So, all right. And then, so I've kind of figured we wouldn't have many tonight with camp and all that. Is that working, Timmy? Is it working? Is that working? Yeah. OK, all right. So since there's not very many people, again, pretty informal anyway. So if anybody has any questions or want to discuss anything further, it'd be a really good time. You could do that anytime, but this would be a really good one. And then I couldn't find my glasses, so hopefully I can see well enough to go where I'm going to go. No, I had a pair in my truck, and clearly I need to get another pair. So anyway, I can see somewhat, so we'll see. But anyway, so apologetics, we're getting to a crucial area, a crucial point. I didn't want to go too far today, because I figured there wouldn't be very many youth here this evening. And so I really want to hit it hard next week, is the plan. But the ball has already been teed from last week. I'm sure some are already kind of seeing it, and you'll see it even more today. So again, apologetics. It comes from the Greek word apologia to use eight times in the New Testament used a lot outside the Bible as well with like Socrates and It just means to make a defense and all those passages Usually it's like Paul getting up to make a defense. And so the passage again say I go through this one every time Because we ought to be familiar with this passage but in first Peter 3 verse 15 says sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts always being ready to make a defense and to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. And I emphasize again, multiple things. Number one is all Christians are called to be able to make a defense. I mean, we all have the same ability, but kind of like sharing the gospel, that's a, I don't want to say obligation, obligation, privilege, responsibility, kind of any and all of those that all believers have. It's not just for pastors, not just for missionaries, or professional apologetics, if you will. We all need to be able to be ready to make a defense. Hence, we're taking the time to do this class. But the first thing, before we're able to make a defense, ready to make a defense, we have to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts. He's the foundation for how we go about apologetics, and we need to seek to do it in a way that honors Him. And we're going to see how that fleshes out more and more. And then lastly, when we engage with people who disagree with us and who are willing to actually engage. We live in a day and not a lot of people will never engage with people they disagree with, right? They'll just talk behind your back or, and I'm not saying denigratingly, but they won't talk about it. So if you actually get to where you're talking to somebody who's willing to engage, it often goes sour very quickly, okay? And so it's very natural to not be gentle and respectful to the people we engage with. It is for me, I think, all of us, okay? Oh, look at this. Huh, look at this. Oh, look at, those are good. We don't have video, do we? I'm just kidding. I wouldn't care. But those are good, they work. I don't know whose they are, but thank you, the Lord provides. So, all right. So anyway, but 1 Peter 3, 15 is a great, probably the passage when people talk about apologetics. This is what we're talking about, making a defense, okay? Apologetics is the defense of Christian truth as it has been revealed to man in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. And then Vodibakam, this is just an easy definition to remember what apologetics is. Apologetics is knowing what we believe, why we believe it, and being able to communicate that effectively to others, okay? Now, we've seen as we've gone now, and we've looked at mankind what the Bible teaches about mankind, specifically at three stages. And really, this is pretty typical of anything we want to learn about, is we have to understand what was it like when God created it, with no sin, what happened at the fall, how was that affected, and then what happens at redemption. So whether we're talking about the world, whether we're talking about mankind, whether we're talking about just a lot of things, we have to consider those three things. We looked at creation, and at creation, did Adam and Eve, the way I've always tried to emphasize it, to kind of put it in, did Adam have absolute knowledge of all things? No. But the knowledge he had, it came from God. If it came from God, He knew it was true. And this is so crucial. Same thing with morality. I really emphasize knowledge and morality. Epistemology and ethics. Because when it comes to apologetics, this is foundational in how we engage in a way that honors the Lord. So at creation, he was dependent upon God for his knowledge. He was dependent upon God to know good from evil. Hence, at the fall, you have a huge change. And I think when we look at it and understand it, it helps us to see that the sin wasn't so much that eating of the apple, per se. But there was a lot going on before that. And of course, Eve, the issue was, was she going to be, was Adam and Eve, were they going to be dependent upon God, look to Him for knowledge, for morality? Like, how do I interpret the world around me? Do I depend upon God, or do I figure it out on my own? dependent on God as the independent, self-sufficient, eternal, the God we look to and are dependent upon, not