“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35 (NIV)
The Bible is the most despised, derided, denied, disputed, dissected, and debated book in all of history. It has been under attack for centuries, for everything you can imagine.
Yet the Bible is still the most read, most published, and most translated book in the world. And, most importantly, it’s still changing the lives of those who apply what it teaches.
One of the reasons I believe the Bible is God’s Word is that it has survived so many attacks throughout history. At different times throughout history, it’s been illegal to own a Bible. In fact, that’s still true in some places today. Many people have been arrested, jailed, and even killed because they refused to give up their copies of the Bible. And still the Bible has survived.
Despite all the attacks, today the Bible is the greatest single source for so many cultural achievements. It’s the greatest source for music, art, and architecture. If you took the Bible out of culture, you would destroy most of the major music, artwork, and architecture of the past 2,000 years. Even much of our English language comes from the King James Bible.
The Bible has flourished in spite of unrelenting attacks during the past 2,000 years. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (NIV). Only the Word of God will last—because truth is eternal. Everything else on Earth will pass away one day.
Voltaire, the famous French philosopher, was a brilliant atheist. He wrote a number of tracts deriding the Bible. He once made a very bold statement: “One hundred years from today, the Bible will be a forgotten book.”
Today, many people have forgotten that quote, but they haven’t forgotten the Bible!
No matter what attacks come the Bible’s way, it always survives—and it always will. You can depend on that.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What difference has the Bible made in your life?
As Matthew 24:25 says, one day heaven and Earth will pass away, but God’s Word will remain. How does your life reflect—or not reflect—that truth?
Ask God for the courage to stand up with grace, gentleness, and wisdom to those who oppose God’s Word.
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
No matter what attacks come the Bible’s way, it has always survived—and it always will. Learn what that truth means for you in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days in the Word – 2023, God’s Word, Bible Study, Spiritual Maturity, Trust, Faith, God’s Promises, Matthew 24
Broadcast Series: 40 Days in the Word – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days in the Word (2012)
Sermon: 023602_Why Can I Trust the Bible
