Apologetics: I Won't Apologize for the Bible

The Word: Jesus did many miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (Jn 20:30-31 NIV)

His Truth:

Boldly professing my faith in Jesus, I've found myself in some interesting conversations.  It's in these conversations where I've been asked some tough, thought-provoking questions - questions that have tested my ability to adequately articulate why I believe what I believe.  Throughout my study of God's Word, He's helped me answer a lot of them, and today He did it again.

The Question: What makes the Bible so special?  Couldn't there be other books out there that God has also inspired that we don't even know about?

The underlying assertion here is that if there are other books that God has also inspired, then why do Christians hold the Bible in such high regard - living our lives by it, endorsing others to read it more often, and claiming it as ultimate Truth.  It's the last part that I think gets most people confused.  I think what they really want to ask me: 

Why are you so "naive"?  Why do you constantly refer to the Bible, especially when you're going through something crazy? How dare you be so calm, pretending like your Reality isn't what you can see, touch or taste?

This is the answer that God showed me in John 20:30-31.  Yes, there could be other books written out there that I inspired other people to write.  But I, in my infinite wisdom, designed this specific collection of books, with this specific collection of testimonies and events because I felt like it was just what you needed to BELIEVE.  So why not start with this one?  Then perhaps once you feel like you've gotten all from it that you possibly can, you can go searching for another.

You Are NOT a Sinner!

The Word: For just as through the disobedience of the one man, many were made Sinners, so also, through the obedience of the one man the many will be made Righteous. (Ro 5:19)

His Truth:

When we were born - we were born Sinners. Why?  Because of the Disobedience of one man - Adam.  The scripture says we were made Sinners.

• made (to make): to cause to become; to fix; appoint

So when we say "we made dinner" - we made the dinner, the dinner didn't make itself.  So the reason, we were caused to become Sinners was not because of anything we did (or didn't do).  It was only Adam's disobedience, that fixed us in a position of a Sinner.  It's because, a seed produces after its own kind.  So Adam, being our Flesh Father, produced seeds that were all Disobedient.  Therefore, your sin did not make you a Sinner! Put another way - Sinning is the Fruit of our position of being a Sinner.  We Sin because we're a Sinner, we're not a Sinner because we Sin.

Sidetone: for all the Pious People out there who think they don't Sin or don't have "bad" Sins.  Sin = to miss the mark of God.  God has a Perfect Standard, that's why we all fall short of the glory of God.  Doesn't matter if someone is shoots an airball or if the basketball swirls around the rim before it comes out.  A miss is a miss - it's all Sin in God's Book.

I digress . . . -- Enters Jesus -- 

This is the best part!  Then the verse says, just like we didn't do anything to be a Sinner, we didn't do anything to be Righteous.  Again, we were made Righteous.  By what?  The obedience of one man = Jesus!  This is why we are BORN again - because our first birth was into this flesh nature, and our Flesh Father was no good - he made us a Sinner.  But thanks be to God, when we accept Jesus Christ, we make Him our Spirit Father, and He, through His obedience (to the Law) makes us Righteous!  So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. (1 Co 15:45)

The Good News! Just like your Right Acts didn't make you Righteous, when you were a Sinner, your Wrong Acts won't turn you into a Sinner, after you've been made Righteous.  

So if you are reading this today, and you believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, You Are NOT a Sinner (and yes, you still sin), rather, 

You. Are. Righteous. 

So what about the Sin part?  Don't worry about it!  If your Sin was the fruit of your Sin Nature, your Right Acts will be the fruit of your Righteousness.  Don't let the enemy make you feel bad about something you keep doing, a sin you keep falling into . . . because that Sin can't rob you of your Righteousness.  That's why we depend on Jesus Christ - it's not our Obedience, but His, that Made us Righteous!