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Psalm 32:1, 2 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto
whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no guile.”
Psalm 51:1, 2 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of
thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.”
Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.“
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake,
and will not remember thy sins.”
Isaiah 55:7; — “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them
shall have mercy.”
1 John 1:8, 9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Psalm 103:2 – 5; — “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
2 Peter 3: 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,
as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.“
Forgiveness of Each Other:
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mark 11:25 – 26; — “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.“
Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend,
hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest:
for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Proverbs 25:21, 22 “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
and the LORD shall reward thee.“
Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.“
Luke 17:3, 4 “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass
against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and
seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
Matthew 18:21 – 22 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.“
Through the sands of time, God has used men/people to chronicle history (mostly of the Children of Israel), from the beginning of time to near the end of the first century A. D. In this article, I will attempt to show you how we can know that the Holy Bible is our Word from God that we can hold to be true and infallible so that we can use it and ONLY IT as our road map through life.
The Holy Bible is compiled of 66 books, ranging from Genesis to Revelations, including the Old Testament and the New Testament. We hold that the WHOLE Bible has been compiled by men by the inspiration of God to become the Holy Bible that we hold today.
The Scripture is Verbally Inspired Directly BY God:
Verbally – Verbal means that every word of Scripture is God-given. The idea is that every single word in the Bible is there because God wanted it there.
Plenary – Plenary means that all parts of the Bible are equally authoritative. This includes such things as the genealogies of the Old Testament. All parts of the Bible are of divine origin. Jesus said:
Luke 16:17; “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”
Paul wrote: “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
After having that said, I want to emphasize that Scripture contains the exact words, forms of words, and wording that God desired. The fact that a certain word in Scripture is found in the singular rather than the plural is all part of the divine work. Everything in Scripture is there because God wanted it to be.
II Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
It is important to emphasize that the Bible contains the exact wording that God wanted. When the Holy Spirit worked with the various writers of Scripture He moved them in a mysterious way to bring about exactly what God wanted to say. We have to remember that the inspired words of God are the words that are found in the original manuscripts.
There are many different translations and interpretations today that do NOT convey the words and thoughts that God had in mind when they were originally given. When choosing a translation that is more “inspired” than the rest, you need to look at the texts and compare them to the original GREEK (New Testament) and HEBREW (Old Testament). There were no original texts that were written in Aramaic or Latin except for several chapters in Daniel and a brief passage in Ezra, which were written in Aramaic. These were later translated and, in a lot of cases, adulterated by “not-so-inspired” men that did not believe that God had a reason for putting certain words in certain places. They changed words, removed words and added words to be able to meet their agenda. DO NOT be deceived by these translations. Other supporting scriptures include; I Corinthians 2:13; II Peter 1:19-21; Titus 1:2, 3; Hebrews 6:18).
God’s Word has been preserved down through the ages.
God’s Word is important enough to Him that He would go to any extreme to preserve His Word so that it will say the same thing now as it did 4000 years ago (the originals – not in some translated manuscripts). We have available to us now, the same truths that the Hebrew children memorized in Torah school and knew by memory by the time they were adults. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus says, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus also says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”. And in I Peter 1:25 it says, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”.
God, Himself, has vowed that absolutely nothing, even the end of the heavens and earth, would change His words and that they would be preserved, or stay the same, from the time they were written down the first time to the end of the heavens and earth. Other supporting scriptures: Psalm 12:6, 7; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 19:8; Psalm 119:140; Matthew 24:35; Luke 16:17; Revelation 22:18, 19; Deuteronomy 12:32.
The Bible is Truth without any error whatsoever (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18, 19).
It is the complete and final revelation of the Will of God to humanity (Deuteronomy 12:32, Revelations 22:18, 19).
The Purpose of the “Testaments”
In the Old Testament, we see allusions to the coming of a new testament or covenant to mankind. That being the case, we can see that God never intended for the Old Testament (the Law) to be the final testament or covenant.
