The Bible is a best seller far outstripping Geoffrey Archer or any of the others. But is it the word of God? Is it true? The question matters in this much: just as Noah heard the word concerning the flood and the instruction to build the ark, and had to decide whether he should act on it, so we have the gospel message. Now do we get up and follow Jesus? Or can we afford to neglect the message? How can we know if it is true?

Many have been deceived into thinking that the question is nonsense. We have been bombarded with the modern idea that in the sphere of religion there is no true truth. If it suits you that's fine. Christianity suits one man and Buddhism another. Even if there were some absolute truth we would not be able to know it, so the propaganda goes. I want you to be sure that THERE IS TRUTH, AND IT CAN BE KNOWN.

There is true truth. In every other sphere we are concerned to know what is true: scientific enquiry or criminal investigation. How can religion so dismissively excluded from the expectation that applies to all else? Christianity is not in a different category. It is rooted in history and is founded on particular events. Surely that makes it open to investigative scrutiny.

Actually the question "Is the Bible true?" never really occurred to me until I went to university. Perhaps that is because, a child of my age, I had absorbed the idea that truth is irrelevant in matters of religion. Anyway, two things happened to me which compelled me to answer the question: (a) I was reading in my quiet time Romans and I got to things I had not heard before and did not like at all. I had to know if these things were right. Then, (b) in lectures in the three subjects I was studying we were told that the truth of the Bible was not assumed. In one subject the professor spoke sceptically like that, but on the Sunday he preached at the college communion, and anyone would think from his preaching that he was quite committed to the truth of the Bible. To me you had to be consistent in and out of the pulpit. Either you believe the Bible is true or you do not. So on account of these two things I struggled and searched and prayed about whether the Bible is true.

Surely you will see that if the Bible is true it matters enormously. It will make all the difference to our thinking not just concerning history, but about our conduct and destiny. The issue cannot be ignored.

That the Bible is true YOU CAN KNOW, BY FAITH WHICH INVOLVES A DECISION. This is desirable and reasonable.

(i) The Desirable-ness. Life without God (who speaks) is un-live-able. So many have expressed their dissatisfaction with a life not knowing. What is the meaning and purpose of life without God?

(ii) The Reasonable-ness. The Bible is consistent: (a) with itself - contrary to what some assert, there are not real contradictions in the Bible; (b) consistent with the evidence - of archaeology, history and everything else; (c) consistent with experience - there are countless credible Christians who will say that they have found it to be true in experience. Of course this does not prove that it is true. Yet it is significant to be able to show that belief is reasonable.

Now we come to the point. You can know! I can best make the point using an illustration told by Dr Francis Schaeffer. You are part of a group walking in the mountains. A dense fog descends and you lose your guide and your way. If you are out there too long you will die of exposure. The situation is desperate. Then a voice is heard across the valley telling you that if you just jump off the edge of the cliff you will land on a ledge just below and it will take you safely down the mountain. Well, you look down and you can see nothing. If the voice is true it is the solution, but if not you could fall to your death. So you do not just jump. You ask questions of the voice to see if he seems to be who he says and has a familiarity with the place. If it all makes sense then you will choose to jump because it is the only hope of escape. It is desirable and reasonable. You jump - and then you know that the voice told the truth!