How do you know you can trust the Bible? Can you believe it as God’s very words to you? Listen to what the Bible says about itself: “All Scripture is inspired by God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). Additionally, nearly every book of the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament. Jesus often quoted from the Old Testament as did Paul and the other Apostles. Even greater evidence for the authenticity of the Bible is its power to change lives. When someone asked Dr. Ironsides how he knew the Bible is not just another book, he said, “For every person you bring whose life has been transformed by another book, I will bring 100 who have been transformed by the Bible.” Millions of changed lives testify to the power of the Bible.

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple." Psalm 19:7

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Trust the Bible

But how can we know if words weren’t added to the Bible over time and aren’t reliable? We know the Bible is reliable for several reasons. Several ancient texts of the Old Testament were found in a cave near the Dead Sea in the 1950’s. When these texts were compared with newer ones, the accuracy was near 100%. The same is true of the New Testament as well. Of the more than 5000 existing manuscripts dated from 100 to 500AD, there is a better than 99% correlation. Martin Luther said, “The Bible is a Lion and can defend itself.” The Bible has been an international best-selling book for nearly 300 years and its power and trustworthiness are confirmed by its 3000 year history and transformative power. You can trust the Bible as God’s very word to your life. Begin to read it as God’s communication to you and His guide on how to live your life.

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17

Day 15: A Daily Pattern