How do I know the Bible is True? Part 3

3. The evidence of Bible PROPHECY supports that the Bible is true. 

The Old Testament predicted what would happen to certain nations, cities, and people, all of which happened or are happening just the way the Bible said. The book of Genesis records God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would never be wiped out (Gen. 17:7-8, 19-21; 21:12-13, 17-18; 22:15-18); today the Jews and Arabs, descendants of Abraham’s first two children, Isaac and Ishmael, are still with us as distinct peoples. Yet there are no more Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites or Babylonians, Medes or Persians. Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome all rose and fell just the way the book of Daniel said they would (Daniel 2:19-45; 7:1-8:27). There are many predictions about the coming of the Messiah that were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. For example, Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion of Jesus in vivid detail. The amazing deal…Psalm 22 was written hundreds of years before Roman crucifixion was even established. A glimpse at a few of these prophecies (see above chart) shows that they were given and fulfilled in great detail. 

How do I Know the Bible is True? Part 2

2. The Evidence of ARCHAEOLOGY supports that the Bible is true.

Over and over again archaeology demonstrates that the people and places in the Bible actually existed when and where the Bible says they did. For example, a Time magazine article reported that two Italian scientists at Ebla in Northern Syria discovered documents that demonstrate that people like Abraham’s ancestors and places like Jerusalem actually existed around 2400 B.C. The article states, “Their discovery does more than provide documentary evidence of a little-known kingdom that existed between 2400 and 2250 B.C.; it also provides the best evidence to date that some of the people described in the Old Testament actually existed” (Hedley Donovan, ed., “A New ‘Third World,’ ” Time, 18 October 1976, p. 63). 

A more recent archaeological find took place in 2017 by archaeologists from Tel Aviv University that substantiates a Timna Copper Mine was dated to the time of Kings David and Solomon around 1,000 B.C. They announced that tests of donkey dung discovered at Timna, a site of ancient copper mines along the Rift Valley in southern Israel, showed the animal waste was 3,000 years old. The tests also showed that the donkeys’ diet indicated that their feed came from near Jerusalem—another example of a centralized power at the time of David and Solomon (https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/december/biblical-archaeology-top-10-discoveries-2017-israel.html). 

Again and again the Bible has shown itself to be rooted in history. We count our history by it. Every time you write down a date, you write down the date from Jesus’ First Coming to earth. So it is a book that’s rooted in history.

How Do I know the Bible is True? Part 1

There are several different kinds of evidences behind the truth of the Bible that support our faith. The first is:

1. The Evidence of UNITY supports that the Bible is true.

The Bible has 66 books written by about 40 authors over a period of 1,500 years. These authors ranged from kings to peasants…shepherds to tent makers…tax collectors to fishermen…rabbis to cupbearers. Yet all these authors who wrote on three different continents using three different languages (Hebrew, Greek and a little Aramaic) wrote with agreement on what are some of the most controversial subjects in our world today. For example, the first book of the Bible talks about “Paradise Lost” (Genesis 1-3) and the last book of the Bible talks about “Paradise Restored” (Revelation 21-22). How do you get forty people in a room to agree on anything? Yet they agreed on these things. How can this be?

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:16-21: “16For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

These verses teach five important facts:

a. The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents (1:16a).

b. The Bible was written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses (1:16b).

c. The Bible reports supernatural events (1:17-18) that took place to fulfill specific prophecies (1:19).

d. The Bible did not originate from men (1:21a). 

e. The Holy Spirit directed these different authors to write each word down without error (1:21b).

Look and Live

“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” Numbers 21:9

As the people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, they complained against God and Moses because they were dissatisfied with the manna He sent them to eat (21:4-5). To discipline them, God sent poisonous snakes among the people, resulting in many physical deaths (21:6). Moses then prayed to the Lord (21:7) and God told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live” (21:8). This invitation to look at the bronze serpent was given to “everyone.” How did the people respond? We then read, “So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived” (21:9). One look of faith at this bronze serpent delivered the bitten person from physical death.

