I’m sure most everyone who reads this blog has heard someone say something like “if the Bible says it, I believe it.”  I’ve heard more than once.  The fascinating thing is there are certain Biblical doctrines that some of those same people say they don’t believe.  One such doctrine is Rewards.  Jesus Christ taught that God will reward believers for the good works they do.  That presents a problem to those who hold an egalitarian view of Heaven.  The concept of reward means some believers would end up with more than others if the quality and quantity of their works were not equal. 
 
If you believe the Bible is God’s revealed word then you have to embrace the concept of reward for good works because it is clearly stated in the Bible.  The language is plain. 
 
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12 NKJV) The words ‘according to his work’ sounds like a merit-based reward. 
 
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) This says there is a reward for those who diligently seek God.  Diligence means making earnest or energetic action.  
 
Jesus Christ spoke of reward in the Sermon on the Mount:
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”  (Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV)
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Jesus Christ not only talked about reward but in this passage from Matthew 6 He is actually giving pointers on how to earn them.  Besides charitable giving the Lord also told us how to gain reward for prayer, religious practices like fasting and social functions.  You know, inviting people to dinner and such.  When I read these passages, I come away with the impression that God wants to reward us.  Being a Father, He wants to do good for His children.  He wants them to succeed in the things that matter.  I can identify with that because I’m a father and a grandfather.  I still seek out ways to motivate my sons to excel in what they do.    

​Much of the historical content of the Bible has proven to be accurate.  What has not yet been substantiated only means Archeologists have more to uncover.  Nothing has ever been disproven so confidence remains high that discoveries will in time be found which will provide that proof.  However, I do admit that some of the stuff mentioned in the Old Testament stretches the boundaries of our imaginations.  However, what else would you expect from the God who spoke the universe into existence. 

But what about the rest of it, the spiritual content?  How can we be sure the authors wrote down what God wanted revealed?  Certain books like Genesis and the prophets were more or less dictated by God so the authors only had to write down what He said.  Others like the Psalms and Proverbs were written by men under some form of supervision by the Holy Spirit.  We have this explanation in 2 Peter 1:20 & 21 “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus Christ backed that up by quoting from almost every book in the Old Testament and by Him never correcting the listed books in the Jewish Bible.
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The New Testament would also fall under Peter’s explanation of the Holy Spirit’s having led the Apostles to write it.  I’d also point out that Peter stated they had already verified much of what Paul had written as Scripture in 2 Peter 3:15 & 16 “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

Peter didn’t come up that that on his own.  He is merely elaborating on something the Lord Jesus Christ and told the Apostles just before His execution.  John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  And John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Most of what the Apostle wrote was introduced by Jesus Christ during His public ministry in Israel.  Some of it was new information such as the prophecies in the Book of Revelation.  Some of the new stuff was just filling in details on things Jesus had talked about.  The Lord may have given those details at the time and they were not recorded.  However, I’m more inclined to go with the Holy Spirit filling in the gaps.  That fits with what John said in John 16:13.  

I admit that doesn’t constitute proof, but it does fit the frame work of Jesus Christ’s teaching.  So, I choose to believe it.  You may not, but keep in mind your unbelief is not proof it is not true.  Since the consequences for getting the Bible wrong are eternal in duration it makes sense to me to read it for yourself before dismissing it out of hand.  

I want to take a more detailed look at a couple of verses I referenced in my last post.  I want to put them into their context because they make an important point about our knowledge of God and His plans for the creation.  
 
1 Corinthians 2:7-10 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.  10But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

You’ll notice I included the verses that preceded verses 9 & 10 from the last posts quotation.  V. 9 appears to be Paul’s paraphrase of Isaiah 64:4 which the NKJV translates as: “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.”  

A key assertion of Isaiah 64:4 is that no one has ever seen another God who does the things that the God of the Bible has.  The reason being there is no other God than the God of the Bible.  Paul highlights one other key implication of Isaiah’s statement.  While we can learn some things about God by observations of what He has done, meaning studying the material universe, there is very little beyond that.  That is because God exists apart from the observable universe, He is transcendent.  Romans 1:19-20 lists a few basic facts we can deduce about God by examining the world.  That He is eternal, artistically creative, powerful and extremely smart. 

To truly know who God is and what He is about, where He is leading the creation, you have to look to the Bible.  Should not even the atheist be able to define the God they reject?  How terrible would it be to discover after it is too late that you’ve spent your life dismissing the wrong thing?  Within the world of Christianity, I wonder if most disagreements on doctrine are based on wrong ideas about the nature of God.
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I have met so many people who have ideas about God that are based solely on hearsay or their own preferential view of who God should be.  Don’t entrust your future to an opinion, read the Bible and get to know the God who is.