Level Up

Have you known someone who asked a lot of questions? Specifically why?

It can get very frustrating because we want all the why’s answered before we do anything. Most of the time that’s just not possible. We can know the why intellectually but knowing it practically isn’t always something we can grasp without life application. 

Knowing the why gives direction, purpose, and foundation. Often times we get these 3 things out of order so let’s start with the foundation. 

• Why should we start with the foundation?

Matthew 7:24-27 ESV

• The foundation in this parable is the words of Jesus from this teaching which begins in Matthew 5.
• Within these chapters He addresses things like pride, gossip, sexual immorality, idolatry, hate, and even prayer. 
• Why is this the standard for a solid foundation?
• Wouldn’t life be easier without these restrictions? 
• Why does Jesus restrict our desires?
• Why does Jesus have the authority to set these standards?

Our response to these questions are often simple and direct but lacking for those who are having doubts.

• We say things like He died and resurrected for us.
• It’s through Him we are forgiven. 
• He lived to give us an example. 
• The Bible is the guide book for living. 

Do you give these answers? If so would you be able to give a deeper one if needed?

Why does Jesus have the authority to set these standards?

To answer that we first must establish that He was a real person, that the Bible is factual, and trust worthy. 

To do this you can’t use the Bible to prove Jesus was real. Professors from many universities have studied this question. For the sake of time I’ll only list 2 today Purdue University and University of North Carolina both support that Jesus was real. The first-century Jewish (secular) historian Flavius Josephus talks about Jesus in his writing a few times and Roman senator and (secular) historian Tacitus wrote about the wrongly executed Christus. 

Is the Bible factual and trust worthy? It was written by 40 authors over 1,500 years and talks about both the good and bad of its characters. It’s not about being good enough because God is more than enough. Evidence has been uncovered to the existence of who put Jesus to death. Proofs in secular writings about the house of David supports that he was real. The distinguished archaeologist Dr. William F. Albright also asserted the accuracy of the Bible’s history.

“Thanks to modern research we now recognize its substantial historicity. The narratives of the Patriarchs, of Moses and the Exodus, of the Conquest of Canaan, of the Judges, the Monarchy, Exile, and Restoration, have all been confirmed and illustrated to an extent that I should have thought impossible forty years ago.

We have started to establish that Jesus was a real person, that the Bible is factual, and trust worthy. Now we can also start to explain why Jesus has the authority to set these standards that will build a strong foundation. 

John 1:1 ESV

• He wasn’t just present at creation, it was by Him that all was made. 
• He saw how God covered humans after they fell.