NARRATOR: David Limbaugh is a lawyer, political commentator,

and a bestselling author.

For years, David wasn't convinced

Jesus was the Son of God, then a friend

challenged him to examine the facts.

That started a journey through the Bible which led David

to a truth he couldn't ignore.

He says there is no place, other than the gospels,

where we will encounter Jesus unfiltered.

In his book, "The True Jesus" David

directs our attention to the red letter words

and encourages us to study them like never before.

Joining me now is David Limbaugh.

Thanks so much for coming here.

Thanks for having me.

You and brother, Rush, you grew up in a churchgoing family,

but then you wandered a bit.

Your faith was not strong.

You had your doubts, which is very surprising,

because when I read this book, your love for Christ

just pours through.

Right.

You're adoration for Jesus is strong and there.

What happened as far as when you went through a rather skeptical

period?

I think it is more that I didn't affirmatively

disbelieve, it's that I never embraced it.

I guess I was a scatterbrain growing up,

ADHD way before it was cool and diagnosed.

When I got into college I started questioning,

and I didn't accept the divinity of Christ

and the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.

But the funny thing is, I never had given it a chance.

I tried to decide who God is, fashioned

God in my own perspective, all loving and all that,

but why would he allow evil.

If I'd only realized from the start that the Bible is

the word of God, and that God has revealed himself

and who he is in his son Jesus Christ,

I could've saved myself a lot of trouble.

But I didn't, and so I came at it kicking and screaming,

studying apologetics, studying theology and the Bible.

Yet you still came at it.

You did give it a chance.

DAVID LIMBAUGH: I was a seeker.

I always believed in God, I just didn't

believe in the God of the Bible necessarily.

What happened when you gave it a chance?

As you said in the intro, I think

the evidence for Christianity's truth claims is overwhelming.

People who say our faith is blind

or based on nothing but just sheer faith is incorrect.

It's that we have to take an extra step of faith

once we believe intellectually.

We have to put our trust in Jesus.

So it involves more than just intellectual belief,

but there's powerful evidence, and we're

told in scripture to be prepared to give

the reasons for our belief.

We are to embrace God with all our soul and all our mind.

We're not to leave our mind at the doorstep,

and I challenge skeptics to go read the Bible for themselves,

and really do it with an open mind and a seeking heart.

Knock and Jesus will answer the door.

Seek and you'll find.

The Bible promises the power of conversion.

Open up to it, and you'll be surprised what you find out.

But not only will your book give light to skeptics,

you say to Christ's followers essentially stop,

remember the power of the gospels,

don't miss the power on a day-to-day basis in your life.

That's right.

I started out to make this book the true Jesus

about the whole New Testament, and as I got into it,

I was so amazed, in a way that I hadn't

been when I'd read it before, of the power

of the gospels themselves.

I used to love the other New Testament books, the letters,

the epistles, because they are theological,

and I'm theologically-oriented, fascinated.

The gospels themselves are the only place

you'll encounter Jesus unfiltered.

You'll see his words.

You'll see he is the kind of a character

that no fiction author could have come up with, because he

is fully God and fully human.

Totally paradoxical, all powerful, but all forgiving,

completely just.

If you read him, if you read the gospels,

you'll encounter the living son of God in a way

that you can't do otherwise.

And you'll see why the jailer or the officers who

came to arrest him came back empty handed and said,

no one ever spoke like this man.

Read the gospels.

Read the red letters, and you'll see that no one ever

spoke like Jesus.

And it seems like part of a summary of your book,

would be laid in your book, you say that other books

we can learn about Jesus, but through the gospels

we get to know him.

That's right.

I think we as Christians are honor bound

to share what we've learned.

Teach Sunday school, pastors help us along, mentors help us.

Writing books happens to be my ministry, but books about Jesus

are wonderful and needed to help people advance their learning

curve, reduce their intimidation,

but there's no substitute for the Bible itself.

It is the word of God.

It has the power to change lives,

and if you read and learn about Jesus

and develop a relationship, he will change your life.

Do you think people that have been Christians for years,

and lifelong Christians or the faith

has almost become ordinary, what is it about the red letter

words, the words of Jesus Christ, that are so

transforming, even to people that have

been believers for a while?

I think it's something that you can't fully

articulate as a human being.

I think his divinity is exuded and displayed

from every fiber of his being, as is his humanity.

We don't want to forget his humanity.

And I think if I can encourage people, they

forget it is a living word.

It applies to each of us.

It's unchangeable, yet it applies to each of us

specifically in our circumstances,

and if you really go to it and read it.

I have such a passion for it, and am so excited about it,

that I want to share.

I want to reignite the passion of those who once had it.

Get them to go back and read it again,

and with a new renewed vigor, and I

think they will not be disappointed at what they find.

What's your approach in this book for people who just find

the Bible difficult to read?

The New Testament, the gospels, it's challenging.

So they may not want to go through the process.

Well, that's one reason I've written

three Christian themed books, and especially this one.

I try to help people learn about what

the different books of the Bible are, give them a primer

an intro.

And I cover every event and every statement in the Bible,

in the gospels, in this book.

And then try to provide commentary,

what my own insights and what some of the great thinkers

throughout history.

These books help us, and I think they break down

some of our intimidation about it, and then go to the Bible

yourself.

But don't be ashamed to read books about the Bible.

Use supplements.

Use things that help you understand it.

Read commentaries, but remember that the anchor, true north,

is the Bible itself and the gospels themselves.

Finally, did you have any idea that,

when you started this process and this book,

that you would be so re-energized in your own faith?

Well, yes.

Every time I study I get energized.

In fact, that's why I can't believe that I

fall away from day to day.

It's like on and off for the past 25 years.

I've been so into it, then a few days go by,

and as my pastor once said, we leak.

We're in the world.

We Christians, we leak.

That's why you've got to exercise

the spiritual disciplines, primarily

reading the Bible and prayer, fasting, whatever.

But stay in it, because we're in the world.

God put us in this world.

We're here.

It's not just a pit stop.

He put us here for a reason.

He didn't just zap us into heaven.

So we have to deal with the flesh.

We have to deal with the distractions.

We have to deal with our idols.

That's why we have to exercise the discipline to read and stay

in it and stay close to Christ.

It's a phenomenal book.

It really is, and if you'd like to learn more,

the book is called "The True Jesus,"

and it is available wherever books are sold.

You can also hear more from David in our web exclusive

interview, just go to facebook.com/700clubinteractive.

David, thanks so much for being here.

Thank you so much for having me.

It's a tremendous volume, really appreciate it.