With all of the talk on hell this past 6 months, I introduce a thought to you. Can the existence of hell lead to a clearer belief in the reality of God?
How do we know there really is a God? There are many ways that lead to an answer to this question. Let's take a look at those avenues:
We cannot scientifically prove that Jesus or Napoleon lived, but historical record proves it. History and faith are connected by record and relationship that is processional and trustworthy. For instance, do you think that our cynical society is the first generation to question Christianity? Hear me, if Christianity was a hoax, it would not have lasted beyond the current minds that lived in the first century through third centuries.
When the bible and the atlas state that a river, or a mountain, or a city exists, we can actually see it and visit it. If the bible didn’t lie about these things, why would it lie about Christ, His teachings, or the miracles? Don’t you think that if the records of bible writers pertaining to geography were fake, that it wouldn’t have lasted one decade?
The message of God and the bible is not a fairy tale. It is real. And all of creation works under a system of order and structure. The struggle for right and wrong and good and evil didn’t originate with George Washington. History traces morality straight to the bible and not The Declaration of Independence. Your pastor or mom and dad didn’t make this up to punish you or keep you from having fun. Christianity is the root of morality and it began with Genesis and not some pop icon or philosophy teacher at your school.
Pluralism, multi-gods, post-modernism, humanism, or relativism all counter the person of Jesus Christ. No other religious leader. Mohammed, Sun Young Moon, Joseph Smith, or The Dahli Lama have never become the lightning rod that Christ has been through history. It could be no other religious organization bases its belief system upon the death and resurrection of its author, or it could be that Christ and His kingdom claims are true and the story of human sin resists His sovereignty. If Jesus wasn’t who He said He was, why is everyone so upset by Him?
How do we know there really is a God? There are many ways that lead to an answer to this question. Let's take a look at those avenues:
The First Avenue to Christian Faith is History
The Second Avenue to Christian Faith is Geography
When the bible and the atlas state that a river, or a mountain, or a city exists, we can actually see it and visit it. If the bible didn’t lie about these things, why would it lie about Christ, His teachings, or the miracles? Don’t you think that if the records of bible writers pertaining to geography were fake, that it wouldn’t have lasted one decade?
The Third Avenue to Christian Faith is Morality
The message of God and the bible is not a fairy tale. It is real. And all of creation works under a system of order and structure. The struggle for right and wrong and good and evil didn’t originate with George Washington. History traces morality straight to the bible and not The Declaration of Independence. Your pastor or mom and dad didn’t make this up to punish you or keep you from having fun. Christianity is the root of morality and it began with Genesis and not some pop icon or philosophy teacher at your school.
The Fourth Characteristic of Christian Faith is The World’s Treatment of Christ
Pluralism, multi-gods, post-modernism, humanism, or relativism all counter the person of Jesus Christ. No other religious leader. Mohammed, Sun Young Moon, Joseph Smith, or The Dahli Lama have never become the lightning rod that Christ has been through history. It could be no other religious organization bases its belief system upon the death and resurrection of its author, or it could be that Christ and His kingdom claims are true and the story of human sin resists His sovereignty. If Jesus wasn’t who He said He was, why is everyone so upset by Him?
From my observation over the last 30 years, much of this generation has had an external faith. Our American and western faith is something we put on like a glove, hat, coat, or glasses. And then we take it off when it is convenient. But, that is furthest away from the reality of Christianity. Christianity is internal and becomes who we are and not simply what we do.
Back to the question of this blog. How do you know there is a God? Can you know for sure? I know this, that God will reveal Himself to you if you will seek Him. You might say that would be a prophetic avenue to which God could prove His kingdom to you. But, let me give you one more characteristic…
I can talk history, geography, morality, and Christ to the hardest person. And I would get an argument. There may be an argument to the previous avenues. But, there is no argument to the personal experience of a sincere person. Not even someone others might say is 'sincerely wrong'. Wrong is in the eye of the beholder at that point and only eternity will be the judge.
There is a crisis in our generation. That we are serving a God we do not know.
Back to the question of this blog. How do you know there is a God? Can you know for sure? I know this, that God will reveal Himself to you if you will seek Him. You might say that would be a prophetic avenue to which God could prove His kingdom to you. But, let me give you one more characteristic…
The Final Avenue to the Christian Faith is Personal
I can talk history, geography, morality, and Christ to the hardest person. And I would get an argument. There may be an argument to the previous avenues. But, there is no argument to the personal experience of a sincere person. Not even someone others might say is 'sincerely wrong'. Wrong is in the eye of the beholder at that point and only eternity will be the judge.
What I know to be absolutely true is that nothing else changed my life. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that I haven’t experienced God/Christ first hand. Athletics, alcohol, money, fame, knowledge, music, or my family didn’t change my life. I could tell you of several times in my life where God revealed Himself to me. And changed my life. I have felt Him intellectually and with my emotions.
LISTEN, THIS GENERATION DOESN’T have a faith problem. You talk on the phone without seeing the other person, type on the FB/computer/internet and don’t see the other person, or even drive on the highway and trust the other driver isn’t going to cross the dotted line and run into you. We have a faith in God problem because Christianity places claims on our lives that can be uncomfortable. And that is where hell enters the discussion. It is polarizing and seemingly unfair. Hell should be a reality that drives us to search for truth in the case that it really does exist and Christ is the absolute deterant to an eternity there.
LISTEN, THIS GENERATION DOESN’T have a faith problem. You talk on the phone without seeing the other person, type on the FB/computer/internet and don’t see the other person, or even drive on the highway and trust the other driver isn’t going to cross the dotted line and run into you. We have a faith in God problem because Christianity places claims on our lives that can be uncomfortable. And that is where hell enters the discussion. It is polarizing and seemingly unfair. Hell should be a reality that drives us to search for truth in the case that it really does exist and Christ is the absolute deterant to an eternity there.
Finally, someone will try to use evil, or disease, or poverty/injustice, or doubt, or some argument that we cannot see God in order to debate Christianity with you some day. What are you going to say to them? Is this your faith and is He your God? Jesus said in Luke 9:18-20, “Who do you say that I am?” This is the question of the ages!
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