Ralph Fudge

Doctors Bryson and Taylor ( Building Sermons to Meet People’s Needs ) said, “ What you think about the Bible will not change what the Bible is. However, what you think about the Bible will determine the person you become.” They went on to claim, “ The Bible has been uniquely inspired, marvelously preserved, and thoroughly proven.”

Pride is possibly the one sin that God hates most. I am not talking about the pride you take in a job well done or the pride you have for your grandchildren. That kind of pride is innocent and even good. What God hates is the kind of pride in which one feels better than someone else. This is the pride that makes people look down on and even scorn others. This type pride results in hatred of people who are different or who do not measure up to one’s expectations. What these proud people forget is their own flaws and foibles. The Bible clearly tells us that there are no truly good people on Earth. And there never has been except for one: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God. In Romans 3:10-12, the Apostle Paul tells us, “ As it is written, None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

To me, the idea of “ First things first ” has always made beautiful sense. Therefore, one might ask, “ Just what is the first thing I should do?” There is one act that eclipses all other things in importance that one might do on Earth, and it must be done while living on Earth. And that one most important of all things is trusting Jesus Christ as Savior through sincere belief in Him as God and in calling on Him for salvation. Nothing a man can do can begin to compare in importance to that one thing. Therefore it needs to be done first of all while one has the opportunity because death ends the opportunity forever.

As a pastor, I have had people ask me how they could know for sure they were really saved. They may have heard some preacher say that one must do this or that and not do other things to be saved. This is the very thing that the Apostle Paul condemned as “ works salvation.” And any preacher who tells you that you must do anything to be saved needs to learn some theology.

If there were no God, life would have no meaning at all. Nothing would matter. Man would have no reason to be moral or to exercise restraint in whatever he chose to do. This describes most people in Western civilization today, unfortunately. The majority have dismissed the very idea of God’s existence. Therefore, all reason for optimism and meaning are tossed out for most.

J. Vernon McGee summarized philosophy well. He said, “ All systems of philosophy lead up a blind alley.” I agree. You can spend your time and money studying this subject and find sooner or later that it is a mere waste of time. Many students in our universities have made the mistake of majoring in philosophy; and some have even gotten degrees, only to find it almost impossible

Often, I feel led to do or write something that proves most appropriate and even fruitful. Recently, I realized how often I do things unaware that they are the result of the Holy Spirit’s leadership. I have even come to depend on His guidance in many of the things I do. I preach that we should always seek and request God’s guidance whenever we propose to do anything.

Often I feel led to do or to write something that proves most appropriate and even fruitful. Recently, I came to realize how often I do things unaware that it is the result of the Holy Spirit’s leadership. I have even come to depend on His guidance in many of the things I do.

Apologetics is the branch of Christian theology that defends the Christian faith through systematic argumentation and discourse. Of course, the truth does not really need defending. We use apologetics in an attempt to make unbelievers more susceptible to the drawing of the Holy Spirit toward acceptance of and belief in Jesus Christ. Most people, however, unfortunately resist the prompting of the Holy Spirit until it’s too late to be saved. Physical death ends all opportunity to ever see Heaven. Instead, disbelief dooms unbelieving souls to everlasting torment.

Christian philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig, said, “Man cannot live consistently and happily as though life were ultimately without meaning, value, or purpose. If we try to live consistently within the framework of the atheistic worldview, we shall find ourselves profoundly unhappy.”