Jesus refers to this passage when He talked with Nicodemus (John 3:14). In a similar fashion, all of humanity has been struck down by sin (Rom. 3:23). Sin has sunk its fangs into our spiritual souls and the venom has made its way to our hearts and we are dying in our sins. But God saw our hopelessness and lifted up His Son on the cross to die for our sins (Rom. 5:8). To be born again and experience eternal life, Nicodemus needed simply to “look and live,” just as in Numbers 21 a bitten person had to “look and live.” Jesus explained their “look” as simply believing in Him:

“14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). 

Just as the dying Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, so all people who are dying in their sins must look in faith to Jesus who was lifted up on a cross to die for their sins. To Nicodemus, the admonition to look and live would have been both personal and effective. Having fasted, prayed, faithfully attended the synagogue, observed the feasts, and honored the Sabbaths, he was tempted to look at what he had done to give a him a right standing with God. Instead, now he discovered he must simply look to Christ alone for eternal life. He must believe in Him.

Have you been born again by believing in Jesus for His gift of eternal life? It doesn’t matter if you are a child who is nine or an adult who is ninety. It matters not if you are a morally good person or if you have spent more time inside a jail than outside, you must believe or trust in Christ alone to save you. Perhaps you can identify with Nicodemus – you have always believed the way to heaven was by living a good life or by believing in Christ plus something else. But now you understand you were mistaken, and you want to trust Christ alone as your only way to heaven. Again, the promise is “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (3:15).  “Look” to Jesus alone in faith and you will “live” forever with Him in heaven when you die.

Urgency in Evangelism

“And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.” Numbers 16:48

After God judged Korah and his followers for rebelling against Moses and Aaron (16:1-40), the children of Israel still refused to submit to God’s will by complaining against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of killing the Lord’s people (16:41). Then the Lord sent a plague which began to kill the Israelites (16:42-45). As the plague spread, Moses instructed Aaron to take a censer and put fire and incense in it and go to the congregation to make atonement for them (16:46). So Aaron “ran into the midst of the assembly” and  “put in the incense and made atonement for the people” (16:47). Aaron loved his people so much that he “stood between” those who were already “dead” because of the plague and those still “living” to protect the living from the plague and make atonement for them (16:48a). Because of Aaron’s intercession for the people, “the plague was stopped” (16:48b). 

All of us have rebelled against God and deserve death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23a), but Jesus Christ loved us so much that He stood between us and death when He made atonement for our sins on the cross so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Christ has saved us from eternal death! 

We can thank Jesus by living for Him now (2 Cor. 5:15) and telling others about His great love for them. Like Aaron, we are to have a sense of urgency (“Aaron ran…”) and take the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to unsaved people so Christ can save them from eternal death the moment they believe in Him! If we do not go to the lost people in our lives with Jesus’ message of everlasting hope, then who will go to them!?! Let’s be passionate and intentional about rescuing people from an eternity separated from God. 

What is the Gospel?

What is the Gospel? In Mark 16:15,  Jesus cast a huge vision for Christians: “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people”[GNT]. Obviously if this vision is going to be fulfilled it must be understood. It is not too difficult to understand going throughout the whole world and preaching to all people. But what about the gospel? What is the content of the gospel? What do we tell non-Christians about Jesus Christ?

Many diverse opinions exist today among Christians on what the gospel is. For example, a gospel singer gave his testimony on the radio and said, “I was unloved, rejected, alone, and lonely. I suffered from an inferiority complex. I struggled with insecurity. Then I heard the gospel. I heard God loves me. God’s love changed my life.” Is that the gospel? 

A well-known Christian leader said, “A presentation of the gospel is simply this: you are calling on someone to turn from their sin and follow Jesus Christ. That’s it!” Is that the gospel? The World Council of Churches in Nairobi (1975) said, “The gospel always includes… the responsibility to participate in the struggle for justice and human dignity, the obligation to denounce all that hinders human wholeness.” Is that the gospel? 

