THE
BIBLE
CAN IT BE THAT SIMPLE?
This is written primarily for those of you who read the Bible, but not necessarily on a regular basis. You believe in God but do not feel qualified to debate bible doctrine. You are sometimes intimidated by eloquent preachers and teachers who use big words, some of which you do not understand.
Years ago, one Christian lady brought me a book to read. The book was written to introduce a new way of looking at the debate over the security of the believer. The writer set forth in six hundred pages what he considers a new and correct way of looking at that simple truth. After six hundred pages of reading, I was certain that the Preacher in the book of Ecclesiastes was right:
“Yet furthermore, my son, beyond these, be warned; Of the making of many writings there is no end; and much study is a weariness to the flesh. The terminus of the whole matter has been heard: Fear Elohim, keep His commandments: this is the whole duty of humanity.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12-13)
I wrote this book not be a “weariness to the flesh” but to be a short writing that is simple enough for a child to understand. The prayer of the Apostle Paul for you is...
“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may be giving you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him for you to perceive what is the expectation of His calling . . .” Ephesians 1:17-18)
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CHAPTER
ONE
BEGINNINGS
“Everything Has a Beginning, Except God”
Creation
“Created by Elohim were the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1)
Two mighty ones (Elohim), God the Father and His Son. No
argument for their existence. No long narrative which logically proves the
truth of the statement. The Bible just states that however far back you choose
to go there were mighty ones creating everything - and it was very good!
Can
it be that simple? YES!
“And Elohim saw all that was made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
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Humanity
“Let us make humanity in Our image...And forming is Yahweh Elohim the human of soil from the ground….” (Genesis 1:26; 2:7)
The Almighty ones (Yahweh Elohim) made oa man, Adam, from the soil of the earth. The simplicity is mind-blowing. No
asking for permission, no discussion, no free will or vote on the matter. Adam took his first breath and became a living soul.
Is
it that simple? YES!
“…and He is blowing into his nostrils the breath of the living, and becoming is the human a living soul” (Genesis 2:7)
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Family
“Saying is Yahweh Elohim, not good is it for the human to be alone. I will make for him a helper as his complement…And taking is He one of his angular organs…And Yahweh Elohim is building the angular organ . . .into a woman, and brought her to the human."
(Genesis 2:18, 22)
There you have it. The plan for woman. It was not good for man to be alone, so a woman was created to complete the man. Thank you, Lord! One man and one woman, a family united for life.
Is
it that simple? YES!
“Therefore, a man shall forsake his father and his mother, and cling to his wife, and they two become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24)
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Sin
“And instructing is Yahweh Elohim the human, saying “From every tree of the garden, you are to eat, yes, eat. Yet from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you are not to be eating from it...sin is the transgression of the law.”
(Genesis 2:16; 1 John 3:4)
The first couple lived in a paradise with only one law to obey. And they blew it. Sin entered the perfect creation. Humanity has been making bad choices ever since. The Biblical word - "Sin" - simply means missing the target. Adam and Eve missed the target of becoming the image of their Creators. image required humans to know the difference between good and evil.
Is it that simple? YES!
“All sin and fall short of the glory of God.”
(Romans 3:23)
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Evil
“Former of light and creator of darkness, Maker of good and Creator of evil: I Yahweh Elohim made all of these things.”
(Isaiah 45:7)
“For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things...Amen.”
(Romans 11:36)
I
did not say it, the Bible does. But creating evil had a purpose. It makes humanity humble. It is being worked out for the good to overcome evil.
Is
it that simple? YES!
(Ecclesiastes 1:13; Proverbs 3:34; Romans 8:28)
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Death
"...in the day you eat from it, to die shall you be dying.”
(Genesis 2:17)
The result of Adam and Eve breaking that one law resulted in the dying process for humanity. The couple learned the difference between good and evil the hard way! They now had a problem they could not fix. They needed a Savior.
Is it that simple? YES!
“The ration of sin is death. . .”
(Romaans 6:23)
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CHAPTER TWO
DELIVERANCE (SALVATION)
“Humans Cannot Save Themselves.”
Blood
“Apart from blood shedding is coming no pardon.”
(Hebrews 9:22)
Before evil was allowed into the world, there was a plan for its removal. That plan required the sacrifice of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. That sacrifice required His Son shed His blood. But how? The Son of God must became a man! The plan is simple, the execution of that plan was
harsh, but the result was the cleansing of humanity from its sin by the blood of the sinless Lamb of God!
