7 Reasons You Can Trust the Bible

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

Because the Bible is “God-breathed,” it is a miraculous book.

The Bible’s 66 books were written by 40 authors in three different languages over the span of 1,500 years, and all of them tell the same story of God, his love, and his desire to be with us. 

The Bible is by far the most reliably-attested ancient document in history. It accurately predicted thousands of events years or centuries before they occured; the odds of this happening by chance are infinitesimally small. For example, Jesus fulfilled between 200-400 prophecies about the life of the Messiah. The odds of just eight of these coming true in Jesus by chance is one in 10¹⁷ (which is one followed by 17 zeros). 

As R.C. Sproul says, “The very dimension of the sheer fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament Scriptures should be enough to convince anyone that we are dealing with a supernatural piece of literature.”

However, the main reason to trust the Bible is beyond all of these reasons. It is the Bible’s ability to engage and transform the human heart that makes us put our trust in it. 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV

The Bible cuts through every defense to reveal and change our hearts. There is no other work of literature of any kind that can change the hearts and the lives of everyone who gives it a chance like the Word of God. 

In order to trust the Bible to determine how we build our relationships and lives, it is essential that we believe it is God’s Word and not just another book written by human beings. So today, we will break down the 7 reasons we can all trust the Bible. 

The Bible provides the only solution that frees us from sin

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:31-36 NIV

Jesus says that following his teachings, which we read about in the Bible, has the unique capability to set us free. Jesus taught that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Anyone who has tried to change something sinful knows the enslaving nature of sin. Even when we try our best to be good or do good, our sinful desires and temptations will come back. This is part of being human, and rather than being frustrated by it or trying to deny it, we can use the Bible to find the freedom we long for.  God’s Word can free us from the sins that have crippled our lives and ruined our relationships. No other texts of any type offer this kind of freedom.

The Bible gives us faith

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Romans 10:17 NIV

We all need faith. Faith is our confidence in what we can’t see, and it comes from hearing the message about Jesus through the Bible. Something almost magical happens when an open heart hears the words of the Bible. God’s Word produces a belief that strengthens us internally while giving us the resilience to get through even the most difficult and painful times. 

The Bible helps us overcome fear

I praise the word of God. I trust God. I am not afraid. What can mere flesh and blood do to me?

Psalm 56:4 GW

Because the Bible teaches us who God is and focuses us on God, it gives us the courage to overcome our fears. The Word of God gives us something bigger to believe in—the God who created the universe. 

When we see that our lives are dependent on neither our own small strength nor any other person’s abilities, but on God’s supernatural power, we can overcome our ever-present tendency toward fear and develop courage.  

The Bible produces real love

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:7-8 NIV

Because God is love, his Word is a book about love. It shows us how to love God, build family with love, and give love to all people no matter how similar to or different from us they may be. We often refer to Christianity as a “relationship religion” because the Bible doesn’t just give a methodology or rules about how to build relationships; it shows us how to have a loving heart. 

The Bible gives us vision

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

1 Samuel 3:1 NIV

God has a plan and a vision for every person on earth. When the “word of the Lord” is rare, we will have a hard time seeing the vision God has for each of us. 

The things we consume affect our emotional well-being and our outlook on life. According to the Child Mind Institute, teenagers have seen a tremendous increase in depression, loneliness, and anxiety as the use of social media has increased. Conversely, the more we read and talk about the Bible, the more our vision clears and we can see God’s plan for our lives.  

The Bible teaches us how to forgive

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV

Bitterness and resentment are poison to relationships. Without the Bible and Jesus’s example, it’s very hard to forgive those who have hurt us. Sometimes we think we have forgiven someone when we have really buried our feelings or numbed ourselves to the pain. It’s only when we learn biblical forgiveness that marriages, families, and friendships can experience real healing.

The Bible gives us purpose

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Before Jesus left this earth, he gave us a purpose that far transcends every other pursuit in which we may involve ourselves: making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey his commands. He promises to be with us if we live for this. 

Having a purpose beyond our own lives helps us to be inspired. The Bible reminds us every day that people need God, and that we are here for something more than building our own lives.

Final thoughts

These are just seven reasons we can trust the Bible. There are so many more, but they all come down to the fact that nothing can change a person’s heart like the Bible. 

So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not My own, but His who sent Me. If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God, or I am speaking from Myself.

John 7:16-17 NASB

Ultimately, there is no substitute for personal experience. As Jesus said above about his teachings, the way to really know if Jesus’s teachings are from God is to be willing to live them out. 

Reflection Questions

• What doubts do you have about trusting the Bible? 
• Which of these seven reasons to trust the Bible helps you most?
• Are there any teachings in the Bible that you have been unwilling to live out? Try living them out for the next 30 days and see what happens!