Why do I trust the Bible?

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

I started out researching the question ‘Why can we trust the Bible’. There are many articles on this question, but I started to think that maybe the question I should be answering is why do I personally trust the Bible? I could list the reasons that respected apologists give, and their answers often do give good reasons as to why we should trust the Bible, but none of their answers are why I personally believe the Bible.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit

There is much scientific evidence for God and there are many reasons to believe the Bible, but did I become a Christian because of scientific evidence? Did I look into the reasons why we can trust the Bible, and then decide that it was trustworthy? It would be ridiculously arrogant of me to think it was by my own research or thinking that I became a Christian or decided that I could trust the Bible.

When Jesus was alive on Earth He told us what the Holy Spirit would do when He came:

⁵ “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 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. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.¹⁵ All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

John 16:5-15

Verse 8 tells us that the Holy Spirit would come to convict of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. It was this conviction of the Holy Spirit that showed me I needed Jesus and led me to ask the question “how do I become a Christian?” I then read the words “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”, and then in the middle of the night, I asked God to forgive me and make me His. That moment transformed my life.

I believe in God, and I believe that the Bible is from God simply because God though His Holy Spirit has convicted me of this. I didn’t become a Christian by anything I did, but by what God did. I once was blind, but He opened my eyes!

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

Jesus promises that if you truly search for Him without giving up, you will find Him!