just for life, but for knowledge, for morality, those things. And so what happened at the fall is Satan specifically tempted her to doubt God's word. To no longer look to him as a creature and be dependent upon the creator, but to collapse that distinction and to say, well, I can interpret the world how I want to. I can figure out right from wrong. And we see that in Genesis 3. I go through this every time too, because it really reiterates it. He directly contradicts God and says, you will not surely die. God had said, you will surely die. So it's a clear contradiction. But then notice what he said, for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened. gonna have knowledge okay and you will be like God in what way knowing good and evil and so the point is guys it's so crucial to understand at the fall that creator creature distinction is being collapsed and now Adam and Eve instead of looking to God to depend on how do you interpret the world around him how do we know right from wrong they're gonna now determine it themselves okay they're putting themselves in the judge We'll look at the world and interpret it how we think it should be or shouldn't be. We'll determine what's good and what's wrong. And that's why, again, the contrast. So God had said, you will surely die. Satan said, you will surely not die. And so here she's comparing those two and saying, OK, I'm looking at the world. This is what God says. This is what Satan says. So I'm going to evaluate and determine what's right. And the point I'm trying to make and emphasize They lost the battle a long time ago. They've fallen already. And we see that with Jesus. When he was tempted by Satan to do the same thing, to doubt God's word, what did Jesus say? Did he say, well, you say I should turn these stones to bread and I'm hungry in the wilderness after not eating for 40 days. And so did he try to evaluate? He just went straight to God's word. It is written, this. And the point is Jesus is the example of the perfect man who did what? trusted God and his word. And so we don't judge God and creation and things by our own, I think, what did Calvin call it, our carnal stick of stupidity, carnal ruler of stupidity. That's the point. We're finite. We don't know all things. And so man at creation, In regard to epistemology and morality, we have that going on. Man at the fall, there's a huge problem now, a huge thing that affects all of us. In redemption then, what do we have? It's not man all the way back to here, in the sense of we still have a sin nature. There was no sin at creation. Adam perfectly was dependent upon God. But now, as Christians, what's happened is we've now gone back to being dependent. We've now gone back to saying, I'm going to look to God to know how I should interpret the world around me. I'm going to look to God to know how I can know who I am, what's right and wrong, and thus. And so as long as we stay consistent, we have true knowledge. But what happens is because of our sin nature, the noetic effects, we act inconsistent at times, and so we get off kilter sometimes. And so it's important that we do what? I mean, A, we're dependent upon the spirit to open our eyes to understand it. We work hard to understand things rightly. But the point is, as we look to God, we're dependent upon him. So we see how this is happening. And so God's word, then, is the judge. to help us determine what's right and wrong. God's Word is the judge that helps us to, how do we interpret the world, okay? Because there's a lot of theories, okay? And so again, that's why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. And we have looked at, I've tried to scatter them and not do the same ones over and over and over again, but this is a huge, huge principle, that the beginning of knowledge, not the end of knowledge, The beginning of knowledge is to what? To recognize there's a God and we're not Him. And we seek to be dependent upon Him for all good things. And that's why fools despise wisdom and instruction. Remember, fools in the Bible is not someone stupid. But a fool in the Bible is somebody who rejects God. The fool has said in his heart, Psalm 14, verse 3, there is no God. The fool is a person who tries to live apart from God. And the point is, it's a moral thing, not an intellectual thing. Pastor Josh says that all the time. But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Now, I mean, I don't know how much you guys know about atheists and stuff. You can probably tell us a few things, OK? But do atheists seek to project that they're foolish and don't have as much knowledge as all the other people, especially religious people? Or is it a little different than that? See, they project that they're the ones who are smart, right? That's why typically if atheistic conferences will be like reason or you know, they'll be named intellect But I think reason for sure and things like that see the point is is That's nothing. So the Bible is again. This is right off the bat. You have this assessment Okay of how are we going to interpret the world? how God says, or how, and the reason, it's not that fools despise looking smart, okay? Somebody rejects God, they still wanna look smart. They wanna look, okay? They despise wisdom and instruction because they reject the foundation of it. That's what we need to see. That's why it leads to vain thinking. That's why it