God? No God? Who is Right?
Or, are both credible and correct?
On the basis of worldly credibility, even the Bible acknowledges believers in “No God!” have advantages and the upper hand because, in general, they are those who have, from all appearances, made life seemingly “work” better for them – they are the richer and stronger as compared to the typical average believer. For, as the Bible itself describes God-believers:
God chose the foolish things of the world . . . God chose the weak things . . . He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not . . . 1Co 1:27-28
Those “of the world,” based on their lack of any encounter with God (nonbelievers and the many nominal “Christians” who claim to believe in God), dismiss Him as not genuine or, if real, not involved with, in control of or engaged to ANY degree personally with individuals. In stark contrast, there are many many people, historically and currently, who claim to have experienced and encountered God in many ways – through receiving His help time and again, seeing His miracles, hearing His Voice and talking with Him . . .
Does the right answer to “God? No God?”, then, depend on our relative positions? Is the correct answer based on believers’ professed encounters with God versus a lack of any discernible experience for unbelievers, making this the deciding factor in the reasonable answer? Are the “everything is relative” proponents correct after all (at least for this one issue)?
A logical analogy and question would be: Is NASCAR real? To most people it is not while for others it can be almost all-consuming. Is NASCAR real or unreal? From a practical standpoint it is either depending on a particular person’s perspective. And even for a single person, NASCAR (or God) can, at differing times ? in different situations, be real or unreal.
For God-believers, the great challenge of maturing in Christ is making Him, over time, more and more real in our lives, and to do so in everyday and practical ways. To highlight this, Jesus warned:
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" John 3:12
Just as He underscored the very practical truth that faith is seldom all or nothing, but in degrees, waxing and waning:
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
The Bible presents an excellent analysis and comparison of believers vs. nonbelievers: how they think, act, their passions and interests, how they spend their time and money, why they have such a hard time getting along with each other and, in extending their present life’s trajectory, where they are headed unless dramatic actions or interventions occur to change directions. The Bible knows and explains both the believing and unbelieving mind better than any other books or teachers describe either, indeed of all other books combined trying to explain the thinking of both mindsets! God does so to warn unbelievers and encourage believers. For surely, believers need great encouragement in the face of an increasingly greater and more broad-based “sophistication” resulting from more money, education, personal legal freedoms (to, in many cases, destroy ourselves or “legally” take advantage of and rip off the weaker, poorer and more disadvantaged) – as more and more people join the ranks of the rich, wise and powerful.
In life there are clearly those who are excited and energized by what authentic believers call sin:
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21
About whom the Bible warns three times of the very real possibility that they will be included in those about which we are told:
God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts . . . God gave them over to shameful lusts . . . he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. Ro 1:24-28
Until they, by their stubborn, prideful and repeated refusals, are no longer capable of hearing God’s warnings to repent from their bondage to sin and accept His offers of freedom and great blessings:
“I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Mt 12:31
This, in contrast to the believer, who by God’s Grace receives His Grace-faith and, as a result, is
inspired and encouraged in the Grace/Holy Spirit-motivated pursuit of Better in all areas of Life (for the maturing believer everything of Life is becoming Spiritual!): Mental, Physical, Emotional, Relational, Work, Rest, Financial, Cleaning & Upkeep, Recreation & Entertainment and Personal Grooming & Hygiene.
Or viewed from the positive and negative:
God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. Ro 2:6-8
God’s charge, promise and Grace to the believer is:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Col 3:23-24
Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8-9
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal 5:22-26
We can and must, as believers, see this as our increasing opportunity, blessing and reality. And we are wise to test these truths now, versus waiting until God gives us His pre-warned great short test at life’s end, when correction becomes impossible. We are told to:
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? 2Co 13:5
Fortunately, the Bible offers hope, help and vision to those who are not currently believers (a point at which every current believer was at one point in time) by directing them to look way ahead and way up to see how “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” Rev 2:17 everyone really is in the face of soon or sooner coming trials and realities that leave even the world’s “best and brightest” (richest, most powerful . . .) without any time, money, power, hope or help. This is the paradox of God’s Good News: alerting us to these dangers and telling us to “Wake up!”, humble ourselves and listen to those we likely consider inferior, who say they have encountered a real God from whom they have and are receiving tangible and meaningful help and hope! And, as well, to humble ourselves and read the Book these people claim is the Word of God with its promised offered personal revelation and enlightenment.
Will we? Some will, while the Bible tells us, many more tragically won’t. But just imagine the blessing to those who can say they now believe because God has revealed Himself to them, that they are now experiencing His reality, what they now claim as by far the greatest of all truths and realities of life! They will echo, as all believers will, what Paul said in comparing all he (and they) before held as so important to their new-found relationship with Christ:
Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:7-11
A trading of the temporal, however great we imagine it is, for the eternal, much much greater, blessings. And the GREAT cry of joy that their truth and reality of “No God” having been replaced with an experiential truth and reality that not only is there a God, but that “He is my PERSONAL God now and forever!”
God? No God? Who is Right? In a sense, the two groups of competing believers are living in parallel worlds and realities, one with God and the other without Him. Both are right. Everyone, throughout history, has had to make a personal choice to believe or they remain, on their own, in unbelief. Jesus’ command to everyone:
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . . Ps 95:7-8,Heb 3:7, 3:15 & 4:7
“Stop doubting and believe.” Jn 20:27
And we will hear, as He promises time and again in the Bible, if we humble ourselves, begin the never-ending repenting process and as Jesus further says “to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Lk 11:9-10
Which side of right are you currently on?
If on the “No God” side, repent (turn)
so you face God and can see and hear Him,
rather than having your back to Him!
God is real!