If we are going to be effective in evangelism we must know what to tell non-Christians – i.e. we must know what the gospel is, so they can avoid Hell and get to Heaven. The gospel we are to preach today is the gospel of the grace of God. The apostle Paul states, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul defines the “gospel of the grace of God” in I Corinthians 15:1-8. 

In I Corinthians 15, Paul is addressing the issue of the resurrection of Christ. Some of the Corinthians denied the bodily resurrection from the dead. Paul understood that if there is no resurrection, there is no good news to preach. To begin his discussion of the resurrection, Paul emphasized the importance of the gospel. Paul “declared”the gospel to the Corinthians (15:1a). He said they “received” or embraced this gospel as being true (15:1b). Then he says they now “stand” or are absolutely convinced of this gospel (15:1c). 

Then Paul says, “the gospel which I preached to you…by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain” (15:1b-2). Is Paul doubting their salvation from hell? Is he saying if you backslide or fall away from the Lord you lose your salvation, or you are not saved in the first place? He is not doubting their salvation because he already affirms they “received “the gospel message (15:1b). Nor does he doubt that they hold fast to the gospel because he affirms that they are standing in it (15:1c). Nor is Paul doubting their future assurance because once you receive eternal life, you can never lose it or it isn’t eternal life.

So what is Paul saying here? When Paul says, “Unless you believed in vain” (15:2c), he is saying they would have believed in vain if in fact the gospel they received was not true. If Christ did not rise from the dead then both Paul’s preaching and the Corinthian’s faith were in vain (cf. 15:12-14). If Christ is still dead, then our faith is vain. It is empty. A dead Christ cannot save us. So if they do not hold fast to the gospel, i.e., if their current denial of the resurrection is correct, then Christ did not rise, which in turn means that they did actually believe in vain. If they are right about there being no resurrection, then everything is a lie, and they stop existing as believers altogether. 

Paul then assures them that they did not believe in vain when he writes, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received” (15:3a). The word “received” is the same word Paul used in Galatians 1:12, “I didn’t receive it or learn it from a human. It came through a revelation from Jesus Christ” [CEB]. Paul is saying, “I did not learn this gospel from having lunch with a pastor yesterday nor did I discover it at a Christian bookstore. The gospel I’m about to define came straight from God, to me, to you.” Let’s look now at the definition of the gospel (15:3-8). 

Paul uses four verbs to define the historical elements of the gospel by which we are saved. Let’s look at each one. “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (15:3b). The word “for”means “instead of” or “in place of.” Christ died as our Substitute. Had He not taken our punishment, we would all bear it ourselves. Our sin deserves to be punished, but Jesus loved us so much He took our punishment.

Years ago there was a woman crossing the hills of South Wales on foot in the midst of a blizzard. She never made it to her destination. When they found her frozen body they did not understand why in that climate she was not wearing a heavy winter coat until they lifted up her body and found her coat wrapped around the body of her infant son, who remained alive and well. Her son, David Lloyd George, became the Prime Minister of Great Britain, one of the greatest statesman Britain has ever known. In other words, she died in his place. She saved him by dying for him. The Bible says when Jesus Christ came into the world He took your sin and my sin, placed it upon Himself, He died in our place and rose again the third day so that through trust in Him we could enjoy the gift of eternal life.

In verse 3 it says Christ died for our sins according to what? Yes, “according to the Scriptures.” Where in the Old Testament was Jesus’ crucifixion predicted? One place is Isaiah 53:5: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” Paul wants us to know that Jesus’ death is exactly what Isaiah predicted hundreds of years earlier. You have not preached the Gospel if you do not preach Christ died for our sins.

The second verb is seen in the first part of verse 4: “And that He was buried” (15:4a). The proof thatJesus died was that He was buried. We do not bury a living person. We bury a dead person. Some religions deny that Jesus really died on the cross. But the biblical text tells us that professional executioners (Roman soldiers) determined Jesus was already dead when they did not break His legs to speed up His death (cf. John 19:32-33). But to add further evidence of Jesus’ death, “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). So the proof of Jesus’ death was His burial.

