Putting God On Trial

"I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD, and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart" (Jer. 24:7, NASB).   "... 'There is no accountability, since God does not exist'"  (Psalm 10:4, HCSB).  

The Bible assumes the existence of God and is not apologetic; it makes no effort to pander to those who doubt His existence and offer proof. When asked point-blank for evidence to support God's existence, but the skeptic on the defensive and ask him what evidence he's found that God doesn't exist!  Christians put the Lord on trial all the time when they try to "prove" Him or offer evidence in order to convince the skeptic or to argue someone into the kingdom by rationalization or presentation of proofs.  There are indeed several ways to make it seem reasonable to believe in God, but a God who demands evidence isn't worth our worship.  The fact should be obvious and people are without excuse for not believing in God (Christianity isn't about believing in a God, but in the God who is there!); people know the truth and they foolishly suppress it (you have to know it to suppress it!).

When we try to prove God the skeptic is in the position of being the judge ascertaining whether there's enough evidence to convince him.  The power of witness and conviction is in the use of the Word of God, not in our clever argumentation and rationale.  People don't realize it but they claim they know that there is no God, when this is a logical contradiction, which cannot be proved (a universal negative).  Atheism is irrational and intellectually bankrupt and has no basis in fact--the only reason people deny God is out of moral concerns, not intellectual ones--all their questions might be answered and they still wouldn't believe, or they could witness miracles and still not believe.  One must realize that all knowledge begins in a step of faith in which he cannot prove the premise; scientists are people of faith just as much as religious people, they just bet the farm that science has the answer and not God.

Faith is a gift of God and God expects us to use the faith we have if we are to get more; they are all judged according to the God that they did know and the moral principles they were aware of--our works.  God can make a believer out of the most stubborn person and melt his heart into godly faith and repentance from stone to flesh (cf. Ezek. 36:26), as it were.  When we judge God by weighing the evidence we put Him on trial and say He needs our approval and judgment to be legit.  Evidence is only for the believer to strengthen faith that is already there to help him realize the reasonableness of Christianity, as John Locke termed it, just like miracles strengthen and support faith, but note that faith doesn't come from miracles, but miracles from faith!  This is a paradox!

No one can disbelieve in Christ due to lack of evidence, and there is never enough evidence for the stubborn and unwilling skeptic, who is on a power trip or mind game and is engaging in intellectual arrogance, not intellectual honesty.  God promises to bring faith by the hearing of the Word, i.e., preaching!  We should never break faith in the Word as the means to faith, and not our clever proofs.  God needs to open hearts and quicken faith within them for the person to come to saving faith.  Just head knowledge won't do, because God requires believing in the heart with a love for the Lord.  If anyone loves not the Lord, he is anathema, Maranatha, under a curse till Christ comes, according to 1 Cor. 16:22.  We must realize that faith is given, not achieved and those who do believe are not smarter, wiser, more virtuous, nor intelligent than the infidel, but brought to faith by the grace of God and not their own merit or presalvation work.  Grace from beginning to end, as Christ is the Author and Finisher" of our faith.

When the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit falls on those listening and does a work of grace in their hearts--for we are all given a measure of faith and receive the same faith (cf. Rom. 12:3; 2 Pet. 1:1).  Acts 18:27 says that we "believed through grace,"  and this was not because we were out-argued or intellectually convinced, but our hearts were changed by grace.  We have nothing to boast of in God's presence!  Faith is not a work or that would be the beginning of merit-based salvation!  Jesus said that the "work of God is that you believe" in Him, and we are not saved by works of righteousness that we have done (cf. Titus 3:5), but by His purpose and grace alone.  As Paul said, "grace reigns through righteousness," in Romans 5:21 (which means it's irresistible and sovereign).

In the final analysis, God is our judge--we are not His judge!  We are the ones on trial and have been found guilty as sin in need of redemption, justification, reconciliation, and propitiation.  The only ones who find the truth are those who admit they're lost and could be wrong.  Christianity is fact-based and based on historical records, not fable, myth,  hearsay, or man's origin and we don't need all the facts nor all the answers to come to faith, God expects a leap of faith to enter the kingdom and we must trust the Lord for the answers and come to know the Answerer (as Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good," or that the proof of the pudding is in the eating)!

Our assurance is not based on conjecture, but a certainty, as sound as the Word itself.   Bertrand Russell was asked what he would say to God, should he be wrong: "Why didn't you give more evidence?"  He admits there is evidence, after all!  Like I said, there is never enough evidence for the hardened, stubborn heart who doesn't want to obey God, for Jesus said, "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know..." (cf. John 7:17).  The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart! "The fool has said in his heart that there is no God..." (cf. Psalm 14:1, emphasis mine).   Where's the skeptic's heart, not how smart is he?   Just like Paul said in Romans 1, that people refuse to acknowledge God and be thankful and their foolish hearts are darkened--they became fools!

