The Bible's Answers to 100 of Life's Biggest Questions

questions.

1

What Is Truth?

Answer

Who would have thought that a belief in absolute truth would be under attack in our day and age? Today, young people are embracing a feel-good truth to satisfy their appetites, and, paradoxically, pastors and churches are shifting toward a one-size-fits-all mentality of truth.

But we’ve seen this dismissal of truth before. Centuries ago, standing right in front of Pontius Pilate was the embodiment of truth, Jesus Christ. Jesus confronted Pilate by saying, You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me (John 18:37). But despite the overwhelming proof of Christ’s innocence, and his indisputable claim to be God, Pilate responded flippantly, What is truth? (John 18:38).

Rather than discover the truth, Pilate rejected it to appease the Jews and maintain his status with the emperor. But what Pilate (and most Americans) failed to realize is that truth is of the utmost importance, for without it, we know nothing.

So what is truth?

Simply put, truth is telling it like it is. That is, truth corresponds with the way things really are. This acrostic will help you remember what is TRUE about truth:

Transcendent: Truth comes from God, and he has revealed it to his creation. Take gravity, for example. Newton didn’t determine gravity; he merely discovered its existence. In the same way, humans know truth because God reveals it in his creation and in his Word, the Bible.

Real: Truth matches (corresponds to) the facts in the real world. Two opposing things can’t be true at the same time and in the same sense. That would be a contradiction.

Universal: Truth applies to all people, at all times, and in all locations. For example, 1 + 1 = 2 is a universal truth that is not challenged or denied.

Exclusive: Truth is absolute. Though opinions about truth change, truth, on the other hand, remains the truth and therefore cannot change. Beliefs change but not truth.

Application

Be careful not to buy into the self-defeating belief that truth is relative, for even the assertion that there is no absolute truth claims to be absolutely true. There are many people today who push their thinking on Christians to be more tolerant and accept the belief that truth is not absolute or exclusive. King David wrote, Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation (Ps. 25:5 ESV). God is truth, and your life is in far better hands than if you trust the lies spouted out in the world.

Bible References

1 Kings 22:16; Psalms 5:9; 15:2; 86:11; Proverbs 8:7; John 8:32; 15:26

Books

Truth Decay, by Douglas Groothuis

Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcey

The Truth War, by John MacArthur

Truth in Religion, by Mortimer Adler

Website

Matt Slick, What Is Truth?, Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, http://www.carm.org/what-is-truth

DVD

Truth Project, Focus on the Family

Online Video

Norman L. Geisler, What Is Truth?, The One Minute Apologist, http://www.oneminuteapologist.com/searchpage#what-is-truth1

2

Whose Truth Is True?

Answer

Several years ago, I (Jason) was talking to a student about Jesus Christ. After I shared the gospel with him, he looked at me and said, "That’s all great and stuff, but that’s just your truth."

After poring over many proofs of Christianity, the student wasn’t fazed a bit. He thought all those truths about Jesus were cool. Just one problem—they didn’t apply to him.

This speaks to the growing movement of postmodernism, which not only questions propositional truth and authority but also goes as far as stating that truth is unknowable. (The basic ideas of postmodernism have existed since the early days of humankind. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve rejected God’s absolute standard in exchange for their own selfish gain.)

Law of Noncontradiction

Aristotle referred to the Law of Noncontradiction (LNC) as the first principle of knowledge. The LNC is self-evident and unavoidable. Something can’t both exist and not exist at the same time and in the same sense (A is not non-A).

This postmodern view of truth may seem acceptable to some, but it’s a contradiction. Think about it: How do postmodernists know truth is unknowable? To say truth is unknown is to know something about truth. This is complete nonsense. It is undeniable that truth is knowable.

But in the midst of so many different religious beliefs, whose truth is true?

Christianity is all about testing all things to determine what is right and wrong (1 Thess. 5:21). To do so, however, you must appeal to an absolute position; otherwise, there is nothing on which to base your findings or draw concrete conclusions. Any meaningful statement must be true or false; it must be affirmable or deniable.

This leads to three alternatives to determine whose truth is true:

All religious viewsare true. This is known as religious pluralism. It is important to point out, however, that most religions don’t hold to such a belief. Why? It’s absurd. Based on the Law of Noncontradiction (A is not non-A), it’s impossible for all religions to be true. It is impossible to affirm God exists and deny he exists at the same time and in the same sense. Christianity, for example, believes in God, but atheism and religions such as Buddhism deny God exists. Either there is a God or there is not. It can’t be both.