Is it that simple? YES!
“On the morrow he is observing Jesus coming toward him, and is saying, Lo! the Lamb of God, Who is taking away the sin of the world!”
(John 1:29)
“For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sake that we may be becoming God’s righteousness in Him.”
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
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Mercy
“Blessed be Yahweh, for He has heard the voice of my supplications.”
(Psalm 28:6)
The death of God's Son for humanity shows what mercy looks like. Sinners needed it to overcome death! So, what must we do to receive His mercy? Must we ask for it?
The truth is that we receive mercy from our Heavenly Father God whether we ask for it or not.
Is it that simple? YES!
“For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be
merciful on all” (Romans 11:32)
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Grace
“Yet Noah finds grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
(Genesis 6:8)
What is Grace? Grace is the joy of having unmerited favor! It is the nature of our Creators be gracious, not only to Noah, but to all humanity.
Is it that simple? YES!
“For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity...”
(Titus 2:11)
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Faith
“And Abram believes Yahweh, and reckoning it is He to him for righteousness.”
(Genesis 15:6)
What is faith? It is simply believing what the Bible says about our Creators.
"Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed."
(Hebrews 11:1)
The simple truth is that we do not, and cannot, become righteous by our behavior. Jesus took care of that for all humanity when He died, was entombed, and then raised from the dead. And, humanity is deemed righteous when the only righteous man, Christ Jesus, believed God! His Faith in His Heavenly Father saved humanity!
"...a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. Being justified freely in His grace, through the salvation which is in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 3:21-24)
Is
it that simple? YES!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(Romans 6:23)
"For in grace, through faith, are you saved; and this is not out of you; it is God’s approach present, not of works lest anyone should be boasting.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
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CHAPTER
THREE
OBEDIENCE
“It does not matter if others know, God knows your heart.”
Humility
“He has told you, O humanity, what is good; And what is Elohim requiring from you save to do justly, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with Yahweh.”
(Micah 6:8)
Our Father God has not given us a long list of things we must do. However, He does tell us simple things that please Him. Humility is one of those things. Humans have a hard time being humble. The world teaches us that low self-esteem is a major problem. However, God rejects the proud and accepts the humble.
Is
it that simple? YES!
“. . .yet to this one will I look: to the humble and smitten spirit, and he who trembles at My word”
(Isaiah 66:2)
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Repentance
“. . . God is now charging humanity that all everywhere are to repent.”
(Acts 17:30)
Repentance means being willing to charge direction. To stop and think about the where we are heading in life, and turning around if necessary.
Is
it that simple? YES!
“Repent, then, and turn about for the erasure of your sins, so that seasons of refreshing should be coming from the face of the Lord."
(Acts 3:19)
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Peace
“God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not taking into account its offenses.”
(2 Corinthians 5:19)
God is at peace with the world not counting humanities offenses against them. No need for penance or other
payment, no probationary time of proving ourselves, and no limit on how many
times we blow it? Why? Because the blood of Christ has removed all sin. As a
result, we can have peace no longer be afraid of God.
Is it that simple? YES!
“As far as the East is from the West, so He removes our transgressions far from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
"Yet now, in Christ Jesus, you, who once are far off, are become near by the blood of Christ.”
(Ephesians 2:13)
"For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross."
(Colossians 1:19-20)
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CHAPTER FOUR
PRAYER
“Ask God for what He has already determined to do.”
“Now if anyone is lacking in wisdom, let him be requesting it from God, Who is giving to all generously without finding fault.”
(James 1:5-6)
Circumstances of life just weigh us down and often we do not know what to do. So we pray to God the Father, in the name of Jesus.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peacee of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."(Philippians 4:6-7)
Can it be that simple? YES
“And this is the boldness we have toward Him, that, if we should be requesting anything according to His will, He is hearing us.”
(1 John 5:14)
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CHAPTER FIVE
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
“Praise and worship can happen anywhere”
Praise
“Praise the Lord, all the nations, and let all the peoples laud Him.”
(Romans 15:11)
Praise is the simple conscience recognition of power behind the wonders of creation. It should be a regular part of our lives and directed toward God the Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can
it be that simple? YES
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all within me, bless His holy Name! Bless Yahweh, O my soul and do not forget any of His benefits, Who is pardoning all our depravity, Who is healing all our ailments, Who is redeeming our lives from ruin, Who is crowning us with mercy and compassion, Who is satisfying our future with good.”
