Reasons to Believe

Nate Herbst

1. Reasons to believe in the Bible. It is logically consistent and corresponds with reality: a. The Bible is scientifically accurate it describes: i. Radioactive decay, in 2Peter 3:10. ii. Hydrologic cycles, in Ps.135:7, Ec.1:7and ob 3!:27"2#. iii. At os!heric "et strea s, in Ecc. 1:!. iv. #louds and condensation, in ob 2!:$, 37:11. v. $arth%s s!herical sha!e, %s. &0:22. vi. The e&!ansion of the universe, in ob 2!:7. vii. $arth%s foundation hung on nothing, ob 2!:7. viii. That air has 'eight, ob 2$:25. i&. Hydrother ic vents, 'en. 7:11 and ob. 3$:1!. &. That li(e begets li(e a biological la', 'en. 1:11"12( 21( 25. &i. That one event could be seen across the 'orld an i !ossibility then no' !ossible through T), )t. 2&:30 and Rev. 11:#"11. b. Bible is !ro!hetically accurate *here are a fe' out of thousands of e&a !les+: i. ,esus alone fulfilled over -.. *odds o* +,st $ - 1in 1017+. ii. ,esus% crucifi&ion !ro!hesied 1... years before crucifi&ion invented, in Ps.22:1!. iii. Ale&ander the /reat, !ro!hesied in great detail: /reat 'arrior fro 0est early death e !ire s!lit four 'ays co bined into Tolo aic and 1elucid, in .aniel $:5"12. iv. Rebuilding of ,erusale and te !le by #yrus !ro!hesied 1.. years before #yrus% birth and 1.. years before Nebuchadne2ar destroyed ,erusale , in %s.&&:2$. v. Tyre%s destruction !ro!hesied in great detail: destroyed, ade bare as a roc(, a !lace 'here fisher an dry their nets, rubble throne into the sea and never rebuilt, in E/.2!. c. The Bible is historically accurate: real !eo!le, !laces and events corroborated by archeology *here are "ust a cou!le of e&a !les+. i. Hitites critics conde ned the Bible%s descri!tion of this grou!3 archeological digs have since !roven their e&istence. ii. #aesar Agustus% census at the ti e of #hrist%s birth *0,1e 2:1+. d. The Bible%s authors agree. i. 0ritten on - continents, in - different languages, over 14.. years, over 5. generations by 5. authors of different bac(grounds, social status, languages and ethnicities. e. The Bible is te&tually authentic *here is a 6uic( co !arison 'ith Ho er%s Illiad+. i. NT has co!ies fro as early as 2. 125 3425"70 years a*ter written, 'ithin life7s!ans of ,esus% conte !oraries+. The Iliad%s earliest co!y is fro 5.. B# *4.. yrs after 'ritten+. ii. NT has 2&(000 early copies *8-.. yrs+ vs. Iliad%s 95-. f. The Bible has the !o'er to change hu an beings. E5. ,ust loo( around this roo . g. :ost of ,esus% disci!les and any early church founders died for this i. ;eo!le often die for a belief but never for a (no'n lie. essage.

6o, 7ay choose at the end o* yo,r investigative processes o* the 8ew 9esta7ent to say( :% choose not to believe it.; B,t yo, 7ay not reserve the right to say( :Beca,se there is not eno,gh evidence to believe it.;< =i7on 'reely " >a7ed Pro*essor( ?arvard 0aw =chool. 2. 9he Bible points to one person and one event < es,s and salvation. a. ,esus alone accurately described the hu an condition and the re edy. 9he depravity o* 7an is at once the 7ost e7pirically veri*iable reality b,t at the sa7e ti7e the 7ost intellect,ally resisted *act. < )alco7 ),gridge b. ,esus !rovided a re edy for that condition a *ree gi*t o* salvation *e5perientially relevant+. c. ,esus i !acted history ore than any other hu an that has ever lived.

d. ,esus triu !hed over death *over'hel ing historical evidence for this+. i. He alone has authority to describe the eans of salvation. e. es,s@ 7essage corresponds with reality < ?e alone hit the nail on the head.

f. The Bible is logically consistent, only ,esus% descri!tion of our condition is e7pirically correct and only ,esus% re edy is e5perientially relevant. 3. 9he s,77ary. a. Naturalis can%t account for atter, design or the universe3 design !oints to a designer. b. The Bible alone !rovides coherent ans'ers to the 6uestions of origin, eaning, orality and destiny in a 'ay that corres!onds 'ith reality. c. %7plications There is a /od, He is the /od of the Bible, He ca e to earth as the an ,esus, He !rovided the only eans of salvation. d. %* yo, are a believer < be con*ident in the validity o* the Bible. &. %* yo, aren@t a believer < here are the & 7ost *,nda7ental biblical principals: a. /od loves you and has an a'eso e !lan for your life. er. 31:3( n. 3:1!( 10:10. b. 1in and selfishness result in eternal se!aration fro /od. Ro7. 3:23( !:23. c. ,esus !rovides the only eans of salvation the cross. n.1&:1!. d. <ou ust !ersonally acce!t His free gift of salvation. n. 1:12( Eph. 2:$"#. i. 8ot +,st an e7otional e5perience or intellect,al agree7ent < an act o* the will. %n Rev. 3:20( es,s says < :?ere % a7A % stand at the door and 1noc1. %* anyone hears 7y voice and opens the door % will co7e in...; 2re yo, ready to open the doorB %* so( tell 'od: =I need you. Today I place my faith in you and accept your free gift of salvation and eternal life with you, which you provided for me by dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for being my Savior and Lord.>