Is the Bible Trustworthy?
How is your relationship with God these days? Is the Bible really a reliable source? Do Christians really have this exclusivity? On this episode, Judah Paolo share to us his personal walk with God and also answer these hard questions of faith.
Judah Paolo was a former tv-personality but now serves at CCF MAIN in Pasig City, as a preacher and teacher of God's Word. He is also the co-founder of Lead Out Coaching & Consultancy Inc. alongside his wife, Earl. Judah and Earl have been married for 13 years. They have 3 wonderful children: Sophia, Emma, and Colin.
Judah is currently pursuing a theological degree online at The London School of Theology. He loves a good cup of coffee with Earl, enjoys laughter with his children, and appreciates inspiring dialogue with people. Lastly, he believes in the capacity of the arts for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How to start a relationship with God?
It's a clear distinction between two words of law and grace. When it comes to the Christian faith, it is through grace. It is something that is revealed to us.
And that's the stark difference between the Christian worldview and every other worldview. Every other worldview outside the Christian faith is “I got to work or earn something to add on to myself.” And when it comes to the Christian faith, it's all about taking the righteous robe of Christ unto yourself, because He alone lived that perfect life, which we could never do.
So for us, it's all about receiving this incredible gift that He wants to give us and not work for it.
When it comes to the Christian faith, it's a rescue mission. Someone had to come into human history to get us out of history, meaning out of this time loop where we're moving towards our own destruction. And that's what Jesus really did. He actually saved us.
How does relationship with God begin?
It's just like any other relationship on planet Earth. How does relationship begin? How did your relationship begin with your husband? Ask for their name.
Why are people offended by hell?
God is not punishing us, but God lets us go into our desires. And it's our desires that ambush us at the end.
In Romans 1, it talks about God just letting us go because He won't force us to love Him. Because that's not love. Love is not coerced. But He has given us the choice and He just allows us to choose our own destruction. So people who are going to hell, unfortunately, want it if they really think about it. Because if you won't live your life fully for God now, why would you want to be with God forevermore? Because that's what heaven really is.
Every person, every human being, whether you believe in God or not, you get to experience his common grace. But heaven is where you praise God, where you enjoy his presence forever. And if you don't enjoy praising God, getting to know him now, what makes you think you're going to enjoy heaven?
Is there an exclusivity with Christianity?
Every religion, if you are faithful to what it's saying and being honest with it, is actually an exclusive claim.
But the big question is, what is true? And for us the Christian faith, when you look at it and you think about it deeply and meditate upon it, reflect upon it, it will provide for you the most accurate diagnosis of the human condition. Everything that it states corresponds to reality.
What is the merit of going to Church?
“The building that we go to on Sunday keeps the church dry and out of the rain.” The church is not something we go to. It's who we are as we go.
In its Greek word, it means those who are called out. You were called out from somewhere and brought into something, and you were brought into community. You're brought into becoming the body of Christ in this world.
We're called into community, and we're not saved to be Individuals or lone rangers in this great adventure that we're called into. We're called into mission. And it's better to be part of a team than it is to be on your own on this incredible Journey and missions to glorify God in this world that we know.
Is the Bible trustworthy?
There is historicity behind the Bible, you can trust this, and this is the basis of our faith for a reason. I think one of the great apologists in the last 100 years, actually came up with the 12 points. And the question deals with his 6th point, which is the reliability of the New Testament.
If the New Testament is reliable, then Jesus, who is contained in the New Testament, is exactly who he claimed to be. And if he is who he claimed to be, then everything he said was true. And one of the things that Jesus mentioned and said is that the Scriptures was the very word of God, and that soon enough the Holy Spirit will remind all the disciples of the truth that he had taught them to be able to write down the New Testament itself.
So if the New Testament is reliable, then Jesus is who he claimed to be.
And another thought that I think about is the early believers. If they had made this up, why would they die for it?
“We weren’t made sinners. We were made in the image and likeness of God.”
From Episode 171 of Adulting with Joyce Pring: “Is the Bible Trustworthy? ft. Judah Paolo”