The third verb used to define the gospel is in the last part of verse 4: “And that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (15:4b). The idea in the Greek language (perfect tense verb) is that Jesus arose, and He is still living today. In other words, you will never hear a news report from Jerusalem saying they have found the dead body of Jesus Christ. He arose, and He is still alive today.

Notice the phrase “according to the Scriptures” appears again (15:4b). Where in the Old Testament was Jesus’ resurrection predicted? Psalm 16:10 says, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” After quoting Psalm 16 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said, “29Let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David…31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:29, 31-32). You have not preached the Gospel if you leave out the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The fourth verb that Paul uses to define the gospel by which we are saved is in verses 5-6: “5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.” The proof that Jesus rose from the dead was that He was “seen” by over five hundred eyewitnesses! What’s the strongest testimony you can have in a court of law? Yes, eyewitnesses. Paul says, “Come into the courtroom and I’ll introduce you to all the people who saw Christ” (15:5-8). Stop and think about this for a moment! These were not people who did not know Jesus and therefore, might have mistaken Him for someone else. These were people who knew Him personally. So Paul is saying, “Christ arose. The proof is, He was seen.”

So the the Gospel by which we are saved from Hell is that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. What God asks non-Christians to believe is defined and expressed in I Corinthians 15:1-8. The Good News is Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.

When we communicate the death and resurrection of Christ to a lost person, we then must invite them to believe or trust in Christ alone for His gift of eternal life. Jesus said, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16; cf. 6:40, 47; 11:26-26). When the Greek word for “believe” relates to salvation, it means to “trust” or “depend upon.” When we explain the death and resurrection of Christ to the unsaved who are facing an eternity separated from God, they must then believe or trust in Christ alone and His finished work on the cross to save them from hell and give them everlasting life (John 3:15-16, 36; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Now that we know what the Gospel is, so what? Let me share four implications taken from Larry Moyer’s book Free and Clear (1997, pp. 18-19):

1. The Gospel is objective. It focuses on what Christ has done, not what we may want Him to do in our lives. What happens when we become subjective and focus on our own desires? We try to convince the lost to come to Christ based on what they have seen in Christians. But what happens when they realize Christians sin, too? You may have heard someone say, “Christians are hypocrites.” Christians are to make the gospel attractive, but they never make it credible. Even if believers or churches lived near-perfect lives, people would still go to hell when they died. The gospel is that Christ died and arose. That is what makes Christianity credible. Christ asks the lost to trust Him based on His perfect behavior, not the imperfect behavior of Christians. The gospel has nothing to do with Christians, it has everything to do with Christ. 

2. The Gospel is finished. Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. It is finished. Jesus has already sacrificed Himself in our place. There is nothing left for you or me to do to pay for our sins. Only a holy sacrifice could be acceptable to God. We could never achieve that holiness on our own. So Jesus took our place because only He was the perfect and holy sacrifice. All that’s left for people to do is receive eternal life as a gift by believing in Jesus Christ (cf. John 3:15-16).  

3. The Gospel is proven historical Fact. Christ’s death and resurrection are a part of history. History tells us that Jesus was born, grew up, had friends, became a teacher, performed miracles, died on a cross, was buried, rose from the dead, and was seen. No other religion can claim a God who died for the sins of the world and rose from the dead. This is unique to Christianity and it is proven.

4. The Gospel is never-changing. Regardless of the time or culture, the message remains the same. But make sure you are telling the right message. If you tell people in New Delhi, India, that if they believe or trust Christ alone, their lives will be better, they will most likely think you mean they will never know poverty or starvation. Is that true? No. What is true? The clear Gospel – that Jesus took the punishment for their sins on the cross and rose again, so they may enjoy eternal life. They will come to understand that no matter how tough life is on earth, they can be with Christ forever in eternity if they believe or trust in Him alone for eternal life. If we lose the meaning of this objective, finished, proven, never-changing Gospel, the emphasis of our message changes. Why did Christ die on the cross? To mend broken marriages and fulfill individuals? No! These things can happen when people trust Christ, but broken marriages and unfulfilled lives are symptoms of a bigger problem – separation from God (Romans 6:23a).