leads to futility. That's why it leads to, it's not that they're not intelligent people, okay? It's that they have, they've rejected the foundation for knowledge and all things. That is so crucial to see. I saw a short video, one of those quick videos that came up on Facebook from Jordan Peterson. And as far as I know, I've never heard anything, I don't know his heart, but he doesn't seem to be a Christian from what he said. Doesn't seem to understand the gospel. Not saying, I don't know his heart. But he is, he thinks a lot. And he was talking to somebody and he says, Somebody asked him about atheism, and he says, what's your strongest argument against atheism or something like that? And Jordan Peterson said, oh, I can demolish atheism with just one thing. And he said, what's that? He says, well, the problem with atheism is the death of God leads to the death of a lot of other things. This is paraphrased. But I think I'm getting the gist of what he said. And he said, because when you don't have God, you don't have a lot of other things. And the guy said, like what? And he said, like science. And he says, because science is built on religious axioms. Like you have to believe you can know things. You have to believe. It's good to know things. You have to believe there's truth. And he just started going. And the point is, he's not stating what I'm stating, but he is getting it. He is seeing it. You reject God, you're rejecting the foundation for science, for uniformity in nature, which is the basis of science, for logic, for ethics. And we're starting to get there. You can't even know if you're a boy or a girl. I mean, the point is, it really does get that crazy. Now thankfully, again, most atheists, and I point at you just because you're past, I'm not saying most atheists, sorry, but most atheists, most atheists don't get everything wrong. Because just like Christians can be inconsistent, okay, and we don't always live in the truth completely, our sin, we're constantly getting things wrong because we're inconsistent, atheists, thankfully, are inconsistent as well, right? So not every atheist, in fact, no atheist that I've ever met or watched or seen is like Hitler. Every atheist argues for morality, that I'm aware of. There may be some out there that are consistent. But many recognize without God, a standard, there isn't anything. And we're beginning to see that. Well, anyway, I'm blabbering now. So the point is, this is what we're getting at. When you turn from God, you turn from that foundation. And so think about this contrast. We've looked at this passage, but I've not looked at the last two verses here. But this is an important passage. Paul is writing to the Christians in Ephesus in Ephesians 4. He says, now this I say and testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. Gentiles there is a word for unbeliever. He's not talking about ethnic Gentile, he's talking about unbelievers. No longer walk, no longer live as the unbelievers do, the Gentiles do. How do they live? In the futility of their minds. Again, he's not calling them airheads, saying they're stupid. It's a moral thing we're gonna see as we go on. But the point I want you to see is it's a futility. It's a vaneness in their thinking. They are what? Darkened in their understanding. Psalm 36 verse 9 says, in God's light we have light. If you reject God's light, what does that leave you? in the darkness. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. Why is that ignorance there? Due to their hardness of heart. Say they reject their creator due to their hardness of heart. It leads them to futility, ignorance, alienated from the life of God. They become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. And many times, not all, but many times, When people grow up in the church and go off and end up rejecting walking away from the church, and I dare say we all know people like that, most of the time, what is the motivation, it seems, of why most people do that? Is it the intellectual arguments, typically? What is it? Well, okay, I mean, that could be. But typically, in my experience, typically what the issue is, is there's a way of life they want to have that God's word stands against it. In other words, most people don't reject it out of intellectual arguments. I'm not saying that never happens, I'm just saying most of the time it's because they go off to college and there's women and, you know, I'm not saying it's bad to have women, but you know what I mean. party and all these sorts of things. And they realize you can't have both. And then you are typically often, if it's a state university, there's all these arguments. I think you have the draw to being proud, not being like those backwards people back home and this and that. And I've had kids who've gone to college from here tell me that when they get off. That's a huge temptation. So anyway, but this is it. Now look at the positive, the contrast. But that is not the way you learned Christ, okay? So you didn't learn Christ the way that Gentiles, assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him. Remember, what's in Christ, guys? All the treasures, or the treasures of all wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. That's Colossians 2 verse 3, okay? And so the point is, and just as what? The truth is in Jesus. And again, I've tried to emphasize again and again, this