The fact is that God exists and people foolishly suppress what they know about Him due to the calloused hearts.  Paul makes it clear in 2 Tim. 2:25 that repentance precedes knowledge of the truth and Augustine asserted that we believe in order to understand--faith precedes reason!  In other words, we don't argue the way to God, but accept Him as a given and proceed from there to make deductions.  God is the beginning point, not man as the Word says, "In the beginning God..."  Athanasius said it well, "The only system of thought that Christ will fit into is the one where He is the starting point.  Proverbs 1:7 makes my point too: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..."  We commence with God, we don't conclude with Him!

To explain just why we cannot engage in a battle of wits or evidence, is because people always interpret evidence in light of their worldview and the evidence they already accept and assume is true--what they do is "file" it away till they can reconcile or answer it to the satisfaction and worldview; they don't want to believe it or God would open their eyes (cf. John 7:17).  We cannot reason to God, but with God on our side, we reason from God ("In the beginning God..."), for the Bible and logic are OUR weapon!  Remember the ancient axiom:  "All knowledge begins in faith."
 Soli Deo Gloria!         

What Makes Us Human?

Man is not an animal; they want you to believe that because they want to act like animals! We are stewards of the animal kingdom, not part of it.   However, man has no inherent dignity, but only as extrinsic from God, being imago Dei, or in the image of God--bearing the image and likeness of God as His icons, so to speak.  There isn't much worth in being a grown-up germ or glorified monkey!  Even Darwin scoffed at the idea of trusting the convictions of a monkey.

 One news magazine published an article that said we are all "lucky to be here!"  Some biologists believe this Great Lie that man has evolved from the ape (sometimes called the "naked ape"), as a credo that is really a "time-honored, scientific tenet of faith." That means the only reason some scientists believe it is because it's so universally accepted and for such a long time--only recently have serious issues and doubts been raised (in fact it doesn't even fit the definition of scientific theory).   There is no fossil evidence for evolution either, and Darwin said that if the theory were correct, there would be!

It has been said that evolution is unproven and unprovable--it's never been observed, and no one has ever been able to create a new species, much less pull off an origin of life experiment.  Even if you have a primordial soup (where did this soup come from?) perfect with methane, ammonia, water, nitrogen, etc., and jolt it with electric shocks, the simple amino acids formed (the building blocks of protein, which is necessary for life) are destroyed simultaneously by the oxygen in the atmosphere, and they have proved that the early earth atmosphere had oxygen present. Truly, the Achilles' heel of evolution is that they cannot explain what life is, nor explain how it originated--if they have to add an intelligent input, that would prove only that a Creator was in charge.

Now, what does this image mean to us?  Man is like God and God formed us in His image, we didn't form God in ours!   There is a bona fide similarity because God is a person, we are too, and able to communicate with each other; we have a mind to know God, a heart to love Him, and a will to obey Him--animals don't but are driven by instinct.  Man is capable of rebelling against God and going his own way, and he does!  The obvious truth is that if we are persons, God has to be greater than a person or a person Himself to a greater degree in order to create us!  Except for our sin and limited nature, whatever we are as persons, you can say about God.

How are we like God then?  We are rational, emotional, communicative, moral beings, that have dignity, purpose, and meaning in life.  We can relate to God as a person because of this--God is just perfect, infinite, immutable, almighty, invisible, omniscient, holy, etc., and God is Spirit, while we have bodies!    Originally Adam and Eve had no sin and were innocent, not knowing good and evil, nor what that means, but now they are guilty before God as sinners in need of redemption, and this image is marred and will be restored someday in glory.  Being like God, we are creative and have an imagination that can be communicated and enjoyed.

