Articles
Believe It!
The world is often divided along the line of ‘believers’ and ‘unbelievers,’ but the reality is, we all believe in something. The ones most often called ‘believers’ are ones who believe in God and that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God; ‘unbelievers’ are those who either deny the existence of God or who reject the evidence for the claim of Jesus to be the Christ and Son of God. But, even those deemed ‘unbelievers’ believe in something.
The one who denies the existence of God, if he or she is honest, would have to believe something or someone brought all matter into existence; nature itself — along with scientific knowledge and common sense — demands every material thing had an origin, since no material thing is eternal. Logic would require that someone or something that exists outside the natural realm [otherwise known as supernatural] would be that source of our origins, but this ‘unbeliever’ avoids that discussion. And while it might be comforting to deny the existence of a moral Creator, it is not logical, and it is not supported by scientific examination.
Rejecting God, some will then go to great lengths to explain our origins — all without verifiable evidence — just to avoid acknowledging our Creator does exist and is moral. Some try to explain our existence by claiming our origins are of some amoral being who has not established any standard of morality, like aliens who sowed the seeds of life on earth, from which we all evolved over billions of years, or that those ‘seeds of life’ somehow hitched a ride on an asteroid or was carried along on some intergalactic wind until it fortuitously landed on earth.
The theories get even more far-fetched, but the point is, those who reject belief in God still believe in something. I would gladly hold up the evidence for belief in God next to any of these supposed explanations for our origins to see which is more credible and which has more verifiable evidence. Neither view has living eyewitnesses, but at least those who chose to believe in God can point to the testimony of the Scriptures, with the works and promises of God, and an abundance of eyewitness testimony and a credible written record [despite the constant claims to the contrary]. Which will we believe?
Those who choose to believe in the existence of God do so based on the written record of God’s word — the Bible. It is within the written record we find something that is a foundation cause for belief in God’s word: “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18); stated another way, “God…cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Rather than accept the claim at face value, God would have us read the written record of His prophecies and promises and, having done so, we can conclude the claim is true and, thus, God has the ultimate credibility — more than any man (cf. Num. 23:19). In short: If God said it, we can believe it!
And, having examined the written record, we may know our origins: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). John echoed this account (John 1:3), as did the psalmist (Psa. 102:25) and even Jesus (Mark 13:19).With the testimony of the written record, we believe God to be the power and source of our origins, so much so the writer of Hebrews could say, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:3). God the Creator of man and all material things? Believe it!
And with the surety of God’s word now established, we may then consider other things found within the written record and know that it is also worthy of belief, as difficult as it may seem. Some of these things are difficult only because we have limited knowledge and because we often compare God’s word and character with what we know of man’s word and character, which often falls short of anything desirable. As we read these things, though, let us not forget it is inspired of God and does not originate from the mind of man.
Belief in Christ Brings Salvation. If we acknowledge the reality that we have all sinned (Rom. 3:23), we must also acknowledge we have earned the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23) and we have no means of escaping that reality in and of self. But “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9, 10). Though we all have earned eternal punishment, God has promised salvation. As difficult as it may to believe, believe it!
And God doesn’t ask us to believe without evidence; Jesus sent the apostles out into the world to teach the gospel — how Jesus came to this earth and died for our sins, was buried and then raised to life again (1 Cor. 15:3, 4). As they did so, it would be up to the hearers what happened afterwards, for Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15, 16). Salvation is promised to those who believe, though we don’t deserve anything from God. Salvation? Believe it!
God’s Concern for His People. I believe the apostle John put it best when he wrote, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1); what a blessing it is, indeed, to be called God’s children! It is not just for the fact of the forgiveness He offers and the hope of eternal salvation that makes us so blessed, but also the ongoing care and concern He has for those who are His.
What God has promised [remember, God does not lie] is that He “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). God does not forgive us, only to leave us at the mercy of our spiritual adversary, but will provide a means of escaping every temptation. We even have the written record of the temptation of Jesus so we can know where to find the answer (Matt. 4:1-11): within Scripture! Do we really have the means to escaping every temptation? Believe it!
And what if we fail to utilize that means of escape? Let us not blame God for our failures, but go to Him for relief and forgiveness once again. We have the word of God that Jesus “lives to make intercession for” the child of God who comes to God in prayer — “those who come to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25). With this assurance, we have the full confidence that if “we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Forgiveness when the child of God sins? Believe it!
God Hears Our Prayers. The child of God also has the assurance that those prayers will be heard (1 John 5:14, 15)! Knowing this, we can read, “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up…pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:15, 16) and know it is true.
I cannot tell you how that will happen or when it will happen, but I can tell you that if you can believe the word of God at all, you can believe those words, too. While we may doubt, God’s word stands. Believe it!
“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) — Steven Harper
