There is a critical war being waged in our world as we enter the new year. I’m not talking about the war on terror, or even a war being fought with weapons. I’m talking about a war of a completely different kind.

 

This war is a war over the Word of God. It’s a battle for the Bible. And this battle is being fought with questions like:

• Is the Bible a word of God… or the Word of God? 
• Is the Bible a miraculous book… or a man-made book? 
• Is the Bible the record of God’s revelation to man… or a record of men concerning God? 

Questions like these are certainly being debated in the secular world today. Yet these debates aren’t limited to our secularculture… they are heating up in evangelical and Bible-believing churches and circles all around us!

 

Now, you may ask, “Pastor, why are you making such a big deal out of this? How does this really affect my day-to-day life as a Christian?”

 

I’m glad you asked!

 

We live in a generation where truth is up for grabs. Nothing is black and white anymore. Everything is subject to societal and cultural interpretation. There is no absolute truth! And as a result, many people - and sadly, many Christians - have no real authority in their lives, no real basis for truth and guidance.

 

But truth is not relative… it is not up for grabs! It is found in the pages of our Bible.  Because the Bible is the Word of God.  

 

It is a miraculous book… it’s the revelation of God concerning man. And even though it is the most scrutinized and criticized book in the world, no ancient manuscript of any kind contains the kind of preservation and integrity that the Bible holds. 

 

But I believe there is a more compelling reason to believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. It is found in Matthew 5:18-19 when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus lets us know what He believes about the Bible.

 

“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

 

In many ways, Jesus was a rebel against the religious traditions of His time. Yet while Jesus rebelled against the false teaching of men, He bowed Himself as the Son of God to the Holy Scriptures. He believed in the authority and truth of Scripture to lead His life!

 

You know, some books can change your thinking about various subjects. Other books can give you immense amounts of knowledge. But only the Bible can change your heart. Only the message and the truth of Scripture can change your very nature. 

 

Now, if you’re not interested in God changing and leading your life, you’re not going to be very interested in the Bible. The Bible is for people who want to know God. The Bible is a book for people who want:

• To know forgiveness and experience the reality of a relationship with God.
• To know how to have power over the enemy and how to defeat temptation.
• To have strong, vibrant, growing marriages and families, and healthy relationships.
• To have comfort in their pain.
• To learn how to control their emotions, anxieties, and fears.
• To know how to truly live!

Jesus knew this and believed this. He took the Bible seriously. And since you can’t take Jesus seriously without taking His Word seriously, you and I must believe what Jesus believed about the Bible.

 

So my challenge to you is to trust the Bible fully to guide you this coming year. You can trust it because Jesus trusted it each day He lived and breathed and walked on this earth. It’s my prayer that you will let God’s Word lead you… as it led Jesus!

Reprinted from crosswalk.com