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For information on our resources, please write to the office nearest you from the list below, or go to ourdailybread.org/locations for the complete list of offices.

Singapore: Our Daily Bread Ministries Asia Ltd, 5 Pereira Road #07-01 Asiawide Industrial Building, Singapore 368025USA: Our Daily Bread Ministries, PO Box 2222, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2222, USA

I WANTTO ,

BUT . . .ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ON

The Bible, Religion, Sin

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ON The Bible, Religion, Sin

I WANT TO BELIEVE, BUT . . .EDITORS: Chia Poh Fang,

Amos Khan, Khan Hui Neon, Leslie Koh DESIGN & LAYOUT: Felix XuCOVER & CONTENT PHOTOS: Shutterstock.comCopyright © 2019 Our Daily Bread Ministries, All rights reserved. Printed in Singapore.Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Shayne had heard the gospel from his daughter, a Christian. At first, he was sceptical, and told her that her faith didn’t make any sense.

As far as he was concerned, there was no proof that God existed, or that Jesus was God. “How do you know all this is true?” he would ask her. When she replied that the Bible provided the answers, he would shake his head at her. “And why should I believe the Bible? Isn’t it written by men? Why should I believe them?” Then, Shayne found out he had cancer. In the middle of this crisis, his daughter prayed for him, and it seemed to bring him some peace and comfort. He began to wonder if he had been wrong about God, and became more open to hearing more about Christianity. After his daughter’s pastor visited him and explained what it meant to be a Christian to him, Shayne started to think, “Maybe my daughter was

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right, after all.” Deep inside, he even considered believing in Jesus. But he had some massive doubts. He still wasn’t completely convinced that the Bible was entirely reliable. Also, he wondered, why couldn’t he believe in Jesus as well as other religions? Why was the Christian faith so different from the rest? KEEP ASKING

QUESTIONS AND SEEKING THE TRUTH.Have you ever asked questions like these? Or do you

have other doubts that you want addressed before you can make the decision to become a Christian? We understand how you feel; in fact, we’re glad that you’re asking these questions! It shows that you have thought about Christianity more than most people, and want to be sure that you’ve considered all the possible issues before saying yes to God. We encourage you to keep on asking questions and seeking the truth. God will respond because he loves you; he wants you to know him so that you can receive his gift of salvation, which he offers to us through Jesus.In the meantime, we hope to address some of these questions that people ask.

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1. WHY DO CHRISTIANS KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE BIBLE?

THE BIBLE IS CENTRAL TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

Whether you heard about Christianity from a family member or friend, or found out about God and Jesus on your own, you would have noticed that all the sources of information inevitably point back to the Bible. You might even have heard it said, over and over again, “Because the Bible says so.” Why do Christians talk so much about the Bible? Why is it so important to them?It is important because the Bible is central to the Christian faith. We call it the “Word of God” because it is God’s channel of communication with

us. It is through the Bible that we know God created the universe, that he sent his son Jesus to die for us, and that we are saved when we believe in him.It is also through the Bible that God teaches us how to live according to his standards, which is why Christians spend much time reading and studying it. Paul, a follower who personally met Jesus, noted that the Bible “is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives” (2 Timothy 3:16).

2. CAN I TRUST EVERYTHING THE BIBLE SAYS? IS IT RELIABLE?

The short answer to these questions is Yes. And this is because the Bible ultimately comes from God. While the words in the Bible were written by people, all the content was inspired by God. It was God who taught and prompted the writers to pen down exactly what he wanted to tell us.If the idea seems strange, perhaps you can consider this: the Bible is actually made up of 66 books, written by around 40 people from different cultures and nations over a span of about 1,500 years. They recorded the events of their day, their interactions with God, and what they saw of God and his works. Yet, despite the number of people and the great timespan involved, all the books are consistent in their portrayal of God, his love for man, and his plan for the universe. This would have been very difficult to achieve if the Bible’s contents were made up by people. And although the Bible is not a history textbook, many things mentioned in it have since been proven accurate by modern archaeology.You may, of course, find some parts of the Bible challenging to understand. This is normal! There will be many new, unfamiliar ideas and words. Over time, however, as you read and study it, you will begin to understand it better. Some parts have also been interpreted differently

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JESUS SAID: “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.”

by various Bible teachers and scholars, and continue to be debated today. These, however, are usually fringe issues: there is no uncertainty when it comes to the fundamental truths about God and how we are saved by Jesus’ death and resurrection.3. IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY TO BE RECONCILED TO

GOD? CAN’T I BELIEVE IN OTHER GODS TOO?Some people wonder why we must give up worshipping other gods when we choose to follow the Creator God. They may say things like, “All roads lead to heaven. It doesn’t matter which god you worship, as long as you follow your religion faithfully.”The Bible stresses, however, that there is only one God—the Creator God—and we are to worship him alone: “The LORD is God and there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:35).The Bible also makes it clear that the only way to reconciliation with God is through his son Jesus. There is no other way; we cannot be saved by believing in anyone else, by doing good deeds, or by following any rule or practice. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to [God] the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

WE CAN NEVER SATISFY THE PERFECT STANDARDS OF THE PERFECT GOD.

4. WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT CHRISTIANITY? DON’T ALL RELIGIONS TEACH MEN TO BE GOOD?

You might have heard people saying this: “Jesus is a wise man who taught his followers how to be good, moral men. So how is Christianity different?”The truth is, Christianity is not just a religion that teaches people to be good. Indeed, following Jesus is not just about following a set of moral rules. Rather, it’s about being pardoned for our sin so that each of us can be reconciled to God and experience an everlasting personal relationship with him.Try as we might, we cannot be good consistently and perfectly because all of us are born with sin, and our hearts are inherently imperfect. We can never satisfy the perfect standards of the perfect God. We cannot return to his presence by our own efforts, and we will all have to face the consequences of our sin—death.That’s why God had to send his son Jesus to earth. Jesus led a perfect life, completely free of sin, and then died on the cross, taking the punishment on our behalf. It is only through Jesus that we can receive forgiveness from God.

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5. WHY DO YOU CALL ME A SINNER? Understandably, it can be difficult to accept that we are sinful. “Why do you call me a sinner when I have not done anything wrong?” you may ask. “I haven’t killed anyone, I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, and I don’t break the law. How am I a sinner?”The Bible, however, notes that sin is not merely committing a crime or doing something morally wrong; it is disobedience to God and rejection of his authority over our lives. All of us, without exception, are guilty of this. We do not obey God or live according to his perfect ways; instead, we live by our own rules. That’s why the Bible observes, “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23).However, if we confess to God that we are sinners and believe that his son Jesus can save us, God will pardon us. If we accept Jesus’ gift of his death and resurrection on our behalf, we will be forgiven and declared free from the consequences and power of sin. This means we will no longer be regarded as sinners, and will therefore be able to enter into God’s presence and enjoy a relationship with him forever.

IF WE CONFESS TO GOD THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND BELIEVE THAT HIS SON JESUS CAN SAVE US, GOD WILL PARDON US.

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LOOKING FOR MORE ANSWERS?Some of the issues that we have talked about are difficult to resolve completely, or you may have other questions and doubts about the Christian faith. We encourage you to keep on asking and exploring. We understand that this is an important decision in your life, and you will want to take time to consider what it means to you. You can also talk to God and ask him to reveal the truth to you. He’s always listening! Or talk to a Christian friend, and share your thoughts with him or her.You may well find that some of your questions and doubts need not be fully resolved for you to take the step of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. God understands your struggles, doubts, and questions, and will be delighted by your step of faith; he does not expect you to understand everything right now. If you keep seeking, he will give you the wisdom and guidance to help you make the decision to follow him. And when you accept Jesus, God will send his Spirit to live in your heart and guide you on your journey of faith. “I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you,” he tells us, “. . . the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:18, 26).

MAKING A DECISIONIf you feel ready, you can make the decision to follow Jesus right now! Tell God personally that you believe in his son Jesus, that he died for you on the cross and rose to life, and that you are ready to accept him as your Lord and Saviour. God is always listening, so all you have to do is to speak to him as if he was in front of you. If possible, find a Christian friend to pray with you.And if you still have questions about the Christian faith, you may be encouraged to know that the only truths you need accept, believe, and establish in your heart are the statements below. These are the basic truths of the gospel:• God created us to have a loving relationship with

him.• But all of us have turned against him by living life

according to our own standards and rejecting his authority.

• This makes us sinful, for which the penalty is death.

IF YOU FEEL READY TO FOLLOW JESUS, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE THE DECISION RIGHT NOW!

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• But God provided a way out for us by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to die for us.• Jesus died, but rose to life three days later, showing that God accepted his sacrifice

on our behalf. • This is God’s gift of salvation—we don’t deserve his forgiveness, nor can we earn it by

any means; it is only through his grace that we can be forgiven and saved.You will find what is commonly called the “Sinner’s Prayer” below, which takes you through the main points. The words are only a guide; what is important is the sincerity of your prayer, for that is all that matters to God.

God, I know I have sinned against you. I believe that Jesus is your Son, that he died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, and that he rose from the dead as proof. Now I accept your offer of full forgiveness and eternal life. I accept Jesus as your gift for my salvation.

If you want to find out more, we have materials that you might find useful. Use the attached form to request more resources, or go to www.ourdailybread.org/locations

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Do you want to find out more about Jesus? A Story of Hope is a booklet that can tell you more about who Jesus is and what He has done and will do for you.

We invite you to also check out odb.org to view our other printed and digital resources.

Scan the QR Code to read it online, or contact us if you would like to receive a a print copy.