Christ died on the cross for one reason – to bring everyone who believes or trusts in Him into a right standing with God. If we lose sight of that, we may neglect to tell people what they need most and not lead them to Christ at all. God could not have given us a simpler message: Christ died for our sins and arose! Keep it clear and simple and God will save people from Hell and take them to Heaven.

Must I Hold Fast to the Gospel to be Saved from Hell?

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel … by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.” I Corinthians 15:1a, 2

I was reading in I Corinthians 15 today and was drawn to verses 1 and 2 which say, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel … by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.” A cursory reading of that verse can lead one to conclude that being saved from hell is conditioned upon holding fast to the gospel message. But that understanding would be contrary to the many verses that say only believing in Jesus for eternal life or salvation is all that is necessary to be saved from hell (cf. John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26; 20:31; Acts 16:31; Romans 4:5; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; I Timothy 1:16; I John 5:13; et al.). 

To resolve this apparent contradiction, it is important to understand the argument of the entire book of I Corinthians. This will help us to properly understand I Corinthians 15:2. All of the failings of the Corinthians – their divisiveness, pride, insensitivity to immorality, idolatry, taking each other to court (1:11; 3:1-3; 5:9-6:20; 11:21-32) – each expressed a tendency to pollute God’s truth with human wisdom. This tendency is again evidenced in I Corinthians 15 by some in the Corinthian fellowship who were doubting the future resurrection of believers from the dead (15:12). 

It is no mistake that Paul both begins and ends this epistle with arguments concerning the content of the gospel. In 1:18-25, he showed that their divisions were caused by a misunderstanding of the gospel. Human wisdom said that the message of Christ crucified was foolishness; Paul countered that while the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, it was God’s power for those being saved (1:18). At that point in his letter, he only focused on Christ’s crucifixion (1:17, 18, 23; 2:2). 

Now, he addresses the questions of some concerning the bodily resurrection of believers, again pointing to the gospel message, focusing here on the resurrection of Christ – to show the error of their thinking (15:1-19). Again, Paul points out that mixing human wisdom with the gospel message, does not result in clarity, but in confusion. In this case, it is the blessed future hope of resurrection that is sacrificed on the altar of human wisdom. The historical bodily resurrection of Christ was central to the gospel message the Corinthians believed. The Corinthians knew the gospel; in fact, they received it, and were standing firm in it (15:1). What Paul really wants to make known to them is that by denying the doctrine of the bodily resurrection of all believers, they are actually denying the resurrection of Christ, and thus the gospel! This had escaped their notice. 

To do this Paul must first remind them of “the gospel which I preached to you…by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain” (15:1b-2).  When Paul says “by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you” he was not doubting the salvation of his readers because they “received” the gospel message he preached as truth to them (15:1b). Several times he affirms his readers had faith in Christ ( 2:5; 3:5; 15:11, 14, 17; 16:13). Nor does he doubt that they “hold fast” to that gospel because they are “standing” in it (15:1c).

Neither is Paul seeking to raise doubts concerning the future assurance of his readers’ salvation because eternal life, once gained, can never be lost, or it is not “eternal” life (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 6:35, 39-40, 47; 10:28-29). Even though they were plagued with divisions, envy, drunkenness, and immorality (1:11; 3:1-3; 5:9-6:20; 11:21, 30), Paul did not question their salvation from Hell. He refers to them as “the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1:2). They “were washed…sanctified…justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (6:11). He called them “babes in Christ” (3:1) whose “body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you” (6:19). In 15:2, Paul wants these born-again believers to “hold fast” to and not be moved away from the gospel which he preached to them. 

