the great questions
Question One:
Question Two:
Question Three:
Question Four:
Question Five:
Question Six:
the reliability of the gospels
Can we trust the Bible?
The vast number of biblical manuscripts, the early dates, and the unparalleled accuracy of the manuscript copies establish the Bible's reliability well beyond than of any other ancient book.
The number of New Testament manuscripts is astounding. There are almost 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, compared with the 7 to 10 of other ancient books. Homer's Iliad has the most with 643 manuscripts. The New Testament is simply the best textually supported book from the entire ancient world.
Most scholars date the gospel of Mark in the 70's AD, a mere 40 years after the resurrection. All the New Testament writers were Apostles, associates or eyewitnesses. All were willing to die for what they believed - and most of them did.
For further study, consider the following books:
The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, by Craig Blomberg
Reasonable Faith, by William Lane Craig
The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel.
What is life all about? [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
How Are You Not Like God?
You Have a Physical Body
God is an infinite, eternal, all-powerful Spirit. He is limited by neither time nor space. He will never die. Your spirit lives in a body which has very limited strength, can only be in one place at a time, and will die some day. However, it is a wonderful gift from God to you. Because of your body, you can work for God in ways that would be impossible if you were just a spirit. You should take good care of your body because it is a home for your spirit and a temple for God to use.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
(Bible, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20)
God Knows Everything
Some people blame their bodies for the bad things they do. They punish their bodies to try to make themselves good. Your body is neither good nor bad. It is like a tool which you use. You decide what to do and your body does it. You can use your body for either good or evil, for Satan or for God.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
(Bible, Galatians 5:19-21)
Be sure to control your body. It is a good servant but a poor master. If you allow its physical needs to rule your life, you will have trouble. You can even become a slave to habits that will destroy your health and make you do things that are evil and sinful. When you neglect the needs of your spiritual nature and live only to satisfy the desires of your body, you become less and less like God.
Sin Has Ruined Your Nature
Sin has blurred the image of God in you. People get worse and worse as they try to rule their own lives and ignore God's purpose for them.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Bible, Galatians 5:19-21)
You Can't Please God By Your Own Efforts
God has a good purpose for you. But unless He helps you, you will not be able to follow it. No matter how hard you try, you will never be strong enough to do what pleases Him all the time. He must change you.
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
(Bible, Romans 7:18-20)
How Can You Know You Are a Child of God?
The minute you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, God accepts you as His child. From this moment on life starts to make more sense. What's life all about? Most of all, it is about God's purpose for you. The more you know Him, the more that purpose will be fulfilled. Through the Bible, and through prayer, you will discover God's will for your life. The love, joy and peace of Jesus Christ will fill your heart and mind. Your life will be a blessing to people around you. And the spiritual maturity which will result will prepare you for this life and for eternity. In summary, you can know you are a child of God in three ways:
· Through His Word, which says so
· Through the inward assurance of the witness of the Spirit
· Through the change in your life
Would you like to be a child of God? Contact us today by clicking the "Yes" button below.