All religious views are false. It’s possible that all religious views are false, but to know that, it must be measured by an absolute standard that corresponds to the truth. In this case, there would be a religious view above the rest that is true.

One religious viewis exclusively true. Considering that truth is absolute and exclusive, it’s reasonable then to assume that this truth claim is exclusively true. There is one view that is true, and everything opposed to it is false. But how do you figure out which religious view is the right one?

Ravi Zacharias posits three tests that any statement or belief system must pass: (1) logical consistency (Are there contradictions?), (2) empirical adequacy (Is there any proof?), and (3) experiential relevance (Does it work in real life?). For a statement or belief system to be logically consistent it must not contradict itself, but correspond to reality (that which is true). Moreover, the belief system must not only correspond to reality, but also cohere with the facts of reality (empirical adequacy). In other words, there must be evidence to substantiate its truth claims. And finally, a view or belief system must be viable to live by in the real world (experiential relevance). That is, its actions and values must comply with objective morality that we instinctively know is right.

Allow us to demonstrate how these three tests of truth (logical consistency, empirical adequacy, and experiential relevance) come in handy in very practical ways. Take, for instance, directions. It matters a great deal to have the right directions in order to reach your destination. If you program the wrong coordinates into a GPS, it will lead you to the wrong location. Similarly, when you are sick, it matters a great deal that your doctor gives the right diagnosis to determine the right course of treatment. So if following the right directions and receiving the right treatments matter, how much more so when it comes to spiritual matters?

Application

Though our views or emotions concerning truth change, truth stays the same. Holding fast to God’s truth will bring you the greatest rewards and have the biggest impact on those around you. Don’t underestimate the influence of those who disregard absolute truth for something more alluring. Take the advice of John: Test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1).

Bible References

Psalm 145:18; Matthew 7:15; John 4:23–24; 8:32; Ephesians 5:15–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Peter 2:1–3; 1 John 1:5–7; 4:1

Books

Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air, by Francis Beckwith and Greg Koukl

Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?, by James Sire

Website

Rick Wade, Truth: What It Is and Why We Can Know It, PROBE Ministries, https://www.probe.org/truth-what-it-is-and-why-we-can-know-it/

DVD

The Truth Project, Focus on the Family

Online Video

Norman L. Geisler, Truth and Relativism, The One Minute Apologist, http://www.oneminuteapologist.com/searchpage#geisler-relativism

3

Is There a God?

Answer

Deep down inside each human being is a God-shaped vacuum waiting to be filled. There are many lost people searching for answers to the purpose and meaning of life, and many of them have no inkling that their questions of identity and eternal destiny are answered only in God. That’s why it’s critical that Christians understand and can confidently articulate proof of this basic and most fundamental truth: there is a God.

To help show you evidence for God’s existence, we put together a simple acrostic—GOD: goodness, origin, and design. Let’s take one letter at a time.

Goodness

The apostle Paul stated that all people have no excuse because the law is written on their hearts (Rom. 2:1, 15 ESV). This is to say that there are objective moral laws about what is good that are binding on all people and by which we must live. Thus, the Moral Law Argument can be summarized as follows:

Moral law implies a moral lawgiver.

There is an objective moral law.

Therefore, there is an objective moral lawgiver.

Moral laws not only describe certain behaviors but also prescribe what ought to be. We know in our hearts that we should do good and not bad because there is an objective moral law that governs everyone. If there is no God, then there is no ultimate moral standard by which to differentiate right and wrong. But evidence shows that moral laws are objective for all humans on the basis that God is the objective moral lawgiver. We all know that we should do to others what we want them to do to us. Thus, we know that stealing, rape, and killing are wrong because we do not want anyone to do those things to us.

Origin

There is overwhelming evidence that the universe had a beginning. In 1915, Albert Einstein developed the general theory of relativity. This theory is now almost universally accepted because of all the scientific evidence for it. Essentially, this theory holds that time, space, and matter all had a beginning point. In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble (after whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named) captured magnificent evidence of the expanding universe (which gave enormous proof that the universe had a beginning).

The argument for the origin of the universe goes like this:

Everything that had a beginning has a cause.

The universe had a beginning.

Therefore, the universe has a cause.

Premise 1 is based on the Law of Causality: every effect must have a cause. Based on science and pure reason, we know that something cannot come from nothing.

