Have you been through some real challenges and valleys in your life? It may be that you are going through something extremely difficult right now. There are real problems that real people face every real day. And there are many ministries and churches out there seeking to bring help and relief to those who are struggling.
There are also many ministries whose goal it is to demonstrate the truth of Christianity and the reality of the accounts within the Bible. Of course, these are called “apologetics ministries,” and that is what we are all about here in our present work and ministry.
Our work is unique in that it solves many (most) problems that have arisen in the modern day in attempting to harmonize the biblical accounts with modern discovery in archaeology and chronology. We have a true (and desperately needed) “data rich” apologetic.
But I am learning that, surprisingly, for many people, a clear understanding of the importance of the truth of ancient biblical history in relation to every day life is not easily discerned. The dots are not easily connecting.
And yet, I suppose it really should not be that surprising. It can be hard to connect “Christian apologetics” to present day pain points. I can imagine someone thinking something like, “Ok, I think I see what they are saying, we need to get the right chronological dates for the biblical accounts and everything lines up… but… so what? What does that have to do with me and the issues I am facing right now?”
“I am having marriage trouble.”
“I am dealing with a wayward child.”
“I am taking cancer treatments.”
“My loved one just died.”
“I just lost my job.”
“Life does not look at all the way I thought it would.”
Good question.
We need direction. We need answers. We need reassurance. We need love. We need a purpose for going on. We ultimately need a caring and gracious Creator/Father God.
When we are dealing with our everyday problems of life, we need a place to land. We need a foundation of truth that we know is true, that we can have faith in, and that we can rest upon.
If our foundation is not the God of the Bible and of creation… then what is it? People have turned to many things for help in the difficulties of life other than seeking the wisdom and counsel that comes from God. And while some of these other things can give some temporary consolation, this inevitably, eventually leads to more difficulty, struggle and despair. This is because what they have turned to for help and meaning is not based in real-world truth. And this truth can only come from the one Who set life into motion, and Who knows the real answers to the problems we face.
Real-world truth is based on facts—those little unassuming things that help us know what is true and what we can rely on. We make decisions based on facts every day. Actions and emotions need to flow from truth (facts) in order to endure.
The message of God’s Word is real-world.
The Bible’s message is real-world in the past, the present, and the future. It is God giving us access to information that demonstrates real truth to us. We see the actions and reactions of people who lived in the past, and what the end of that road was. We see instruction from God’s word giving wisdom on how to live life abundantly, to “die to ourselves daily,” to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us,”… to live properly, giving a chance for the best possible outcome. We see a hope for the future that is very bright for the children of God.
But only if it is all really true.
The message of the Bible is repentance.
When you start to understand exactly how things like the flood actually did happen… you truly begin to realize that, no, we cannot just live our lives like we want in an attempt to make us happy. We will not get away with our rebellion. There is accountability and there is judgment. These things are more real than we ever imagined. This thing of Christianity is not just singing our love songs about God and hanging our lucky cross around our neck.
And it is very good for us to understand this.
But this actually works for us only if these realizations into God and His ways are really true.
The message of the Bible is a message of redemption and restoration.
We know we are guilty. We know we have sinned. I certainly raise my hand to acknowledge it. We desperately need somewhere to go with that guilt. God offers the solution in His word. He has made the Way to be cleansed of our sin. He has provided the Gift of forgiveness through Christ. He has opened the door of salvation and redemption back to God for all who will enter in.
But it’s either fairytale redemption to act as a psychological prop, or it’s real-world redemption.
And, praise the Lord, it is true. Not just because someone said so, but because it can be demonstrated in the real world. It can be seen on a real-world timeline. We can see and understand more of the challenges people faced as they followed God to very frightening places. But God’s hand of deliverance brought the faithful through. These realities, tied together with and validated by the real-life experiences of so many who have gone on before us, give us a truly solid place to plant our feet when those storms of life do hit.
The more knowledge we have of the truth of God’s Word, the more the Holy Spirit has to work with in our hearts and minds. He can bring to remembrance just what we need at the right time. And the tempter, or our doubting flesh, will not be so readily able to whisper in our ears, “It’s all not true anyway…”
Understanding that the Bible actually is giving us truth in the real world is vital to the marriage trouble your are experiencing. Or the cancer you are dealing with. Or the million other troubles men and women face every day. The real-world history of the Bible gives us real-world answers and purpose for today, as well as great hope for the future. God is the same, and people ultimately have the same basic struggles and needs, no matter when they live in history. There is real redemption, real restoration, real repentance, real relief, a real purpose for it all, all from a real God and a real Savior.
It is all real world stuff. As real as the dirt we stand on, the water we drink, and the life we live every day.
When, like Jairus whose daughter was on her deathbed, we also face serious life struggles, we too have good reason to heed the words of the Savior spoken to this desperate father,
Be not afraid, only believe.
Mark 5:36
Steve Hall Blog 