Is Christianity True?

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Christianity Is Not Proved by Changed Lives or Ethics

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and today on the radio show, I want to talk to you about Christianity and why you believe what you believe. Don�t forget, you can always email Mike at NoCompromiseRadio .com.

We are planning, we, Pat Abendroth and myself, are planning to go to Israel in 2022. That sounds funny, doesn�t it? 2022. And we hope to go February 22nd through March 3rd. We have some minimums that we have to meet in order to go, and we have to have Israel to say we can.

We have our hotels. We have our travel agent. We�ll get some flight information in April. And so we�re starting to accept deposits, $300 deposit. If you�re listening to the show and you don�t live around the Boston area, of course you can come.

If you�re in Europe, you can meet us there. If you�re in Israel, you�ll be there. And if you�re in the, I don�t know, Atlanta area or Los Angeles or Portland, we have listeners across the country. Then you can just meet us in Newark or we�ll see you when we�re Tel Aviv-en.

I�d like to ask a question this morning, this afternoon, wherever you are this evening. How do you know that Christianity is real? How do you know that Christianity is real? If I were to say to you that Jesus is the God-man and that he is the only hope of heaven, that he is the only advocate that will be acceptable to the Father on Judgment Day, that he is holy and never sinned, that is, well, of course the Father has not sinned and he is holy, but the Son on earth never sinned and that he died not only as a substitute for our sins, but also as a representative to live in our place, live the life we should have lived, died the death we should have died, and then was raised from the dead, and that he�s going to come back, how do you know that�s true?

How do you know that�s real? On what authority do we base that? What are the grounds of certainty that we have? Are you confident about that? There are many people in this world that say Jesus isn�t the Savior, that there�s no such thing as sin, that you have different solutions to different problems, and there are evolutionary issues, there are psychological issues, there are philosophical issues.

I mean, Jesus is the only way? I don�t believe that. How do you then prove to them that Christianity is real or true? Some people would say, �Well, my life has been changed. And they�ll say, �Well, you know, I used to be a drinker and now I�m sober.

I used to be a blasphemer and now I�m a worshiper. I used to be an idolater and now I believe in a monotheistic view of God. I used to run around on my wife and now I am faithful. I used to, I used to, I used to.

And by the way, I loved changed lives. I�m thankful for your changed life. I�m thankful that your neighbors are thankful for your changed life. Is that really the standard? Is the standard for truth experience?

Does experience validate the truth? Does experience make the truth true? Is the ground for Jesus, believing in Jesus, trusting in Jesus? Is the hope that we have that it just, it changes lives? By the way, all kinds of things can change people�s lives.

Hormones change lives. Cancer changes lives. Tumors in your brain changes a life, changes your life. The way you think, the way you act, the way you feel. Maybe you have some person telling you that with psychology you can get better and you do.

You go to 12-step and you stop drinking. That you went to a false cult and they helped you with all kinds of behavior modification and you no longer swear. Maybe if you were Peter, the apostle, you might say, �Well, I know Christianity is real because I used to be some hick in Galilee and I was a fisherman and now I�ve had some experience and I now like to write.

I like to preach and I used to be a fisherman and now I�m a preacher. Now I�m an apostle and I�ve changed. Because is that the basis of Peter�s changed life for Christianity? Should you follow Peter because his life has changed and maybe you want your life to change?

How do you know Christianity is real? Of course, we�re dealing with the issue of apologetics. Maybe some people think, �I love Christianity and I know it�s real and I will believe it to be real because I love its teachings.

Love one another. That�s wonderful. That Christian ethic of love, I just think it�s exalted, it�s glorious. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Could there be a greater way to live in society?

Could anybody think of something more noble? I believe the gospel because the way we�re to treat one another could not be summarized any better than by Jesus, �Love one another. Then they�ll truly know you�re my disciple.

I would submit to you that I�m happy for ethics, I�m happy for changed lives, but is that really the reason why we�re believers? There are disciplines in other religions, some maybe even more disciplined than Christianity because they realize they have to do these disciplines in order to get to heaven.

