Reliable and accurate prophecy is what persuades me to be a Christian. Persuasion is imperative for salvation as can be seen from Jesus saying, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:31). "Persuasion" is when one's belief is changed. In Christianity, persuasion is that only Jesus can save when most people don't believe that! "Reason" is necessary for persuasion. Each person takes in all the evidence, applies logic, then makes a deduction. I have deduced that Jesus is God and that only He can save me. Since prophecy has turned out to be true, I am persuaded.
When I was young, my belief was based on selecting the better of two outcomes: to forever perish or forever live. I believed because eternal life was a more favorable outcome. I wanted to believe that God is real because my desire was to be saved from perishing. Was that belief efficacious or not? It was as a child's: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein (Luke 18:17). I am of the opinion that I was a Christian because I trusted God to save me. However, maybe I had not been born-again which Jesus said one must be (John 3:7) with the penalty if not of not seeing the Kingdom of God (John 3:3).
"Born-again" is total dependence on God for salvation. I didn't understand the meaning of "born-again" but I knew that only God could save me! It seems, then, that unknown to me, although I was not persuaded, merely accepting, that I was born-again. I was born-again but had yet to be fully persuaded. That took study of the word. Prophecy convinced me of the truth in God's word. An example of valid prophecy was said by Isaiah 700 years before it happened:
Isa 2:2-5And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
"The Mountain of the Lord" is perhaps the Kingdom of God in that communion with God was most often in high places. That "Kingdom" was founded on Calvary, and not by accident a high elevation in the Holy Land. It seems that Isaiah saw Jesus's crucifixion, salvation, and the Church in his vision. Who would have thought in his time that the pagan Gentiles would have worshiped the Lord of Israel? Isaiah knew that well in advance. How is that possible? It was revealed to him by God!
Verse one gives the key: Isaiah saw "the Word". John 1:1-2 and 14 clearly reveals that the Word is God who was made flesh. Isaiah saw Jesus hundreds of years before he was born! That is why I am persuaded to be a Christian. Isaiah looked up and saw Jesus before he was ever born. If Isaiah recognized Jesus, so can I. However, some say that Jesus merely acted the part. Even if Jesus was role-playing from the script of prophecy, how would he have gotten other players to play their parts so perfectly?
When Jesus was about to die, he began quoting Psalm 22. That Psalm told of Jesus's death years before Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 587 BC. Isaiah was not speaking of the building of that temple but it's rebuilding with lively stones. Church doctrine was amplified with the death of Jesus, and that Doctrine became the Doctrine of Christ. It is the doctrine of the Living Church! Isaiah knew how the Church was to be built and who it was for because pre-incarnate Jesus told him!
Holy Scripture is the inspired Word of God (2 Tim 3:16). It was Jesus who spoke truth before he was ever born! The Word was God-breathed. Who Is God? Jesus Christ! Jesus breathed-out inspired Words long before he was called Jesus. He breathed out those Words to Isaiah which are written above.
Holy Scripture is what we call the Old Testament because the New did not exist when Paul wrote his letters to Timothy. Paul was referring to the Old Testament which is all the Words of Jesus. Jesus knew how and when he would die long before he was ever born! That's why I have been persuaded to be a Christian.
Many believe that a man named Jesus acted out the crucifixion to fulfill prophecy. In other words the allegation is that Jesus died for no reason other than to magnify himself! How did he then get the soldiers to gamble for his garments?
Psalm 22 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (ca 600 BC)
Compared to when it actually occurred to which all four gospels validate:
Mat 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. (ca 30 A.D.)The soldiers cast lots for Jesus's garments not because they knew what Scripture said, but because Scripture foretold what the soldiers would do! God knew the soldiers before they ever existed. God knew what they would do before their parents ever conceived them. They were born for the purpose of casting lots for Jesus's clothes! They were in God's Plan; that's why I believe all of God's Plan!
Holy Scripture is all about Jesus; by that I mean the Old Testament. Nearly every book is all about Jesus. I found Jesus in the pages of the Old Testament. In apostolic times, Holy Scripture - the Old Testament - convinced the people to be Christians. The Old Testament convinces me. I have been persuaded because Old Testament prophecy has come true: God came down to earth, was tempted, loved us so, died for all mankind, and was resurrected on the third day just as prophesied. As Sean Hannity always says: "You can't make this stuff up!" God didn't make it up; He made it happen to save mankind. That is how I am persuaded!
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