Premise 2 identifies that the universe must have a cause greater than itself. This is evidenced by a great SURGE:

Second Law of Thermodynamics: The universe is running out of useable energy. It’s like the unwinding of a clock.

Universe expansion: The universe is spreading from a beginning point.

Radiation echo: There are traces of afterglow from the expansion of the universe from the beginning point.

Galaxy seeding: A great mass of energy has been discovered in outer space just as many scientists predicted.

Einstein’s theory: This shows that the universe had a beginning and that time, space, and matter are all needed for everything to exist.

Design

One of the oldest and most popular arguments for the existence of God is the Design Argument. You can better understand it this way:

Every complex design has a designer.

The universe has a highly complex design.

Therefore, the universe has a designer.

All reasonable persons infer a designer when comparing the presidential faces on Mount Rushmore to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. Common observation shows that it took a designer to produce Mount Rushmore, while the Grand Canyon features came about by gradual succession of wind and erosion.

THE DESIGN OF THE UNIVERSE

Let’s take a look at one very finely tuned constant of the universe: gravity. If the gravitational force were even slightly altered, the world could not sustain life.

THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD

It’s quite amazing to think that the earth is the only known planet in the universe that contains and sustains life. There are many reasons for this, but allow us to list two essential reasons.

The first reason is the placement of the earth. The earth is uniquely placed in the Milky Way galaxy (between the Sagittarius and Perseus spiral arms) so as not to be threatened by hazardous conditions of giant molecule clouds or supernova explosions. Another amazing fact of the earth is its proximity to the moon. The size of the earth and the distance to the moon causes the earth’s axis to tilt perfectly at 23.5 degrees (allowing for annual seasons to occur).

The second reason is the condition of the earth. The earth’s atmosphere has the perfect amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen to be a habitable planet for life to survive and thrive. For example, oxygen comprises 21 percent of the atmosphere. If the amount were any higher, it would create massive fires; if it were any lower, life would suffocate.

THE DESIGN OF HUMAN LIFE

Yet even more incredible than the divine design of the universe and the world is the human body. The amount of genetic information contained in the human brain alone exceeds all the information in all the books in the Library of Congress. Therefore, common sense tells us that just as it takes a sculptor to sculpt a statue, we must assume it takes a Creator to create the amazing detail of human life.

Application

It’s important not to take for granted the many blessings given by God. He created you in his image and has formed within you amazing talents and spiritual gifts to bring him glory, honor, and praise. Being created in his image grants every human being special status and makes human life sacred. David shouted, Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts (Ps. 145:3–4).

Bible References

Genesis 1–2; Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 1:19–20

Books

Christian Apologetics, chapter 13, by Norman L. Geisler

20 Compelling Evidences That God Exists, by Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman Jr.

Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis

Website

Marilyn Adamson, Is There a God?, EveryStudent.com, http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html

DVD

The Reason for God, Timothy Keller

Online Video

Ken Boa, Does God Exist?, The One Minute Apologist, http://www.oneminuteapologist.com/searchpage#does-god-exist-boa

4

Who Made God?

Answer

This question not only makes Christians feel uneasy when asked by atheists but has also been known to trip up quite a few parents when asked by their four-year-old.

Although it may seem that this question lands a blow to belief in God, the truth is that, if you understand its implications, it’s actually quite simple to answer. The short answer: No one made God. He always was (Exod. 3:14); he never had a beginning (Ps. 90). After all, something had to be there forever or there would not be something here now (John 1:3; Col. 1:16–17; Heb. 1:2).

So either God or the universe had a beginning. But the evidence presented in question 3, Is there a God?, is that the universe is not eternal. The Second Law of Thermodynamics reveals that the universe must have had a beginning since it is running out of useable energy. Therefore, the God who made the universe must be without a beginning. Why? Because the Law of Causality says that everything that has a beginning had a beginner. It is ridiculous to assert that nothing can make something but is entirely reasonable to assert that someone (i.e., God) can make something out of nothing. Therefore, God is the uncaused (eternal), first (originator) cause (Creator) who created everything that exists.

Application

God, who is timeless, changeless, and immaterial, created time, space, and matter. There is no one like our God! Asaph declares in Psalm 77:13–14, Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.

