible begins with an account of the origin of all things physical, including man. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7). Apart from revelation, the creature cannot know the Creator. This can be illustrated by the fact that no one knows, intuitively, who his biological parents are. An adopted child, for example, will assume his adoptive parents are his biological parents until he is told differently by them or someone else he trusts to tell him the truth. Just so, Adam could not know his Creator unless and until the Creator revealed Himself. And, just as an adopted child could not know he was adopted, Adam could not know he was created. 2. What Is Man’s Purpose? The preacher, in his own search for purpose in life, concluded that earthly wisdom, self-indulgence, toil, wealth and honor were all vanity. By revelation from God he was given to know and to communicate to others the following. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl. 12:13, ESV). To say that man can know how he ought to live without a revelation from God is like saying that a child can know how he ought to live without being so instructed by his parents. But what would be thought of parents who failed to teach their children the difference between right and wrong? And who taught the first parents the difference between right and wrong, if not God? Apart from revelation, the creature cannot know the purpose for which he was created. 3. What Is Man’s Destiny? No man can know the future with certainty, unless the future is revealed by the One who inhabits eternity—the Creator. For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). "Known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18). Jesus spoke concerning the twofold destiny of man. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). No man who refuses to accept the Bible as a supernatural revelation from God will presume to answer these three questions in any definitive way. He can only speculate as to the origin, purpose and destiny of man. & GENUINE WORSHIP Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with God our Father, Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. It is not a ritual that one takes part in on certain occasions or days. It is possible for us to attend services and go through the motions of worship without actually worshipping God or having a meaningful relationship with Him. God designed worship for us to continually grow in Him and to express praise and thanksgiving to Him. To engage in worship without really focusing or thinking in the heart upon God is to worship in vain. Under the Old Testament the people offered animal sacrifices. Under the New Testament the people offer a different type of sacrifice. Christ sacrificed Himself as atonement for our redemption. We are to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." Hebrews 13:15. Praise to God must be sincere. We are to continue in prayer, study and praise on a daily basis. God gave us prayer so we can communicate with Him. We often distort this by "saying a prayer" in a hurry without meditation. We can allow God's word to become a "legal system" rather than an indwelling power that gives strength and guidance to us. Having the proper frame of mind is very important in worship. Satan is ever present to distort our minds in worship. We realize the importance of partaking of the Lord's Supper in the right manner. However the other items of worship are important. To engage in religious activity without the mind being focused on God is an empty ritual. The second section of Psalm 119 has some wonderful admonitions that can be applied to worship: put one's whole heart into worship; have a heart that is filled with the word of God; use our lips to declare the goodness of God; rejoice in the ways of God; meditate, contemplate, delight and never forget our loving God. God loves us. Let's put our whole heart, mind, and soul into genuine worship - that is pleasing to him. Selected & (Via The Reminder, Vol. 4, Number 12) GET BACK UP When a giraffe is born, he tumbles ten feet to the ground, landing on his back. Within seconds, he rolls over and stands, struggling with those tall, untried legs. The mother giraffe positions herself directly over her newborn, swings her legs outward and kicks that baby, sending it sprawling! If it doesn't get up, she kicks it again. If it grows tired, she kicks it again to stimulate its efforts to stand. Each time the baby gets to its feet, she kicks it again. Now, this may seem cruel to you, but there is a reason for the mother's behavior. She is simply preparing the baby for survival, because that little giraffe must learn to get up quickly and run with the herd when danger comes - otherwise he will not survive! As Christians, we need to learn the same lessons that baby giraffes learn: when life kicks you down, you must get back up. You must never give up! Our soul's survival depends on our ability to persevere. James says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him" (James 1:12). When things go wrong, Satan would love for you to throw in the towel and give up on faith, God, Christ and the church. That's his goal, to get you to quit short of the goal of salvation. He wants you to become so frustrated that you will simply quit. Don't let him get to you. When life knocks you down, get back up! Anonymous & (Via The Reminder, Vol. 4, Number 25
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