You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
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651 – Man's Search for Inner Peace (65)
Can you trust the Bible for your eternal life?
by Jim Mettenbrink

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     A year ago in this series, we considered whether the Bible was a reliable document, i.e., whether the Bible we have, has been transmitted to us as originally written, without edit
.  We also considered whether the Bible is credible, i.e., are its contents true.  The historical, scientific, medical, meteorological, etc., facts set forth are true and accurate.  The basic question following this evaluation was, “How could the biblical writers have known these facts, which would not be empirically discovered by mankind up to thousands of years later?”  For example we did not discover the importance of circumcising a boy on the 8th day of life until 1935.  Yet Moses commanded it of Israelites 3300 years earlier.  How did he know the 8th day was medically vital?  One might speculate that previous knowledge was lost.  However, there is no evidence to support that notion.

     The evidences we set forth in those articles indicate knowledge from a source other than man – a supremely knowledgeable being – Jehovah, the God of heaven
.  The meticulous transmission of the Bible and accuracy of its contents indicate His direct involvement and protection of His word.  Not only that, the Bible exclaims it is inspired by God Himself.  What does that mean?

     About 40 years ago, during a discussion about divine inspiration, a man asserted the hymn books we used were inspired by God
.  Recently Bill O'Reilly (Fox News) said he was inspired by God to write the book, “Killing Jesus.”  Both misunderstand divine inspiration.  The usual understanding of inspiration in our common vernacular is like a person sitting by a white water stream, enjoying a slight breeze on a brilliant blue sky-warm sunny day, with wild flowers in full bloom, birds singing and deer grazing nearby.  At that moment he is “inspired” (motivated) to write a poem about the beauty of nature.  This is radically different from divine inspiration as set forth in the Bible.

     Over 1500 Bible verses declare, “Thus says the Lord,” or “God said,” etc, which serve as reminders the Bible is God's word
.  He alone is the sole source!  However, one passage reveals the depth of meaning of inspiration – “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).  The word “inspiration of God” in the original New Testament Greek is literally “God breathed. The meaning is the Bible comes from the very inner being of God Himself and no one else.

     Later, the apostle Peter expounded the sense of “God breathed” – “
knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).  Thus knowing the Bible is God’s word, directly from Him, why do folks insist on creating faiths contrary to His clear commands?

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      © Jim Mettenbrink; used by permission. rev.150608
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