If a man's faith is in Christ, his faith will also be in the Bible: for these two are one.
But if a man's faith is not in Christ, neither will his faith be in the Bible: for that man's disagreement is with both.
If a man's faith is not in Christ, nor in the Bible, that man will not believe in the stories of the Bible because he does not have the faith to believe in either.
Consequently, that man will not believe that God is living, nor that God created all things.
To believe that God created Adam and Eve, that belief is simply beyond this man's realm of possibility, for his faith is not there.
Beyond Adam and Eve, neither will that man believe in the stories about Noah's flood, the tower of Babel, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, nor in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By the time the stories of the Bible reach the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, this man does not have the faith to believe this either. Nor will he believe in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. And to speak of Christ returning to earth again, this, as before, is beyond this man's realm of possibility: for he is looking for things to believe with his eyes and not with his heart.
This man can, however, have an image of Jesus in his mind, as he can also have an image of Christ on a cross, in a tomb, as well as image of Christ ascending to heaven. But with all of these images, this does not necessarily mean that that man believes in these events in his heart.
What, then, shall this man do in order to have faith in Christ for salvation as well as faith to believe in the Bible?
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10: 17)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2: 8)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10: 13)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10: 9)
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34: 6)
Please remember that unbelievers of Christ need images of idols in order to believe---images such as sculptors, portraits, photographs, relics, good luck charms, beads, rosary---because unbelievers believe in things they can see with their eyes, or touch with their hands.
On the other hand, consider Pontius Pilate. He met Jesus face to face and he could have touched Jesus with his hands. But instead of trusting in the Lord for his salvation, he turned his heart away from Christ and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27: 24)
If people today could see Jesus with their eyes and touch Him with their hands, would they trust in Him for salvation, or would they, like Pontius Pilate, turn their hearts away from Him and watch the Lord be crucified?
If people today could see God creating Adam and Eve, then would they believe that Adam and Eve were the first humans on earth?
If the Bible had pictures, would people believe in the Bible? Or would they believe because of the images and not because of the words of God?
When you talk to people on a telephone, you do not see them with your eyes, but you believe a person is talking to you because you can hear their voices!
So it is with the Bible: God speaks to us through His written word and we can hear His voice even though we do not see Him with our eyes!
Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I will give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10: 27-28)
Did you hear that?
But if a man's faith is not in Christ, neither will his faith be in the Bible: for that man's disagreement is with both.
If a man's faith is not in Christ, nor in the Bible, that man will not believe in the stories of the Bible because he does not have the faith to believe in either.
Consequently, that man will not believe that God is living, nor that God created all things.
To believe that God created Adam and Eve, that belief is simply beyond this man's realm of possibility, for his faith is not there.
Beyond Adam and Eve, neither will that man believe in the stories about Noah's flood, the tower of Babel, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, nor in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By the time the stories of the Bible reach the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, this man does not have the faith to believe this either. Nor will he believe in the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. And to speak of Christ returning to earth again, this, as before, is beyond this man's realm of possibility: for he is looking for things to believe with his eyes and not with his heart.
This man can, however, have an image of Jesus in his mind, as he can also have an image of Christ on a cross, in a tomb, as well as image of Christ ascending to heaven. But with all of these images, this does not necessarily mean that that man believes in these events in his heart.
What, then, shall this man do in order to have faith in Christ for salvation as well as faith to believe in the Bible?
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10: 17)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2: 8)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10: 13)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10: 9)
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34: 6)
Please remember that unbelievers of Christ need images of idols in order to believe---images such as sculptors, portraits, photographs, relics, good luck charms, beads, rosary---because unbelievers believe in things they can see with their eyes, or touch with their hands.
On the other hand, consider Pontius Pilate. He met Jesus face to face and he could have touched Jesus with his hands. But instead of trusting in the Lord for his salvation, he turned his heart away from Christ and said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27: 24)
If people today could see Jesus with their eyes and touch Him with their hands, would they trust in Him for salvation, or would they, like Pontius Pilate, turn their hearts away from Him and watch the Lord be crucified?
If people today could see God creating Adam and Eve, then would they believe that Adam and Eve were the first humans on earth?
If the Bible had pictures, would people believe in the Bible? Or would they believe because of the images and not because of the words of God?
When you talk to people on a telephone, you do not see them with your eyes, but you believe a person is talking to you because you can hear their voices!
So it is with the Bible: God speaks to us through His written word and we can hear His voice even though we do not see Him with our eyes!
Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I will give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10: 27-28)
Did you hear that?
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