Bible References

Exodus 3:14; Jeremiah 23:23–24; Malachi 3:6; John 4:24; Acts 17:24–25; James 1:17

Books

Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith, edited by Norman L. Geisler and Ravi Zacharias

The Case for the Creator, by Lee Strobel

Systematic Theology: In One Volume, by Norman L. Geisler

Website

Peter S. Williams, Who Made God?, BeThinking, http://www.bethinking.org/god/who-made-god

DVD

12 Points That Show Christianity Is True, Norman L. Geisler

Online Video

Bobby Conway, Who Made God?, The One Minute Apologist, http://www.oneminuteapologist.com/searchpage#who-made-god

5

Who Is God?

Answer

If you ask this question of Muslims, they will say Allah is God. Jews believe God is Yahweh (the God of Israel). Mormons believe God is Elohim (a created being who progressed into godhood).

One year I (Jason) took the liberty of asking the question Who is God? to people of all ages at my church. Here are some of the responses Christians in an evangelical church gave me:

God is the higher power.

God is Creator of everything.

God is everything.

God is all-powerful.

God is love.

God is my Father.

There is so much to write about God and yet so much we can’t even fathom. Nonetheless, God has revealed enough in his creation (general revelation) and in his Word (special revelation) to help us understand who he is.

The Trinity

The Trinity (or tri-unity [3-in-1] of the Godhead) is an important doctrine to know concerning the nature of God. Christians are not tri-theistic (belief in three gods); they are monotheistic (belief in one God). Christianity teaches that God is one in nature (Deut. 6:4; see Isa. 44:6–8) and eternally revealed in three distinctive yet united personhoods: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has a distinct role, but they share a unique, yet eternally equal relation within the Godhead. This means there is a plurality in God’s unity but not in his nature.

Trinity

Father—Matthew 6:9; John 5:45; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 12:9; 1 Peter 1:2

Son—John 1:1; 8:58; Revelation 2:8

Holy Spirit—Acts 5:3–4; Psalm 139:7–12; 1 Corinthians 2:10–11

Trinity—Matthew 3:15–17; 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 12:4–6; 2 Corinthians 13:14

The Sovereignty of God

God is the Most High, who has unlimited control and supreme power over heaven and the inhabitants on earth. He alone is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that has its existence according to his complete purpose and will (Eph. 1:11). Nebuchadnezzar, an unlikely character in the Bible, provides one of the most striking passages on the sovereignty of God:

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, What have you done?

Daniel 4:34–35 ESV

As Nebuchadnezzar described, God alone has the absolute and perfect right to reign and exercise his authority over the earth (Ps. 22:28) and to govern the stars of heaven as he sees fit (Pss. 103:19; 135:5–6).

The Self-Existence of God

Saying God is self-existent means he is absolutely independent of anyone or anything. The phrase comes from the word aseity, which literally means of oneself. The self-existence of God is recorded by Moses in Exodus 3:14 when God announced from the burning bush, I AM WHO I AM. In this one statement, God revealed to Moses his Is-ness (self-existence) and opened the door to all the other amazing attributes that describe who he is. God is:

Simple (absolutely one): God is the only Creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Isa. 40:28; Ps. 148; Heb. 11:3).

Eternal: There is no beginning or end to God (Deut. 33:27).

Immutable (unchanging): God is eternally perfect with no potentiality to change (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:17–18).

Infinite (limitless and boundless): Everything that exists proceeds from God (Ps. 147:5; Isa. 66:1). Thus, God experiences no growth or improvement from his perfectly infinite nature.

Omnipotent (all-powerful): God is fully capable of holding and sustaining everything by his infinite power (Exod. 6:3). Therefore, everything outside of God is dependent on him for existence because he has existed for all eternity.

The Self-Sufficiency of God

Since God exists eternally and independently of everything (see question 4, Who made God?), it is reasonable to deduce that he is also self-sufficient and, therefore, needs nothing to elevate his essence. That is, God is unaffected by the external causes of his creation, and he seeks no greater good to change his being because he himself is absolutely perfect in his unchanging nature. The self-sufficiency of God is supported by various passages in the Bible. In Hebrews 1:2, the writer maintains that [God] made the universe. The prophet Isaiah writes, The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (40:28). Elsewhere, Isaiah records these words of God: I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you (42:8). Hence, since the beginning of time, it was God who was the Originating Cause that caused everything to exist.

The Bible not only establishes God as the Originator of created things but also affirms that God is the Sustainer of all things created. For instance, not only did God create the origin of the universe, but he also remains active in the operation of it. The Bible makes frequent mention of God as the Sustaining Cause who holds everything together (Col. 1:17; Rev. 4:11). The writer of Hebrews contends: "God . . . upholds the universe by the word of his power" (1:3 ESV). Daniel declares that God is over