Maybe you have people say, �Well, the reason why I�m a Christian is because that�s just my truth. Your truth is your truth. My truth is my truth. Of course, my truth would be that I did not fly over the handlebars of a bicycle, a mountain bicycle in California two weeks ago, although it is the truth.

I wish it wasn�t the truth, but my elbow is bruised, my tricep is bruised, my shoulder is bruised, my hip is bruised, my quad is bruised, my shin is cut, my neck is torqued, my ribs are the ones that hurt the most.

I went in to the doctor for a different reason. He saw those things. He�s like, �Off to get your femur x-rayed. I�m like, �My femur x-rayed He said, �Well, if it�s broken, you wouldn�t be walking, but let�s just see if it�s cracked or fractured.

My truth, your truth, no, truth. It�s rubbish to think there�s my truth and your truth. There is truth. It�s simple as that. Either there was a real man who lived in Palestine, what we call Palestine now, 2 ,000 years ago or there wasn�t.

He really did perform miracles or he didn�t. He, a historical man, was either crucified on the cross or he wasn�t. He was put in a tomb or he wasn�t. He was raised from the dead or he wasn�t. He ascended into heaven or he didn�t.

Jesus is not some my truth, your truth. You could say it�s my belief, but it�s not subjective like it�s my truth. How do you know Christianity is real? Well, if we were to ask Peter that question, Peter would give us a very simple answer.

He would say, based on apostolic witness and the Scriptures, things outside of us, that�s how we know it�s true. How do you know, in fact, it�s true? That�s the real question. So, if you turn your Bibles or you want to listen to me, as I don�t even turn my Bible because I have my iPad, to deal with Peter and the historical account of Jesus and therefore then the implications, theologically, of this historical God-man.

When you see Peter in 1 Peter, the five chapters, 2 Peter, three chapters, or in the book of Acts, essentially the first seven chapters for Peter, before we make the transition from Stephen to Paul, so let�s just even say the first six chapters, you are going to see Peter telling people that Jesus is true, Christianity is certain, Jesus did what he said he did, but you won�t see Peter in Acts, 1 Peter or 2 Peter, say a lot about, �Well, you know what?

I had some type of emotional experience, I had a crisis of faith and then somehow I turned my back on one thing and believed another. You�re going to see Peter proclaim, preach the Lord Jesus Christ as true, as true man, as truly historical, as truly walking on this earth, as truly giving sight to the blind, as wonderfully raising people from the dead like Lazarus and others.

These miracles, walking on water and healing Peter�s mother-in-law, these miracles authenticate Jesus and authenticate his ministry. What he would say, confirmed, authenticated, real. 2 Peter 1, verses 16 -21 gives us the objective certainty of Christian truth from Peter.

Remember, the false teachers in 2 Peter are trying to tell Peter�s audience and persecuted Christians. It�s hard enough to be persecuted and then what if you�re persecuted for something that�s not true?

You�re believing in Jesus, which means you believe in his second coming and therefore the false teachers, since they want to live ungodly lives, you can�t have Jesus come back when you�re doing, you know, sinful things.

They�re trying to talk these poor Christians out of their faith. Of course, it�s impossible to lose your salvation, but they�re putting doubts in their minds and Peter writes and he wants to remind them that there�s certainty and truthfulness to the claims of Jesus Christ.

In other words, how do you know the false teachers are wrong? Is Jesus really coming back? You know, what is certainty? What is truth? Therefore he�s going to go outside of himself. Not I had a bosom that burned, not that I had a special feeling, not that I heard a still small voice.

He�s going to say, I saw Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration, I heard the Father say some words and yet we have a word that�s more sure. We have the Bible and that Bible is not made by man, it�s the Holy Spirit using men to write it, but saying exactly what he, the Holy Spirit, wants those men to write.