The Old Testament was incomplete in the fact that it never provided a way to forgive our sins and to provide a way for us to be able to spend eternity with God in Heaven:
Hebrews 10:1 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Hebrews 10:2 “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Hebrews 10:3 “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
The Old Testament foretold the coming of a new testament:
Galatians 3:19; “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Galatians 3:20; “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Galatians 3:21; “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Galatians 3:22; “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians 3:23; “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24; “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Old Testament foretold of the coming of a Messiah which will provide permanent forgiveness of sins:
Isaiah 53:10; “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isaiah 53:11; “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
Galatians 3:25; “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
A final way for mankind to obtain final absolution from our sins:
God, through His Holy Scriptures, has provided a final way for mankind to obtain final absolution from our sins through the sacrifice of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and His shed blood on the cross:
Acts 5:31 “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins”.
Acts 13:38; “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Acts 13:39; “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.”
Ephesians 1:7; “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
Colossians 1:14; “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
God has provided a final sacrifice from our sins:
The next statement is made referring to Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 10:9; “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Hebrews 10:10; “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:26; “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins”.
The New Testament became the fulfillment of the Law by the shed blood of Christ Jesus, His death, burial and ultimate resurrection. Other supporting scriptures: Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Hebrews 9:15, 20; Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 30:5,6; Isaiah 8:20; II Timothy 3:16; Revelation 22:18, 19.
The Bible is Truth without any error whatsoever. As we have seen above, if the scriptures were given by God verbal plenarily, and if He has preserved it through the ages, then there is no way the scriptures can change from being the Truth and, as such, would continue to be without errors. (John 10:35; Matthew 5:18-19)
It is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, Christian unity, creeds, philosophies and opinions must be tried:
We have seen that the Word of God (Scripture/Bible) has been inspired by God and that it is perfect in all that it says. God gave us His Law that gives us a guideline for personal activity – what should be done or not, and if something should not be done what the consequences would be if it is done and sometimes it will tell us that if we actually do something that is good, what the reward will be.
God has given us the ability to choose in all aspects of life. He has given us these guidelines and tells us the good and the bad of things and lets us make the choice from there. He then tells us what will happen if we make the wrong choice or what the blessing will be if the correct choice is made.
There are more verses through the Bible giving us these guidelines than I can even begin to list. Here are just a few for you:
Proverbs 28:26; “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12; “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1 Thessalonians 5:13; “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:14; “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:15; “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:16; “Rejoice evermore.
1 Thessalonians 5:17; “Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:18; “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:19; “Quench not the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:20; “Despise not prophesying (Teachings).
1 Thessalonians 5:21; “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:22; “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
This list covers almost everything regarding human behavior. If it isn’t written here, it is implied within at least one of them.
It is the only unerring canon that determines truth:
Deuteronomy 4:1; “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
Deuteronomy 4:2; “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you”.
Deuteronomy 17:19; “And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them”:
Psalm 119:11; “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”.
Psalm 119:105; “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”.
Romans 15:4; “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”.
Hebrews 4:12; “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.
These scriptures, as well as many prior to this, are excellent statements that prove that the canon of the scriptures (66 books) is the truth. Yes, there are many books, many authors and many different statements within the Book, but these scriptures have been studied by scientists to verify the manuscripts are from the time period that it would have been written in, scholars have studied the words, statements, phraseology, writing styles, etc. to verify that the works were written by ONE true Author – God – at the hands of humans. The true manuscripts have been vetted and the false (non-Spirit inspired) manuscripts weeded out so that we finally end up with the final 66 books. All prophesies made that were to have been fulfilled, have been fulfilled when they were supposed to be fulfilled, save the ones that are still yet to be fulfilled regarding the End Times and the Second Coming of Christ.
We also have to remember that if there were any one place in the Book (The Holy Bible – all 66 books) that contradicts another place/statement therein, then we could not trust anything within the Bible to be true. If there were any inconsistencies within the covers of the Bible, then we would not be able to trust ANY other words in the Bible to be true.
We have to believe all of the Bible or none of it at all.
Since you have been saved, you are most likely wanting others to know the same peace and joy that you have found in the Lord Jesus Christ. As you read God’s Word, you have an increasing desire to spread the Word of God so others can experience the same joy of having the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. You may have a keen sense of urgency as you see the current events and realize that Jesus could come back to catch away his redeemed ones at any time. The time is short and there are so many to reach with the gospel message.
