(Written March 31, 2002)

Why am I so dedicated to the Bible?

1. God has been faithful to me throughout my life, even before I knew
anything about the Bible (please refer to "Transformation" page for some examples). 
There are many more accounts I could give.

2.  Once I got started reading the Bible (January 2000), the more I
noticed a connection:  When God promises something in the Bible, or
gives an example through one of His servants in the Bible, it comes true
-- both in those times, and today, regardless of how unpopular, ridiculous,
or illogical His promise may seem.  If there was even one instance where
this were not the case, my faith (and the faith of all Christians) would
be in vain.
In the book of Deuteronomy (Old Testament), God gives the criteria of
knowing whether a prophet or statement is truly from Him:

" I will raise up for them a prophet...I will put my words in his mouth,
and he will tell them everything I command him.  If anyone does not
listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call
him to account...You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a
message has not been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims
in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a
message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously.
Do not be afraid of him. " (Deuteronomy 18: 18-19, 21-22)

3.  Because God has been (and continues to be) trustworthy to me, to
others I have seen place their trust in Him, and to His servants in the
Bible, I can have confidence that the things He has promised will
happen in the future are indeed going to happen (even though I don't
understand many of them, and can't physically prove them).  If there was
ANYTHING in the Bible that was untrue or in error, the Christian faith
would be in vain.

For example, we are all accountable for the lives we have lived, and when
we die, we will have to stand before God and give an account for our
lives.  Any theology that denies this is a futile attempt to escape the
accountability before God that all of us have for how we have lived
the lives He has given us, and the ablilties He has blessed us with.

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes 
judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, 
will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those 
who eagerly await Him." (Hebrews 9: 27-28)

4.  Since I have trusted God, and the Biblical teaching that accepting
Jesus' death is the only way to have my sins forgiven (I find it
interesting how no other religion DEALS with the issue of sin, even
though many talk about it), I have received a deeper understanding of
God's plan and purpose for my life, and the assurance that He is working
all situations for my good (even when I don't like or agree with what He
allows to come my way).

Apart from Jesus Christ, our human nature is to scoff at God, mock Him,
and try to shut Him out of our lives (I know I was definitely no exception
to this before I came to understand
what Christ's sacrificial, substitutionary death was all about).
There will always be people whose theology will be governed by their
hedonistic lifestyle:

[Examples:  
A) Look out for number 1 -- get all you can now (regardless of
what rules you have to break, people you have to mistreat), because one
day you're going to die and its going to be all over 

B) I don't need Jesus to get into heaven, because I'm good enough to be 
accepted by God without Him 
(the truth is that no one is because no one is sinless)]

and will vehemently oppose any teaching that would call them to
accountability before God.  This is one of the reasons why I do not
believe that there will ever truly be world peace on this side of
eternity, because until Jesus comes again, there will always be people
opposed to those who worship and serve the true God -- some subtly,
others willing to go as far as killing followers of Jesus Christ with
suicide bombers.

While there are many religious leaders who have claimed many things, had
large followings, and suffered terrible deaths, only One has triumphed
over death, and He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died, was buried,
and rose from the dead.  No other religion or religious leader can or
would even dare to make such a claim.

Thank you for being interested enough to find out why I believe
what I do.