The Bible Is Our Authority | It Is Written Part 5

When asked about the authority of the Bible, the late Reverend Billy Graham said, “Millions of people today are searching for a reliable voice of authority. The Word of God is the only real authority we have. The Bible is old; yet it is ever new. It is the most modern book in the world today. There is a false notion that a book as ancient as the Bible cannot speak to modern needs. People somehow think that this ancient book is out-of-date, but it is relevant to our generation. One of the greatest needs in the church today is to come back to the scriptures as the basis of authority.”
 
The percentage of people who believe in God and the Bible is decreasing drastically every year. I remember growing up when everyone knew the stories of the Bible like Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and David and Goliath – even if they didn’t attend church.
 
But it is very different now. We are living in the first generation since the Dark Ages that is biblically illiterate. You can no longer have a reasonable assumption that someone believes in God or the Bible.
 
The Entertainment industry, the news media, and the majority of college professors now mock God and the Bible and use intimidation tactics to shame Christians into hiding their faith or even renouncing it altogether.
 
Only 6% of college teachers say that the Bible is actually the word of God. A recent study shows that over 2 out of 3 young adults who attended Protestant churches regularly growing up, drop out of church completely during their college years between the ages of 18 and 22.
 
Is the Bible just a religious relic that shoves an outdated religion down our throats to steal away any fun we have in life and give us guilt and condemnation? Is it a book of spiritual fairytales and fables designed to keep society in line?
 
Or is the Bible what it claims to be – the written revelation of Almighty God that not only teaches us how to live in this life, but also shows us the path to eternal life?
 
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV), “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”
 
So, I want to encourage you to NOT look at the Bible as just another book – but to take a second look – a reverent look – and Accept the Authority of the Bible as God’s Holy Word.
 
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This blog post was written by Pastor John Raymond of New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana.