THE BOOK THAT REVEALS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

CAN YOU TRUST THE BIBLE?

Perhaps you have noticed that many books offering advice become outdated in just a few years. What about the Bible?  It is a very old, and almost 2,000 years have passed since its last words were penned. Some therefore feel that it is not applicable  to our modern age. But if the Bible is inspired of God, its advice should always be up-to-date despite its great age.  The Scriptures should still be "beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Close examination  reveals that Bible principles apply just as much today as they did when they were first put down in writing.  When it comes to human nature, for instance, the Bible reflects  keen understanding that applies to every generation of mankind. We can easily see this in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, found in the book of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7.   This sermon  so impressed the late Indian leader Mohandas K.  Gandhi that he reportedly  told a British official:  "When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down by Christ in this Sermon on the Mount, we shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world."

No wonder people are impressed by Jesus' teachings! In the Sermon on the Mount, he showed us the way to true happiness. He explained how to settle disputes. Jesus provided instruction on how to pray. He pointed out the wisest attitude to have toward material needs and gave the  Golden Rule for proper relationships with others. How to detect religious frauds and how to have a secure future were also among the points covered in this sermon.

In the Sermon on the Mount and throughout the rest of its pages, the Bible clearly tells us what to do and what to avoid in order to improve out lot in life. So practical is its counsel that one educator was moved to say:  "Although being a high-school counselor with bachelor's and master's degrees and having a large number of books on mental health and psychology, I discovered that the Bible's counsel on such things  has having a successful marriage, preventing juvenile delinquency and how to gain and keep friends is far superior to anything I had read or studied in college."  In addition to being practical and up-to-date, the Bible is dependable.

Next time:  THE BOOK THAT REVEALS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD/ACCURATE AND RELIABLE

From the book: KNOWLEDGE That Leads to Everlasting Life