(Psalm 103:1-5)
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Worship
“Come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahweh, our Maker.”
(Psalm 95:6)
Worship is sensing the presence of our Creators in their majesty and holiness. Going to church is not worship. Singing hymns is not worship.
Reading your bible is not worship. Witnessing your faith is not worship.
Worship comes from the heart. We bow before of Maker, not for what he can do for us, but for
who He is. One can only stand in that place of worship when he or she realizes that their salvation is by the pure grace of God, not of works. Then we can say we trust Him - and really mean it!
Can
it be that simple? YES
“Worthy art Thou, O Lord, our Lord, and God, to get glory and honor and power; For Thou dost create all, and because of Thy will they were, and are created.”
(Revelation 14:11)
CHAPTER
SIX
HELL
“Hell
Is Not Cool or Hot - It’s Just Not”
Hell
“O that You would seclude me in the UNSEEN, that You would conceal me until Your anger turns back, That You would set a statutory time for me and then remember me." (Job 14:13)
“And if your eye should be snaring you, cast it out. It is ideal for you to be entering into the kingdom of God one-eyed, rather than, having two eyes, to be cast into the GEHENNA of fire, where their worm is not deceasing, and the fire is not going out.” (Mark 9:47-48)
“For thou wilt not be forsaking my soul in the UNSEEN, nor wilt Thou be giving Thy Benign One to be acquainted with decay.”
(Acts 2:27)
“For if God spares not sinning messengers, but thrusting them into the gloomy caverns of TARTARUS, giving them up to be kept for chastening judging;”
(2 Peter 2:4))
The
Hebrew word translated hell in English is “sheh-ole” and simply means the UNSEEN. There are three different Greek words translated hell in English
and they are “GEHENNA,” “HADES,” and “TARTARUS.” Gehenna refers to a real place outside
Jerusalem where at one time trash and dead bodies were burned. Hades is the
Greek equivalent of “sheh-ole” and means the unseen. Tartarus refers to a
place where sinning angels are held awaiting the end of this age. The phrase “the lake of fire”
is used only in the book of Revelation and is clearly defined there as “the
second death.” The popular doctrine of
hell being a lake of fire where lost men and angels are kept supernaturally
alive to be tortured for ever and ever has no place in the Bible and
defames our Creators. As used in the Bible, the English word is used in the context of death, it NEVER refers to the unending torture chamber of Greek mythology.
Can it be that
simple! Praise God, YES!
“And He will be brushing away every tear from their eyes. And death will be no more, nor mourning, nor clamor, nor misery; they will be no more, for the former things passed away.”
(Revelation 21:4)
“For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be mad alive...For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death.”
(1 Corinthians 15:22, 25)
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CHAPTER
SEVEN
HEAVEN
“Heaven
is for Winners and thanks to Jesus, Everyone Wins”
Abundant Life
“I came that they may have life, and have it superabundantly.”
(John 10:10)
We are mortal, and so our destination is death. However, we can travel to this deadly destination with hope and joy according to the Bible. The promise from God is that death is to be followed by a "superabundant" immortal life.
Can it be that simple! YES
"For in hope we are saved. Now hope that is already being observed is not hope, for if we already have what we are hoping for, we need not hope. Now, if we are hopping for what we are not now observing, we wait for it with endurance."
(Romans 8:23-24)
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Our Eternal Home
“In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you, I am going to make ready a place for you.”
(John 14:2)
“For we are aware that, if our earthly house should be demolished, we have a building of God, a house not made by hands, everlasting in the heavens.”
(2 Corinthians 5:1)
Heaven
is a place where humanity will dwell with our Creatorts in unbroken fellowship. No sin,
pain, tears, sorrow, or death. It will be a paradise both on a completely New Earth and New Heaven. We are destined to enter and see that paradise in the future, the prize waiting for us at the end of this rocky road of mortal life!
Is
it that simple! YES
"And I saw a New Heaven and New Earth...Lo!, the dwelling place of God is with humanity...and God Himself will be with them, and they will be His peoples...death will be no more, nor mourning, no clamor, nor misery...the former things are passed away."
(Revelation 21:1, 3-4)
“But, according as it is written, that which the eye did not perceive, and the ear did not hear, and to which the heart of man did not ascend - God makes ready for those who are loving Him. To us God reveals them through His spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
“In the name of Jesus every knee shall be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue shall be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.”
(Philippians 2:10-11)