isn't just religious truth. This is truth, okay? And so, what we see is, in this contrast then, this is what we kind of set up last week, is non-Christian philosophy, that's just a big word, just the way of thinking, okay? Non-Christian way of thinking. And it doesn't matter what kind of non-Christian you put there, okay? Muslim, Mormon, atheist, agnostic, doesn't matter, okay? Just non-Christian. The thing to see is, is all their thought, no matter what that philosophy goes to, all their thought, it hinges right here on a commitment to independence. I can figure out how to live. I can figure out the best philosophy of life. I can figure out right from wrong. It always hinges right there, okay? And then, in contrast, and so what they do, sorry, so turning from God, this is what we looked at last week, the unbeliever asserts his own absolute certainty, okay, because when you go to independence and say, I alone, I can figure this out, I'm the determiner, I'm the judge, it leads to absolute certainty in areas where you can't really be absolutely certain, but there also results total uncertainty. And so I tried to, it's a hard concept, but the point is, is if you turn away from a foundation of God who knows all things and has revealed it to you, that gives certainty. You turn away from that foundation. You make statements of absolute certainty, but you have total uncertainty. And so I try to use examples. A person says, there is no God. Does that sound certain or uncertain? Certain. But of course, the absolute proof of God could be on the backside of the moon. You'd have to know all things to be able to actually make that. So there's this dilemma. Same thing. Well, agnostic says, well, God's existence is uncertain. Well, that sounds more uncertain, but that's actually a statement of certainty. Because now you have to say, I'm absolutely 100% certain that I know God doesn't exist in a way that reveals himself that all men are accountable to him. Again, how can you know that unless you know all things? You follow at least somewhat of the inconsistency. And this is for everything. Everything leads to this. contradiction gag this is one I use with the kids all the time there's no such thing as absolute truth what's the problem with that statement a lot of people make it but what's the problem with it then that can't if that's not true then what about that saying well it's not true you see I mean it's and this is what when you reject God's Word this is why it's futility you can't you There's nothing there. Another one I gave, all true knowledge comes from our sensory experience or empirical evidence. This is the imperialist. And so again, what's the problem with that statement? Can you figure that out by sensory experience or imperial evidence? No. You can't. So how is that statement true if all true knowledge comes from that? And so the point is, is You could just do example after example after example. That's what Greg Bonson said. And I just think this is a basic statement, but this is what we're hinging on. This is the basic statement of the argument in a much better way than I could word. Greg Bonson was a brilliant guy, if you've ever listened to anything. But he says, the strongest evidence and the argument for the existence of God is that without a belief in God, you can't prove anything. And I think, I mean, Jordan Peterson, I would be curious to know, when God is dead, what else dies? Science, epistemology, morality? I mean, you just start going down, I'd be really curious to see what Jordan Peterson's list is there. But I mean, it's the same thing, okay? You're on sinking sand, it's futile, futility, okay? Now, in contrast then, Turning to God, we looked at this last week. This is where we ended. The believer now looks to his creator, and I don't think we got to this point. But the point I want to emphasize, because we're trying to draw an easy contrast, is the Christian now, the believer, has dependent certainty. He has certainty. Why? Because he's dependent upon God's word. It's a revelatory epistemology. But that doesn't mean he knows all things. There's still much we don't know. But there's a dependent uncertainty. And so this is true in religious things. So think like the Trinity. So we have a dependent certainty. Do we know there's a God? Well, yeah. In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. So clearly, there's a God outside of all things. But we have an uncertainty. The Trinity, how many gods are there? There's one God, but he's in three persons. One being, three persons. Not a contradiction. But can we understand that? But we know he's revealed it. So we're dependent and we're uncertain. And there's things in this world. Christian philosophy is constantly being built as we're discovering things and learning things in light of God's word. So that's why I think about this. This is the contrast. Hebrews 11 verse 3, it's by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. So the point is this, it's by faith we understand. That's the Christian, because it hinges on dependence. So Augustine, who is way before this presuppositional apologetics method, this has come way later. Augustine was what three mid 300s ish early 300s fours either way long time ago What did he say I believe in order to understand okay? Anselm who's a couple hundred years after him I think I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe But I believe in order to understand and so again, so I've been trying to lay this out, and I've not pointed out, but but you see In our day and age, how do most people think in regards to the gospel? Do most people think, I have to understand in order that I can believe? It's exactly how most people believe. Is that how a lot of Christians even try to present to unbelievers? Try to get them to understand. But the point is, you have to believe in order to understand. And again, if we're going to honor Christ, in how we think. Well, anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. The point is, as you can see, there's huge implications in apologetics, okay? Just because none of the kids are here, I've been holding my tongue on that for a long time, okay? But it's huge in our implication, huge. And we're gonna flesh that out more today. So the point is, for the believer, okay, Christian philosophy, okay, and it's Christian specifically, but Christian philosophy, The key is what? It's all built on what? Commitment to dependence. And so again, in contrast to the unbeliever, all non-Christian philosophy, what's their main commitment? Independence. This is the crucial difference between all non-Christian thinking and Christian thinking. I won't say all Christian thinking because we're inconsistent. But that's what it should be. So all thinking, then, is either Christian or non-Christian. Next week, we're going to get into what this means. I mean, you guys can probably figure out a lot of it. But Christian thinking is characterized by dependence on God and His revelation, dependently certain and dependently uncertain. Non-Christian thinking is characterized by allegiance to independence from God, absolutely certain and totally uncertain. So you have commitment to dependence and commitment to independence. So what you have, let me go a little bit further. We're going to deal with this issue more next week, Lord Willen. So the unbeliever, the one who's committed to independence, they are darkened in their understanding they're what? They're alienated from the life of God. The believer, Jesus said in John 17, sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. The point I want you to begin to see, and next week we're gonna really flesh this out, is that in our thinking, we are either set apart by the word of God, or we're alienated from the life of God. We either have the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2 I think, we have the mind of Christ, or we have vein minds like the Gentiles. I mean, the point I'm wanting to see is all of it is one or the other. And it starts right off that. Now, once we get to that, okay? Last week I had said, once you get to that, that leads, if you're thinking about it, this leads to, the unbeliever will look at that and they'll typically have one specific objection. And I don't know if I've explained it well enough for anybody to get it. But you have the unbeliever is committed to independence in their thinking, and thus that's the problem. The believer is committed to dependence, and so he doesn't have the same problems. The unbeliever typically goes one place. Can anybody think of it? If you're just lost, I'll ask in a different way. OK, let me say it this way, then. This will be more clear, I think. If, say, an atheist comes up to me and says, how do you know there's a God? And I say, well, in the beginning, I mean, the Bible tells me, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, so I know. What's the objection the atheist is going to say? They're going to say circular reasoning. Why? You can't go back and just say the Bible's true when we're trying to figure out if there's a God. And so the point is, what I'm trying to get at is the commitment to dependence that atheists typically is going to say, well, you're not technically committed to dependence until you independently make the decision to be committed to dependence. Well, I mean, that's the circular logic. I mean, it's the same thing. I said it more clear, but it's the same principle. Does that make sense? That is it. And so all I wanted to spend, because I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time, or not a lot of time, but I knew I wouldn't have a lot of people. But all I want to do is deal with it. So why is it not consistent? Why is that not a real objection? Is it a? Or you could ask it this way. I need to just stop and be quiet and let you guys think for a second. If anybody has a... You understand the atheist objection? That we are making an independent decision to be committed to dependence, so our whole structure is just as independent as theirs. It's no different. That make sense? And I'll say, in the atheist mindset, he's exactly right. But that's not truth. But I mean, in his thinking, he's right. And that's why it's so difficult if you've engaged with hostile people. Why is it that we're committed to dependence? Is it an independent decision we made? What's that? Yes. Think about, and we go a lot of places, but let me just Ephesians 2 says what you were dead and you're speaking of all people At one point we were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked following the course of this World following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience Okay Among whom we all lived once lived in the passions of our flesh carrying out the desires of the body and the mind And we're by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. So that's where we all are when we're born into this world And then, you guys know the next two words? But God, we came to see, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. So yes, it was revealed. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. So the point is, the reason we're committed to dependence is not because of an independent decision we've made. It's because God revealed it to us. This is the way of truth. Even right here, it says, by grace you've been saved. Verses 8 and 9 is where he goes on to say, you've been saved by grace through faith. Not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. What's the gift of God? Salvation. Faith. It's all a gift of God. Okay, now, do we understand that when we come to Christ? Go ahead. Yeah, okay. No, go ahead, just ask. Well, they just need. Yeah. Oh, yeah. How who how who's who would deal with it? Are you? Yeah. Well, I mean, I think that you would have an inconsistency with evidentialist. I think there's a place for evidences in regards to a lot of things. I just don't think you argue people in. I don't think any argument can argue them in, because their problem is they need the Holy Spirit, so they need the gospel. And that's where apologetics should always go, which we're going to get there in three or four weeks. Well, toward the end of August. Yeah. Well, I mean, sure. Yeah. And amen. Amen. And, but I mean, the, the word of God is clear as day on this. Like, I mean, you just go to first, first John five one. Yeah. So I'm not, I'm not really understanding. I'm not really. So Terry allergy. Yeah. They would have to. Yeah, if you're talking with someone like that, you'd have to have a discussion on that, all those sorts of things. But I'm trying to engage mostly with the unbeliever. But again, I would just say they're inconsistent. And because they're not really being dependent on God's word. I mean, even that, God made us alive. It doesn't say you made yourself alive. Regeneration means God making us alive. So there's a basic debate why it's not much well In other words does Do you believe and then God then in response to that gives you life or? Does God give you life and hence then you believe see the difference and he's just saying there's huge ramification huge difference there Yeah, and so, but the Bible, and again, I only put a few passages out here, but the Bible couldn't be clear. Okay, and again, so what I would say to the believer who's thinking that way, and there are believers that think that way, and they do tend to think, we've got to try to argue people into the kingdom, whereas they need the gospel. Their problem is not intellectual. They don't need more facts. They need a changed heart. I mean, this is what I'm getting at. And so, hence, how do we address that? Lord willing, we've got three more sessions. We'll get to that in the next four weeks. So that is my plan. But I just want us to see this principle then. It's by grace you've been saved. Romans 9, 15 says it this way. For God says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. I mean, he's speaking specifically about salvation in this context here. And this is part of who God is. I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. And then he says, so then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. Now again, these passages, do they bring up questions in all of our minds? Like, how can God judge? You know what I mean? And I understand that, OK? But this is where, again, we have to be dependently uncertain. We know that the Bible teaches this. That if God doesn't make you alive, you don't make yourself alive. You're dead in sin. What does a dead person do? Nothing. So it's only if God makes us alive. We know it doesn't depend. In other words, we're not the ultimate decider. We're not. But the Bible also says we're responsible. And that God is just in holding people accountable for persisting in their independence. Does that make sense? So the point is, again, if you just take that and say, well, logically then, I'm just a robot. Well, then you're not being biblical, because the Bible doesn't teach that. Does that make sense? Because I know this is a big issue, but I'm just trying to say the Bible is so clear on it that we read verses like that, and it's like, whoa, wait a minute. Salvation doesn't depend on human will or exertion. What's the depending? It's on mercy. And this has huge implications. I was a partier, and the Lord saved me when I was about 18. Now, I had friends, buddies, who still partied. And one of them, specifically, about two years after I had gotten saved, was killed in a drunk driving crash. And so I went to the funeral and hadn't seen these guys that I'd hung out with a lot for years. We didn't have anything in common. We didn't drink. do other things, we'll just say, okay? But my point is this, it's in regards to this, if it depends on human will, Bill who died, and again, I don't know his heart or anything like that, I'm just going by what it appears and what it looks, but Bill and I both heard the gospel. Where we grew up in a conservative area, we heard the gospel, okay? Both of us heard it, multiple, multiple times. So the fundamental issue is, is what's the difference between me and Bill? Is it because I was a little