This is written to give helpful techniques and instruction in the ministry of giving out the gospel by way of the printed page. I will unfold this information according to the following outline:
Why?
Exhortation
Testimony
Techniques
Contact information
After the tract is in their hands
I. Why?
The answer is in the Word of God:
Rom 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”.
They MUST have the Word Of God !!!
Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
II. Exhortation
In II Timothy 4:2 we are told in the Scripture that God, through Paul, urged Timothy to preach the Word. Is it important? YES
The great commission commands us to GO. This is the commission for every Christian. We all have this responsibility. We need to take it seriously.
Mark 16:15 says …”go ye, … preach the gospel”. This is proclaimed even by the printed page.
III. Testimony
I have been personally challenged with the testimony about a man in Australia that committed to giving out the Word of God for many years… his mission field was only a doorway. As he gave out the Word, he planted the Word. He didn’t see much fruit then. But, years later, testimonies from various places in the world began to pop up about how people were saved because of the faithfulness of one man to give out the Word of God. His name was Mr. Genor. You can HEAR the account on the internet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CQ9amtIOTY
I have personally given out many thousands of tracts through the years… and yes I have heard testimonies of people getting saved because of the “printed page”. It is thrilling that God can use such a simple method to reach souls for Christ.
IV. Technique
You come in contact with people every day that need the GOSPEL message. It is easy to walk on by and ignore them. Of course, Satan does not want them to hear!!! Pray each day that God would lead you to some souls each day to evangelize. You just might be the last person they will ever come in contact with that can share the gospel message with them.
If we fail, we have their blood on our hands. It is an awesome responsibility that we have. Although I try to reach as many as I can, there are so many that I will have to give account for… because I failed to put the message in their hands. I MUST work “for the night is coming when no man can work…” As long as God gives me strength, I have decided to follow Jesus and do His will in reaching souls for Christ.
Here are some pointers you may want to make note of:
Keep the tracts neat and not folded or “dog-eared”. If soiled: do not use.
Hand out the tract so they can read it (right-side-up)
Be cheerful!
Don’t be looking for an argument.
Be sincerely interested in them.
Speak so they can hear you plainly.
Be positive that they will take it.
I will now give you my technique. Your way might work, but this way has been what has been helpful for me and God has used it.
At a restaurant —
Place 1 to 3 tracts at the edge of the table where the waitress will most likely be.
When she has a moment and she is not busy, I simply say: “I have something free for you. You may have your choice. (most likely she will take one, sometimes all 3). I then say – “That is a good choice. It has helped us a lot and you might enjoy it, too”.
Tell the waitress that you have something free for her. She says: “What is it?” I say, “This is a little Bible tract that shows how you can be 100% sure of one day being in God’s heaven. It has helped us a lot and you might enjoy it, too.”
Sometimes there is a response like: “I will be sure to read it when I get a chance.” Or: “Well, thank you very much. I will be sure to read it.”
“Let me give you something free. (Hold it out for them) This is a little Bible tract that shows you how you can be 100% sure of one day being in God’s heaven. It has helped (‘me’ or ‘our family’) a lot and you might enjoy it, too.”
Even though the tract might have your church imprint on the back side, always try to have your name and phone number vertically along the back edge. This might also include your e-mail address.
The reason for this is — if they might come up with questions, encourage them to contact you so you can give them a Bible answer.
If you and your spouse are both believers, you can encourage a lady to contact your wife, while guys should contact the husband. Many times this is more comfortable – and safe.
VI. After the tract is in their hands —
PRAY that the Holy Spirit will use His Word and the tract to bring them to the place where they will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. (Rom 10:9-13)
If you can possibly visit with them after the decision, give them verses on assurance of salvation.
Encourage them to get into a good Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church where they can grow in the things of God.
Note: Where can you get a supply of tracts? I recommend: CHICK PUBLICATIONS, P.O. Box 3500; Ontario, CA 91761-1019 or contact by the internet: www.chick.com
Submitted by Bob Davis. E-mail at: rld736@yahoo.com
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