"Ancient Faith - Modern Life"

  For a man who believes faith is the foundation of life. Apart from faith, no work, service, or participation in church has worth in the sight of God. The Bible teaches us that salvation is in Christ alone, not through rituals or customs. For it is written, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6) . This is why we start here. Faith is confused with ritual far too often. We think that going to church each Sunday or doing things man's way will make us righteous. But faith is likewise dead if it does not change the heart and the way we treat one another. Here is how Jesus himself put this: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35) . If we say the name of Jesus with our lips, but there is still hatred in our hearts or unforgiveness born through others' actions against us, then this confession is useless. Rituals can make you look holy, but they cannot save. Lighting a candle, shutting a prayer which we...

  The Christian proclamation that the Bible is the Word of God is not a reverent overstatement but a truth based on the teachings of the Bible itself. The apostle woos us to a love for everything in the text when they say that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” and “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Since all Scripture is God-breathed, it has God’s own authority; since it trains in every good work, it is sufficient for us in faith and life. That doctrine makes the Bible – rather than human tradition, personality, or preference – our ultimate authority for what we believe and how we behave. Evidence of Divine Authority Inspiration . Scripture’s authority derives from its source. It was not a product of religious fantasy or personal intuition. Instead, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). T...