The good news (euangellion) of Jesus’ death and resurrection (15:3-4) is foundational to healthy Christian living. Christians cannot live a victorious life for Christ if they stop believing in any aspect of the good news, especially Jesus’ substitutionary death, His bodily resurrection, His soon return, and their own bodily resurrection and acquisition of glorified bodies. In 15:2, Paul says that the present salvation of the believers in Corinth was conditioned on their “holding fast” to his gospel. Note in 15:2 that Paul said they already “believed.” The reason he says “unless you believed in vain” is because their faith in Christ would be “empty” or worthless if there is no resurrection from the dead (15:14, 19). Unlike Ephesians 2:8-9 where Paul uses the perfect tense, “you have been saved,” in I Corinthians 15:2 he uses the present tense, “you are [being] saved.” 

The salvation in I Corinthians 15:2 is not new birth because new birth is not conditioned upon holding fast to the gospel. It is conditioned upon believing in Jesus Christ for eternal life (I Corinthians 1:21; 3:5; cf. John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:40; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; I Timothy 1:16). In light of Paul’s use of the word “save” in I Corinthians 5:5, this salvation is being saved from further judgment by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ (I Corinthians 3:15; 4:5; 9:24-27). It has to do with being spiritually healthy at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Believers can only be spiritually healthy now if they hold fast to Paul’s gospel. They will only be spiritually healthy at the Judgment Seat of Christ if they were holding fast to the gospel when they died or were raptured by the Lord Jesus. 

The Lord Jesus never said that once a person comes to Him in faith that he is forever “approved” by Christ. Jesus said we are only His friends if we do what He commands us (John 15:14). In the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27), Jesus revealed that at the Judgment Seat, He will tell the believer who served Him wholeheartedly to the end of his life, “Well done, good servant,” and will give him authority over ten cities (Luke 19:16-17). But to the believer who was half-hearted in his service, yet persevered to the end, He will only say, “You also be over five cities” (Luke 19:19). To such a believer He doesn’t say, “Well done,” and He doesn’t call him “good servant.”  However, to the believer (this is a Christian because he is a “servant” with the same “master” as the other two servants) who does not persevere in his service for Christ to the end, to the one who buries what He gave him, He will say, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant” (Luke 19:22). This type of believer receives no cities to rule over and no commendation. He is rebuked by the Lord and called a wicked servant. But he is still a servant of his master. 

So Paul’s words in I Corinthians 15:2 should not surprise us. They are consistent with Jesus’ teachings. Only if a believer holds fast to the good news message can he be spiritually healthy at the Judgment Seat. Only a persevering believer will be found “holy… blameless, and above reproach” at the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. Colossians 1:22-23, 28-29). No wonder Paul concludes I Corinthians 15 by saying, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (15:58). Jesus will reward the faithful believer who holds fast to the gospel. 

Do All Religions Lead to God?

“I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.” Isaiah 43:11

God created Israel to worship and serve Him alone. He said, “Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior” (43:10-11). Among “all the nations” of the world (43:9), only Israel’s God could deliver His people and know their future and be in control of all things.

We live in a world today that teaches there are many different ways to God. Many people insist that all religions lead to the same God (Universalism). Is this true? The God of the Bible has told us Himself  that “besides Me there is no savior” (43:11). If God had said there are many ways to Himself, then, yes, there are many ways to Him. But He has not said that. He says that He alone is the “savior.” 

In addition, God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18), so we can believe what Jesus says about this issue. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).Jesus did not say that He is “a way…to the Father,” implying that there are many different paths to God. No, He said He is “the way” to the Father. According to Jesus Christ, there are no other ways to God the Father.

You may ask, “What right does Jesus have to make such an exclusive claim?” The Bible affirms that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead”(Romans 1:4). The proof that Jesus rose from the dead was that He was seen alive after His death by over five hundred eyewitnesses (I Corinthians 15:5-8).

The resurrection of Christ is the most attested fact of history. Thomas Arnold authored a three-volume history of Rome and was appointed to Oxford’s Chair of Modern History. Concerning the evidence behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ, he said, “I have been used for years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than that Christ died and rose from the dead” (see EvanTell’s tract, “How Can I Believe in Christ, When I Don’t Even Believe The Bible”). 

