This Bible study is from 2009.
There truly is a basis for faith. Everyone, especially myself wonders at one time or another, "is this faith thing a myth or reality?". For someone who is not a believer this "faith thing" can seem absolutely ridiculous. Let me point out a few reasons we don't need to have "blind faith" - In my opinion, no reasonable person should have blind faith.
Archeology is one secular "marking post " that we all give credibility.
The Hittite society is but one very compelling piece of the basis puzzle. Critics of the Bible's authenticity used the OT reference as "proof" that the Bible was based on nothing, since there was no independent evidence of the Hittites.
In 1884 a script on a monument referred to trade with a "Hattusas" people. That script was later confirmed by some hieroglyphics found in northern Syria in 1887.
In 1906 further information was found confirming names and places mentioned in the hieroglyphics. upon excavation of many of those sites in and after 1948 direct references to political as well as everyday life of The Hittite people. Those sites were excavated under the direction of The German Archaeological Society.Thus ending that specific criticism.
Further excavation not only in the Holy Land but also in adjacent lands further document the travels of specific people. People who spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - they were in the right place at the time the Bible says they were there.
When studying The Word and we find things we don't understand or if we can't find direct evidence, we should always study it out the best we can. If we still don't find the answer we can ask someone likely to know.
If we still can't find the answer we're looking for we can have faith in The Word of God. We know, as reasonable people, our faith is based on solid secular archeology that confirms history
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Text:, Col 2:13-15, Rom 5:19
Colossians
– Freedom from the law, to expose false teaching religious and
self-righteousness through ritual
Romans
– Explains Christianity
These
two verses sum up what God has done for mankind as He re-established His Kingdom.
A.
Col
2:13 new living Translation
You were dead because of your sins and because you’re sinful
nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave
all our sins.
- Dead because of sinful nature – Sinful nature is in mankind because of disobedience by Adam to God.
Gen 3:1 – 7
·
This passage explains why bad thing happen to
good people – why bad thing happen in the world
·
You MUST under stand this for anything to make
sense
2. Cut away
a. circumcision – a ritual God commanded Moses to
perform on his people ( his charges ) or oversee it done, in the wilderness.
No law from Adam till Moses
b. The idea being
a setting themselves apart in a way that they will not forget, that
They remember the act of obedience
(and disobedience). – note that obedience
is required as He re-establishes His Kingdom.
c.
The ownership was transferred for a time to
Satan, (who had been kicked out of
heaven) – God had to do this because this because He is perfect. The
Word says – Pslm 138:2 He magnified
thy Word above all thy name. God is a
God of perfection. He always does what He says He is going to do – God is
CHRACTER
He
ALWAYS holds Himself to standards of:
·
Legality
·
Faithfulness
– He always does what He says He will do – NEVER forces anything on anybody
- Made you alive with Christ
a.
Made you and I equals – co-laborers – equals – joint heirs
Rom 8:17 - And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified
together.
The idea is that if we accept Christ
as God into our hearts, then we have Life as He Has – eternal life with God
– forever – Part of His Family
B.
Col 2:14 New Living Translation
He
canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and
destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross
1. Cancelled the record – KJV says
“blotted out the handwriting”. The idea is that the debt we owe is done away
with.
Hebrew
word for cancelled is interesting because one of it’s definitions is the canceling
of a debt owed. That is exactly the meaning here because when we accept
Christ, our accountability or debt that must be paid (God is a perfect God),
for the sin inherent in man, by the work Christ did at the cross.
C.
Make
a show of them openly
·
Crashed
party in hell – Christ Conquers Death –
“more than conquerors in Christ”
·
Matt
16:19
·
Rom
8:37
·
In
ancient times returning king – parade spoils of war and leaders upon re-entry
of palace or castle walls
·
Christ
exposes the devil to us – makes fun of him – give us the keys to life and death
Calls us more
than conquerors – of death
·
Tells
us we are the head and not the tail
·
Tells
us there is no condemnation
·
Makes
provision for sins to be forgiven - on
and on
All of these things are because of Christ and only through Him
It is our jobs to stay in
Him
·
Bible study
·
Prayer
·
Meditation – read Word - study
