The Basis For What We Believe

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.

1. 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

3. 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