The early followers of Jesus made it clear that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved”(Acts 4:12)other than Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 4:10-11). The Bible, God Himself, and His followers teach that there is only one way to God and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. To believe or teach something else means you must deal with the authority of the Bible and the credibility of Jesus Christ (see EvanTell’s 2014The Evangelism Study Bible, p. 776).  

If you have never understood and believed this, listen to what God says in Isaiah 45:22: “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” God the Son, Jesus Christ, now invites you to believe or trust in Him alone to save you from eternal death and give you His free gift of everlasting life.  Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26). When you believed in Jesus, the Bible says you can “know” you have eternal life. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life”(I John 5:13).

Must I Repent to Go to Heaven?

“Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'” Mark 1:14-15

When Jesus came to Galilee, His message challenged the Galileans to “repent and believe the gospel” of the kingdom of God. In evangelism contexts of the Bible, the word “repent” means to change one’s mind about whatever is keeping an unbeliever from believing in Jesus, and then believing in Him for everlasting life (Mark 1:15). The non-Christian may need to change his mind about the Person of Christ (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38), God (Acts 20:21), idols (Revelation 9:20), sin (Revelation 9:21), or his works (Revelation 16:11; Hebrews 6:1) before he or she can believe in Christ for the gift of salvation.

Repentance cannot refer to sorrow for sin or turning from sin because in the Old Testament God repents (e.g. Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 26:19; Jonah 3:9-10; et. al.). If repentance meant sorrow for sin, God would be a sinner.

The gospel of John was written to tell non-Christians how to get to heaven (John 20:31),  yet John never uses the words “repent” or “repentance” as a condition for everlasting life because when one changes from unbelief to belief, he or she has repented. Another possible reason for the absence of these words in John’s gospel is because they are easily misunderstood to mean something like “turning from sins” or “penance” which involve works. The word “believe,” however, communicates such simplicity that it is less likely to be misconstrued to include a works-oriented response.

The issue is are you willing to agree with God that you are a sinner in His sight, who deserves to be separated from Him forever in a terrible place of suffering called the Lake of Fire (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Revelation 20:15)?

The invitation to repent can confuse people into trusting in their own efforts (turning from sin) or feelings (sorrow for sin) instead of the finished work of Christ on the cross (John 19:30).

In the context of Mark 1:15, Christ was offering His Messianic Kingdom to His self-righteous audience. But they needed to stop trusting in their own righteousness (“repent”) and “believe” in Jesus alone as their Messianic King so they could enter His Kingdom (Mark 10:15).

When we share the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection today (I Cor. 15:3-6), we must invite non-Christians to believe or trust in Christ alone to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5, 16). When they believe in Christ they have repented or changed their mind from unbelief to belief. This is so simple that children often understand and believe it before adults do. Let’s keep the gospel clear as we reach out to a lost world!

How can We Overcome Satan’s Lies?

The Bible tells us that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). His goal is to make believers focus on their sin and shame so they will forget their true identity in Christ and behave in a way that is inconsistent with who they really are. As a deceiver Satan seeks to trick believers into believing his lies in order to rob them of the abundant life that Christ wants them to have. But God has provided a way for His children to overcome Satan’s lies. 

 “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”   2 Corinthians 10:3-5

1. Realize you cannot overcome Satan’s lies in your own strength. This battle is not “according to the flesh” (v. 3). Nothing in our own flesh will help us to live victoriously or draw us closer to the Lord. Since the weapons of our warfare are “mighty in God,” then we must rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome Satan’s lies (v. 4).

2. Recognize the erroneous thoughts.This battle is located in our minds because it involves “strongholds,” “arguments,” “knowledge,” and “every thought” (vv. 4-5). The word “strongholds” pictures a fortress with high walls and towers surrounded by a moat. God says these strongholds must be destroyed which means that God did not build them. A “stronghold” then, is a negative, destructive pattern of thinking that Satan has built in our minds through repetition, trauma, or circumstances. Satan does not put thoughts in our minds. He uses other people’s voices to insert thoughts in our mind. Ungodly thoughts come from us. Christ lives inside us and He does not give us these ungodly thoughts. We will not get very far in this battle for our minds until we acknowledge these satanic strongholds. 

