The meaning of the Bible is clear enough, and deep down we know that this is a credible book that has the ring of truth to it. What we should do as we’re studying the Bible and asking for God’s help is also just put into practice what the Bible says. We may become more convinced of its trustworthiness the more we try to walk with God and follow the teaching of Scripture.

Responding to Doubt

Do you ever doubt whether the Bible is really true? If the Bible is true, it’s amazing because our sins are forgiven, we have the hope of eternal life, we’ve got guidance for everyday life. But what if the Bible isn’t true? What if you can’t trust biblical history? What if the Bible contradicts the true findings of science? What if the Bible really can’t be trusted on matters of sexuality, race, justice, and all the really important issues we’re struggling with in the world today?

Those are normal questions and doubts, and they’re not new. In fact, if you open your Bible to the very beginning, already in chapter 3, the serpent comes into the garden and says to Eve, “Did God actually say . . . ?” And then he raises doubts in Eve’s mind about the trustworthiness of the Bible and whether or not God himself is trustworthy.

How should we respond? What should we do when we’ve got questions about the word of God and about God himself?

I think there are a few things we can do. One of them is simply to study the Bible more, not less. Because as time has gone on, people who have had questions about the history of the Bible, how to think about the Bible in relationship to science, or what the Bible actually was saying about the way we should live our lives, the deeper people have gone into those questions, the more the answers have become apparent.

Some of us have found that to be true in our own experience. One of the reasons I don’t give up on the Bible when there’s something I don’t understand is that there are things that I didn’t understand that now I understand a little better. And over time I’ve become more convinced of the trustworthiness of God’s word.

Another thing we can do is to simply pray for God’s help. If the Bible really is a book that God has given to us, it stands to reason that he wants us to understand it.

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