Do You Really Believe the Bible?

Yesterday Norma Jean and I spent the day at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky.

It was an incredible educational, informational, and faith building experience. It’s one thing to read about the dimensions of the ark and translate cubits into feet. It’s quite another to see how massive the Ark was, both outside and inside.

The Ark Encounter combined with The Creation Museum offers numerous displays of evidences not only for the Biblical account of the Flood, but also for the veracity of the Bible in general. Fulfilled prophecy, archeological discoveries, historical accuracy, and the survival of the Bible itself all combine to offer a daunting amount of evidence that the Bible is indeed the inspired Word of God, as the apostle Paul affirmed; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As we walked the three floors of the ark, which will take you 3-5 hours depending how much attention you pay to each display, we came across this plaque.

It’s amazing that some people who claim to believe the Bible doubt the Flood account. Ironically this includes some religious leaders and professors in denominational seminaries, professing to train preachers.

The Old Serpent is cunning and crafty. If he can plant a seed of doubt in one Bible narrative, he can soon undermine all it.

Through the years we have encountered people who claim to believe in God, in Jesus as the Son of God, and the Bible as the Word of God, but who question what the Bible reveals about the nature of sin, the steps to salvation, or God’s pattern for the church.

Today there are churches, preachers, pastors, and those claiming Christianity who dismiss God’s teaching on marriage, family, and the home. They spurn the moral teaching espoused by Paul and the apostles. They even outright reject sections of scripture that doesn’t fit their preconceived views. Yet, they claim a love for God and allegiance to the Bible.

This attitude reminds me of our experience yesterday. As we ascended to the third floor of the ark, we were getting tired and hungry. Next door to the Ark was Emzara’s Buffet. So, we took a break to eat.

If you go the Ark Encounter, I recommend Emrara’s. The Senior price of $16.95 included an unlimited massive salad bar, a good selection of vegetables, four different entrees, including fried chicken and pot roast, as well as your drinks and dessert.

As we went through the line, there were some items we wanted and others we didn’t. We could pick and choose based on our taste, personal preference, and current whim of what we wanted to eat. That’s fine for Buffett, but not for the Bible.

God’s Word is not a smorgasbord where we’re free to choose the narratives, teaching, doctrine and commands we like and agree with, but ignore those we find personally distasteful. This attitude, however, has lead to the philosophy of “No Absolutes” in today’s culture. People talk about “my truth” and “your truth,” as if Truth is relative, changing, and left up our personal preference and taste.

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Not “my truth” or “your truth,” but The Truth. His Truth. Or as Paul put it, “the truth of the gospel” in which is our salvation and the basis of our hope (Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5). It has been revealed by the Holy Spirit. Written down in a few words. And can be understood (Eph. 3:3-5).

If we claim to believe the Bible, we must accept it entirely. All of it. Even those passages they may condemn us or offer correction.