It is an exclusive religion, but it is a sure religion and therefore you either believe the apostles and the Old Testament prophets or you don�t. You either believe what they say is true or you don�t.

It has nothing to do with an internal experience, right? This is outside of us. Extra Gnos was the slogan that was earlier than the Reformation, but they picked it up. Outside of us. We either go to the source, right, original sources, or we consult secondary sources like our own gizzard.

Primary sources are back to the source, ad fontes, back to the source. I wonder if fontes has anything to do with fountain, it must be to the fountain, to the source. Peter says in verses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 2 Peter chapter 1 that there�s an objective certainty for your salvation.

You don�t have to worry, these false teachers are going to try to undo all this, there�s no way they can. And if I were to summarize the first four verses of 2 Peter, in one sense I could summarize it by quoting to you the Heidelberg Catechism question 60, �How are you righteous before God

And the answer in Heidelberg is, �Only by true faith in Jesus Christ, that is, although my conscience accused me that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God and have never kept any of them, and am still prone always to do evil, yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ.

As if I had never committed nor had any sin, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me, if only I accept such benefit with a believing heart. Isn�t that good? I mean, if you don�t read the Heidelberg Catechism, you ought to.

Question 61 of the same catechism, �Why do you say that you are righteous by faith only By the way, what would you say? Answer, �Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God, and I can receive the same and make it my own in no other way than by faith only.

And that�s really chapter 1, verses 1, 2, 3 and 4, laying the groundwork of we�ve received a faith. It�s a faith like the apostles. It�s based on the righteousness of Christ, His perfect law-keeping, Him dying for our law-breaking, this great Jesus who was raised from the dead and ascended and is praying for us now and said He�s going to come back.

That�s the basis for that. We can�t undo what God does. And since that�s true, then we want to live a holy life, and that�s verses 5 -11. False teachers said live unholy lives because Jesus isn�t coming back.

We say the opposite. Jesus is coming back, therefore live a holy life for this very reason, chapter 1, verse 5. And then in verses 12 -15 as we have seen at least at church, I don�t think I�ve talked about this at NOCO, there�s a reminder.

Peter�s on his deathbed. He�s departing. He�s leaving one place, going to another. By the way, that�s great assurance there that Christian death is a departure. It�s not simply going to, it�s going from and then going to.

It is not annihilationism, it is not your ceasing, it is not anything like that. We�re going from the temporal to the spiritual, we�re going from the earthly to the heavenly. Our bodies die and we will go from here to heaven, that�s what we�ll do.

And therefore it�s a departure, and Peter was told that he was going to die by the Lord Jesus in John 21, verses 18 -19, and he, on his deathbed, wants people to be reminded of these great truths. False teachers, they run their mouths.

Maybe it�s tempting to follow them, but Peter says don�t listen to them. Jesus is really returning. How do we know? And the answer is God speaks, not only through the Old Testament prophets, but his apostolic messengers.

Remember, these false teachers were mocking, scoffing the return of Christ. Chapter 3, �Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking following after their own lusts and saying, �Where is the promise of his coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. I mean, it�s the same old, same old, and it is uniformitarian philosophy, and Peter says that�s not true at all.

My argument, Peter says, is against the false teachers, and so let me assure you of your salvation, 1 -4, and then you will have fruits and evidences of that salvation in verses 5 -11, and I don�t want you to ever forget it, verses 12 -15.

What�s Peter�s purpose? What�s my purpose for you today, dear Christian, is for you to be encouraged, for you to be strengthened, for you to be established so that you wouldn�t waver. I want you to have certainty, assurance, confidence, remember sola fide confide, confidence with the Word of God and what it says.

Jesus will return, and there is an objective certainty of that truth that is outside of us because the Word of God, both through the apostles and the Old Testament prophets, is reliable. It�s true. It�s true.

It�s true. It�s valid. I hope you�re hoping for the return of the Lord Jesus. The angel said to the apostles, �Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.

He�s coming back. Even our Lord Jesus said, �At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory.

