Why is the Bible the Word of God? - Part 1

What is truth? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Is there an ultimate standard by which truth can be measured?

Every human being possesses an innate moral awareness. We live according to what we believe. But where does this sense of right and wrong come from?

Atheists often argue that this moral sense is simply the product of evolution. According to this view, good is whatever promotes the survival and flourishing of our species, while evil is whatever hinders it. But if that were the whole explanation, how do we account for the fact that people frequently choose to do evil? If evil were merely a disadvantageous evolutionary trait, one might expect it to have disappeared long ago.

It is interesting to observe that whenever we attempt to answer this question, we are inevitably led back to the issue of our origin. The reason is simple: truth existed before we did (John 1:1–3). Truth is the very foundation of our existence (Acts 17:28). Truth is inseparably connected to our Creator.

In John 14:6, Jesus declares:

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Here, Jesus plainly identifies Himself as the truth. We must remember that Jesus is the Son of God, and yet He is also God Himself:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Jesus is the embodiment of truth, and He and the Father are one (John 10:30). He is the center of creation and the unchanging standard by which all truth is measured. Therefore, truth is absolute and eternal; it cannot be redefined or relativized. Whoever does not walk in the truth walks in falsehood and darkness (John 8:44).

Falsehood is evil because it stands in opposition to truth and goodness. Darkness is the manifestation of the absence of light—the absence of God. Yet God permitted darkness to exist so that His glory might shine all the more brightly and be revealed to humanity (John 1:4–5).

When Adam and Eve were created, they had never experienced evil, darkness, or deception. They lived entirely in the light. Nevertheless, they were given the freedom to choose whether they would remain in that state or experience evil (Genesis 2:17). They chose the latter. As a result, darkness, sin, suffering, and death entered the world. Ever since then, every human being has experienced the consequences of that choice.

Satan is the personification of evil. Yet God does not struggle against him as though they were equal powers. Satan continues to exist only because God permits it, and ultimately even his existence serves to display the glory, goodness, justice, and love of the Lord.

Through His redemptive work on the cross, Jesus has already secured the Enemy’s defeat. That victory will be fully and finally realized at Christ’s return and at the consummation of all things (Revelation 20:10). Then the redeemed will once again experience the fullness of God's love and goodness, while evil itself will be destroyed forever (Revelation 21:4).

Truth will prevail, and falsehood will perish. As the old saying goes, “A lie has short legs.” In all of this, we see the overwhelming love of God displayed toward His children (Romans 5:8–10).

From this, we understand that a spiritual conflict still rages in the world, and no one is exempt from it. On one side stands the truth of God, which brings light and leads to life. On the other stands Satan’s lie, which brings darkness and leads to death. As Christians, we must make it our daily pursuit to know this truth above all else. Truth is our weapon against the darkness (John 8:32).

We have already established that truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, He is the One we must seek to know. Yet even in this, we remember that He first reveals Himself to us (John 9:39; 2 Corinthians 4:3–6; John 15:16).

Growing in the knowledge of Christ and abandoning Satan’s lies is a progressive journey (Mark 12:34; Hosea 6:3; Romans 12:2). To truly know a person requires time, effort, and commitment. Relationships must be cultivated. The same is true of our relationship with the Lord.

For this purpose, God has given us His means of grace: prayer, fellowship with other believers, and the study of Scripture. Among these, however, I want to emphasize something that has been heavily attacked in our generation—the authority of Scripture.

Since Jesus is the truth, we must ask: where do we learn about His life, death, and resurrection?

The answer is obvious: in the Scriptures. Everything we know about Christ’s earthly ministry is found in the Bible.

I have often heard people say, “If Jesus were facing this situation today, He would act in such-and-such a way.” But how can we know that with certainty?

Everything Jesus did was purposeful, and everything we need to know about Him has already been revealed in Scripture. I firmly believe that believers can experience Christ through prayer and communion with Him. However, no personal experience can contradict what God has already revealed in His Word. Experiences do not establish doctrine. Rather, they serve to strengthen our faith and confirm biblical truth in our hearts.

The Bible does not merely contain the Word of God—it is the Word of God. This does not mean that Jesus, God the Son, is confined to the pages of a book. Rather, it means that everything necessary for knowing Him has been revealed in this Book.

Today, many arguments are raised against the authority of Scripture. Some claim that the Bible was written by men, that men decided which books belonged in it and which did not, that it contains contradictions, and countless other objections.

Indeed, the Bible was written by human authors over a span of approximately fifteen hundred years and by roughly forty different writers living in different cultures and historical periods. Yet, we Christians believe that these men wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12).

Moreover, the biblical canon is astonishingly unified. Despite its diversity of authors, centuries, and settings, it presents one coherent story without contradiction.

Every time I read Scripture, I am amazed anew. There is always another glimpse of the infinite wisdom of God. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible points to Christ and to the sovereign purposes of God.

In Genesis 3:21, immediately after humanity’s fall, we already see a foreshadowing of the justification that would come through grace in Christ.

In Genesis 22, God commands Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, prefiguring the sacrifice of Christ, the Son of God. The parallels are remarkable. Abraham placed the wood for the sacrifice upon Isaac’s shoulders, and Isaac carried it to the place God had chosen in the region of Moriah. Yet there God provided a lamb. Likewise, Jesus carried the wood of His cross—the burden of our sins—to the place of His perfect and final sacrifice. He is the Lamb who gave Himself for us. And the parallels do not end there.

The region of Moriah where Abraham was led to offer Isaac is the very location where Jerusalem would later be established (2 Chronicles 3:1), the city where our Lord would ultimately be crucified.

We see Christ throughout the Scriptures—in the Tabernacle described in Exodus, in the Messianic prophecies of the prophets, and in countless patterns woven throughout the biblical narrative. Again and again, Scripture points to justification by grace alone through the sovereign work of God.

Adam, the first man, failed and was disapproved. Jesus, the second Adam, succeeded and was approved (1 Corinthians 15:45–47; Romans 5). Cain, Adam’s first son, had his offering rejected, while Abel, the second son, offered a lamb and was accepted. Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, was rejected, while Isaac, the son of promise, was accepted.

Moses, representing the Law, did not enter Canaan, demonstrating that no one is justified by the works of the Law. Joshua, whose name shares the same Hebrew root as Jesus, led God’s people into the Promised Land, pointing forward to the salvation found in Christ.

Saul, Israel’s first king, was rejected by God, while David, the second king—a man after God’s own heart and the ancestor of our Lord—was accepted. Many more examples could be given, but doing so would require an entire book devoted to the subject.

For now, let this truth be clear:

The Bible is the Word of God, and within it we find the standard of truth.

It is the plumb line by which our lives are measured. It is a mirror that reveals who we truly are and exposes our spiritual condition, enabling us to align our lives with God’s truth. We must conform ourselves to Scripture, not attempt to make Scripture conform to us.

May we not be deceived by the spirit of this age. Instead, may we hold fast to the truth and fight the good fight as faithful servants of the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 4:7).

We will discuss more about the Bible as the Word of God in the part 2. Bless you!