bit smarter that I could come to seeing? I came to realize that the lifestyle we were in led nowhere and he wasn't able to come to that? See the point is if you say faith begins the work and then God responds to that and gives life That's where you're forced to be. You're forced to say, I was smart enough to have faith. But if you understand faith as a gift from God, then you just are amazed by His grace. Why me? And I don't want to say not Bill, because I don't know for sure. But the point is, why me and not others? You see what I'm saying? I mean, it just leads us to be in amazement at the grace of God. And this leads to, I'm gonna take a few minutes just to take the time to, I think it's worthwhile, okay? But in our confession, okay? And that's where I needed this for, okay? Because I don't have everything I wanted to say in here. But the confession, again, this is just our creed. It starts out, the first sentence of the London Baptist Confession, the holy scriptures are the only sufficient, certain, and infallible standard of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Is this the ultimate standard of all saving faith and obedience? According to its own self, what's the ultimate standard of all faith and obedience? It's the scriptures, okay? But a confession helps us to understand what we mean, okay? Because if we just say, oh, I believe the Bible, well, so do Jehovah Witnesses, okay? So do a lot of significant erring things. Now, the first chapter, we studied this in the Sunday school. So I don't think I'll spend a lot of time on it. But the first chapter, I just want to look at paragraph 4 and paragraph 5. Because these deal with things that are very on the same page, on the same issue, is what we're talking about. Paragraph 4 says this. And it's dealing with this. Why is the Bible authoritative? That's the question this paragraph answers. Think about what the answer is. It says, the authority of the Holy Scriptures obligates belief in them. Think about that. The authority of the Holy Scriptures obligates belief in them. To who? The authority of the Holy Scriptures obligates belief in them from who? Huh? From who? Yeah. No, who is obligated? Everybody, okay. I'm just trying to make the point. It's it doesn't start with just people go to church The authority of the Holy Scriptures obligates belief in them This authority does not depend on the testimony of any person or church, but on God the author alone who is truth itself Therefore the scriptures are to be received because they are the Word of God So the point is is what makes the Bible authoritative? Why is the Bible authoritative? Because it's God's Word Like that is the the objective answer Okay But that brings up a subjective question for all of us then, right? It's how do we know it's the Word of God, right? I mean, it's one thing, it is the Word of God, therefore we're obligated to believe. Well, but how do we know, okay? Which again, see how apt we are to be independent, to try to figure that out. But fair enough, there are other books that say they are, okay? Not in the same way. But, so the next paragraph is answering the question, how can I know? it's the Word of God, okay? And I shared this before, but think about how people, if you ask people, how do you know the Bible's the Word of God? Think about some of these answers that people might say. Well, that's how I was raised. Would that be a common way people might respond? Or, because my pastor, my daddy says it is. Which is pretty similar to the last one. Because my church says it is. Because it changed my life. Is that a good one? Huh? Because historical evidences, okay? An expert, archeology, okay? Or a Roman Catholic, because the infallible church council tells me to, okay? Now, well, none of those are adequate, okay? None of those are adequate, is my point. And this is, again, why we're confessional. This is a great, great paragraph. It says, the testimony of the church of God may stir and persuade us to adopt a high and reverent respect for the Holy Scriptures. These kids who are growing up and being taught what the Bible is, might that stir and persuade many of them to revere the Bible as God's Word? That's all it's saying. Now, it's may, okay? It's not saying it is, but it may, okay? And then it goes on to tell us about several other things. Well, the heavenliness of the contents, the power of the system of truth. a book written over 1,500 years by 40 different people on politics and religion, and it reads as one book. I mean, like, my goodness, okay? The majesty of the style, okay? Just get the King James and read the Psalms, okay? I mean, like, there's a difference there, okay? The harmony of all the parts, the central focus on giving all glory to God, and not only that, but showing the problems with man, okay? How do we know the Bible is a book written by, God? Because it's not a book any man would write. I mean, that's not the right answer, but it's just not. I mean, who has the greatest kings? David. And you include the, you know, Bathsheba. And you, I mean, who has these? We just don't do that, okay? Anyway, focus on giving glory to God, the full revelation of the only way of salvation, which is so different than every other religion. And many other incomparable qualities and complete perfections all provide abundant evidence that the scriptures are the word of God. Point is