Titus, the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus, Revelation 19, �I saw heaven standing open, and there was before me a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.

His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter.

He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, �King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Is Jesus right, or are the false teachers right?

Is Peter right, or are the false teachers right? Is John who wrote Revelation right, or are the false prophets right? The objective Christian truths that Peter gives in verses 16 through 21 are super simple.

There's an apostolic witness to the return of Christ, and there's Old Testament prophecy. That's what he bases everything on. Not a changed life, not an exalted ethic, but in fact, apostolic witness in the Old Testament.

So what do the prophets in the Old Testament say? What do the apostles say in the New Testament? Verses 16 through 19 really give us that first point as it were, and that is the apostolic witness. This whole time I've been doing a show, I thought I was plugged in, and I'm not plugged in.

I have my headphone on, but it's not plugged in. I wonder if I can just keep talking what's going to happen. I sure hope Spencer can solve this problem. I cannot believe this. I was turning my head away from all this as well.

I'm not even going to plug it in now because I assume that this is going to be a big bust. No. How could this happen to me? Well anyway, I'm just going to keep talking and see what happens here on No Compromise Radio.

I guess I've wasted 24 minutes, but it's been a good review. Now that is a crying shame. I just got to do this for fun, and we're going to do high tech here. If I plug this in now, I wonder what you hear.

I think you probably hear it a little bit louder, but maybe not that much. So hopefully it's not going to be too bad, and I just unplugged it again. So let's just give it a shot. Maybe Spencer can do his magic.

Hopefully if the sound isn't good, the quality of the show in terms of data is good. By the way, what is going on in evangelicalism? It just seems like there's so many things in the news. I heard that Luis Palau died, and I'm sorry he died.

I was not a fan of his ministry. I don't really think he really knew what he was doing, to be frank. I guess that's bad to say after somebody dies, but I would say what he was living as well. John DeBriene just died.

John DeBriene was a radio host playing a lot of snippets of especially like pre-trib, pre-mill, dispensational stuff, and he'd mix it in between songs. Kind of a revival, tent meeting, Billy Graham crusade stuff.

And I actually had John DeBriene come and speak early on at Bethlehem Bible Church. It was Bethlehem Baptist at the time, and I never forget he said that when he had a heart attack, he was on the ground, and he wasn't thinking about shine, Jesus, shine.

And John DeBriene was a great lover of the hymns. He had a show called Songtime. Anyway, he said that he was thinking about my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, and that's so true.

What else is going on in Christianity today since this show is a complete bust? How stupid, God. That shows you how tired I am. I've been doing a bunch of Zoom classes for German, Irish, Austrian, Polish, and Czech students for the EBTC, European Bible Training Center.

And so, crazy. I've also just been back from the Non-Shepherds Conference, Shepherds Conference, because I needed to see my three kids in LA. So I went out there anyway, and then I just talked to people at Grace Church and saw my son and daughters and friends, and it was a good trip.

And I guess there's more to say about that trip later. Maybe some of you will be in Orlando for the Ligonier Conference, and maybe I might see you there. Who knows? Anyway, my name is Mike Abenroth. This is No Compromise Radio without a microphone using only the MacBook Pro speaker.

Spencer, can you help me? I wonder what is happening. Don't forget, you can write me about the Israel trip, about Pat Abenroth's new podcast called The Pactum, and then my friend Matthew Johnston down in New Zealand.

He's an Aussie, but he's in New Zealand. He's got a new show called The Pactum as well. Who is first? I bet you there's going to be a big lawsuit. It's like the beat in America and then the beat in England, and then the English beat come over here, and they have to have a new name called The English Beat.

Hence the intro to the music for No Compromise Radio Ministry. Why are we No Compromise Radio Ministry? I want you to learn more about Jesus because he never compromised. Can you imagine that? Never compromised.

Never did anything sinful, but always obeyed the law of God. Talk to you soon.

God bless you. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abenroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 10 .15 and in the evening at 6. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.