For example, a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol has believed Satan’s lie that he is a drug addict or an alcoholic by nature and will never be anything else. When a person begins to believe that lie, he will act in a way that is consistent with who he believes he is. Often times Satan uses hopelessness to build his strongholds in our minds. When you come to the point of believing the battle is hopeless, you will stop trying to overcome the wrong way of thinking. But as long as you believe there is hope to overcome the stronghold in your mind, you will keep fighting to overcome it. 

You can tell when an individual is being ruled by a satanic stronghold. He or she says things like, “I can’t help myself,” “It’s not my fault,” “I was born this way,” “I’m just a victim,” or “This is hopeless.” When these intrusive thoughts occur acknowledge them and say, “This is what I am telling myself and I do not need these thoughts.”

3. Release the lie.“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (v. 5a). Dismiss the lie and say, “This is not true, therefore, it is a lie and I am not going to pay attention to this. I am not going to entertain these thoughts.” 

4. Reprogram your mind with the truth.“bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”(v. 5b). How do we bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ? Jesus told us: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The devil is a liar by nature and he cannot handle the truth. This is why the devil tries to distract us from the truth so that it never gets deep down into the areas where he has a stronghold in our lives. True reality for us is located in the heavenly places, not on the earth. This is why the Bible says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). 

The solution to our problems is not on this earth, but in heaven. Once we change the location of our thinking from earth to heaven, we will start experiencing freedom from Satan’s lies which have enslaved us to sin.

For example, you may battle a lie that says, “You are an angry person who cannot help exploding when someone crosses you.” The first thing you do is realize you cannot overcome this lie in your own strength. Ask the Lord to help you overcome this. Secondly, admit that you are struggling with this lie. Do not fight it or deny it. Acknowledge this stronghold in your life, and then release it. Tell your subconscious the truth, “This is not true, therefore, it is a lie and I am not going to pay attention to this.” Then reprogram your mind with the truth: “As a child of God I no longer have to be enslaved by my anger.”

Dr. Don Gilbert has observed that it takes six weeks to develop a new habit. But it takes three years for the brain to create a new pathway physiologically (see diagram above).  Old physiological pathways in our brain were established by childhood teachings. The more we told ourselves lies, the stronger the pathway became between brain cells. But, now as believers, we can block the old pathways by telling ourselves, “This is not true. I am not going to pay attention to these lies.” We can then build a new pathway by telling ourselves the truth. This process of building a new pathway in the brain takes about three years. So even if we do not believe or feel the truth, we are to keep persevering in the truth. Keep telling yourself the truth even when you don’t feel or see it so you can create and strengthen the new pathway in your brain. Our bodies create new brain cells the more we tell ourselves the truth. The more we tell ourselves the truth, the stronger the pathway becomes between brain cells. When we ignore the lie, the old pathway weakens – those brain cells containing Satan’s lies have less power and strength. You can continue to create new brain cells throughout your life by speaking the truth to yourself. When Paul said, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), perhaps he not only had a spiritual transformation in mind, but a physiological transformation in mind as well. 

Consider these observations:

1.  Christ spent over three years preparing His disciples to carry on His mission. 

2.  The Apostle Paul spent three years in Arabia and Damascus alone with the Lord before beginning his ministry (Galatians 1:17-18). 

3.  The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, reeducated Daniel and his friends for three years before they could serve in his kingdom (Daniel 1:4-5). 

Could it be that these observations confirm that it takes approximately three years to create new physiological pathways in the brain to replace deeply seeded patterns of thinking with new ones?

The church would be wise to train new believers for three years to overcome deeply ingrained lies so they can be all that God created them to be. Is it any wonder that Jesus says, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)?!!