this, guys. When you look at the Bible, because it's objectively the word of God, the fingerprints of God are all over it. They're all over it. So the question is, why do so many people say, well, it's a book of fables? Or it's full of contradictions? How many of you have heard these ideas? It's just a bunch of myths. So if it's so obvious that the fingerprints of God are all over it, why is it that maybe even the majority of the world says it's just an old book written by a man who can't really trust it? Myths, all that. And that's why the last sentence is the most important part. That's true. Objectively, it's the Word of God. Fingerprints of God are all over it. But even so, Our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority of the scriptures comes from the internal work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the word in our hearts. If the Holy Spirit doesn't do that, you'll miss it. Same thing with creation. How can you live in the county we live in and not just be amazed at the greatness of God, the glory of God, the sun? I mean, how can you not? Well, guys, people miss it all the time. all the time. The same thing is true with the Word of God. See, we need the Holy Spirit to open up our eyes. And the reason this is so important is this, guys. If we put our hope in anything else, and say, well, I know it's the Word of God, because if we use any evidence above it's God's Word, that becomes higher than God. That's the problem with that. That's why even God, I'm preaching on this Sunday, okay? That's why even God, when he wants to emphasize how true the gospel is, he can't swear by anything higher than himself. So what does he do? Swears by himself, okay? I mean, we just need to understand this. And so it's only when God opens our eyes. Let me give you, we'll close with two passages, okay? 1 Thessalonians, put these together. And we could do this a lot. Just two of them. It's easy to to remember first Thessalonians 2 13. We also thank God Constantly for this that when you receive the Word of God Which you heard from us you accepted it not as the Word of men But as what it really is the Word of God, which is at work in you believers, right? And we know I mean think of first Peter God causes us to be born again by what a live the living Word of God. Okay, first Peter one And so the point is, it's at work in you believers. And so the question is, why did they accept it as the word of God and not the word of man? Well, we'll go from 1 Thessalonians 2.13 to 2 Thessalonians 2.13, okay? We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. The point is, the reason we see the word of God for what it is, is because God has opened our eyes. Think about Jesus and Pastor Josh's preach. I thank you that you've revealed these things to babes and hidden them, or I can't remember how it's worded exactly, from the wise. The point is, if God doesn't open our eyes, we don't see it. I mean, it's not just a formality to pray every Sunday morning. And that's why, as we're going with apologetics, Every unbeliever, hostile or not, but what do they need more than anything else? It's not facts. The facts are right there. They don't see it. What do they need more than anything else? They need a new heart. They need a new heart. Jesus changes hearts. And that's where we need to get to, not just facts and facts and facts. That's where we'll be heading to. and how to do that in a way that's gentle and respectful. So I went late. Do you guys have any questions or comments? I'm not that late. I thought it was later than that. I don't have a watch either, so. That make sense? To me, those two issues go together. If you can understand these things, and this is where, again, I think scripturally, the Bible is really clear, really, really clear. But I think it was Charles Spurgeon, you mentioned him earlier, he says, we're all born Armenian, okay? And we are born, and I don't, we're born thinking like lost people. And I'm not saying Armenians are lost, don't get me wrong. But the point is, we think like lost people. Like, we're the ones who determine things. And the point is, it's not until, you know, people come to know the Lord that they start reading the scriptures and it's like, oh my goodness. I didn't even have anything to do with this. Like God was at work in my life the whole time. I mean, that's what we need. But people, God uses people. God uses his word. God uses the gospel. And so that's why, that's where we need apologetics to get to. But we can do it in a way that I think is really helpful. or not helpful, more effective, let me say that, okay, than just getting in a fax war, okay, or a fax wrap-off like Ben Shapiro. All right, let's pray, and then we dismiss. Dear God, we do thank you for who you are. We thank you for your spirit and the gospel, and we thank you for opening our eyes to see the truth. And Lord, when we see the truth and just see how apparent it is, How obvious, Lord, we just are so grateful that you turned us from darkness to light. And so, Lord, help us to have a heart for those who are still walking in darkness all around us. Help us to be faithful, that we would be able to make a defense, that we would point people to Jesus, both in the way we live and the things we say. We just pray your blessings on that as we go throughout our lives. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.