Proven

How do I know the Bible is the Word of God? Because it gave me the experience it claimed it would. I believe it because everything the Bible promised me has been true. Everything.

For example, the Bible says that God would forgive my sin: “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT).

When I first read that verse, I prayed, “Lord, cleanse me of my sin.” And one of the first things I remember experiencing as a brand-new Christian was the sensation of having a massive weight removed from me.

When I prayed and asked Jesus into my life at the age of seventeen, I didn’t know what I had just done. I hadn’t read, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). I hadn’t read any Bible verses yet, but I do remember feeling that a burden had been lifted from me. That was God forgiving my sins.

The Bible also says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). I became a different person after I gave my life to Christ. I recognized a change inside, and I knew it was real.

I had tried to be a better person before. I wanted to be a more caring person and be different than I was, but I couldn’t change myself. Then suddenly with Christ living in me, and as I read the Word of God, I saw these things happen for me just as the Bible said they would.

That’s why I believe the Bible is the Word of God. It has given me the experience it promised.