How do we know we are not animals, that we're unique?  Have you ever observed an animal of any species building a chapel, or communicating with God in prayer?  Do animals have a conscience, and feel guilty when they've disobeyed or sinned?  Animals have a will of their own, for sure, but not to disobey or obey God--animals are oblivious to God's presence and dimension.  Only man has the ability to reflect on the past, present, and future, making plans, etc., and to criticize himself or see himself through other people's eyes objectively.  Man alone is rational (you can reason with him, and he can reason and learn from it), and is able to communicate all thoughts and feelings, in written, verbal, and body language.  Man alone judges and this is because he has a conscience that knows right and wrong by nature; you don't call something crooked if you don't have some idea of what straight is.  Man has discernment, the ability to distinguish spirits, and insight; however,  animals have instinct--they're basically creatures in heat, seeking food and shelter, only to perpetuate their kind. Do animals appreciate art and design, though they may be beautiful, none appreciate it, except the opposite sex for the mating ritual?   Do you realize that man alone can enjoy something vicariously?  Man can accumulate and increase a body of knowledge and pass it on to succeeding generations and build civilizations and cultures.  Animals stay at the same level of learning (by instinct) their full lives and never increase in knowledge generation after generation. Animals can mate for life, but they do not fall in and out of love, it's a basic instinct, hormones, and testosterone in action, not the soul or spirit.  Animals, such as dogs and cats can show similar qualities of love and affection but have no desire on the abstract level with God (or ideas, learning, wisdom, causes, etc.), and that dimension of the relationship.

Now, God says in Genesis One that He breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living being (soul)!  This is the distinction:   God has only given man the concept of eternity and the hope of eternal life in his heart, he alone ponders the afterlife and looks for answers to life's spiritual dilemmas. Aren't you glad that you aren't some grand fluke of nature or cosmic accident, but have a reason for being and purpose in life?  And so it's not as simple as the proverb:  To err is human, to forgive divine!   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Jesus And The Samaritan Woman

You may have heard of Good Samaritan laws, whereby the one who attempts to give reasonable aid to a person ill, injured, or in peril is exempt from legal liability--physicians cannot be sued for malpractice!  The point of this episode with the Samaritan woman is to learn to reach out beyond our comfort zones and sphere of influence when the Spirit leads, and to be ready for that opportunity when the door opens--and we should never think anyone is unredeemable or beyond hope or salvation.  The story unfolds as Jesus goes one-on-one with the woman of ill repute and shows that he is not prejudiced, though the disciples seem to be.

The Jews despised the Samaritans (it was a slur word used in a derogatory manner).  They were said to worship at the wrong place (Gerizim, not Zion) and only accepted the Torah's first five books, known as the Pentateuch.  They were seen as worse than Gentiles because they were half-breeds or hybrid Jews and had a religion of syncretism or mixture with foreign gods.  (Prejudice is not based on reason, but emotion, and especially not experience, and shows ignorance or not being up on what you're down on!)

However, Jesus knew they could be saved too and the Great Commission would include them (cf. Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15).  Jesus wasn't ignorant of where she was coming from and didn't speak down to her but reached out to her, knowing where she was spiritual.  The woman was not only a Samaritan, but an outcast due to being divorced five times, and Jesus showed concern for her soul, not trying to pick her up or come on to her.  She noticed that they had something in common ("our father Jacob") and she tried to change the subject when it got personal, but then she noticed Jesus was prophesying.  This was the local meeting place and it was high noon, not the regular time for drawing water, and it looked suspicious from the get-go.

Jesus asked her for water but knew she was thirsty! But what she really needed was Him!   She demurs and hesitates because she didn't think Jews had any dealings with Samaritans--but this one was different and it piqued her interest.  True to himself Jesus was self-advancing or promoting and offered her living water, of which she was ignorant, and this was when Jesus broke the ice and got through to her: it's all about Him and her eyes are opened!

She was confounded, her friends and the disciples were too, who didn't know about the living water that was necessary for spiritual life.  You could say she was taken aback when her spiritual eyes were opened when she saw the light.  Jesus knew what manner of woman she was, yet He treated her with dignity and respect and was polite, not chauvinistic--unheard of in that day.

She changed the subject to worship after Jesus spoke of her husbands and showed signs of guilt and shame, but Jesus accepted her (it's vitally important that we accept the people we're witnessing to and see where they are coming from and relate to it).  The tone of the dialogue shifts to the spiritual and she wonders about where to worship (a legitimate query), but Jesus tells her it's not where but how one worships.

Finally, she shows discernment and is penitent, opens the door to her heart, and accepts Jesus for who He is (you must accept Him on His terms!).  She looked for validation and assurance and Jesus gave it to her.

Jesus makes the final point to the disciples:  the real food in life is doing God's will!   In other words, you will always have the stamina and ability to do God's will, so get with the program!   God's will is fulfilling and rewarding and the only safe place to be!  There is more to life than the mundane (going to the well) and the profane or secular, but the spiritual dimension.

By her witness, there was an evangelistic explosion in Sychar and many came to faith, as she was probably the first evangelist.  The converts wanted to see for themselves and this revival shows how important witnessing is and that God can multiply our efforts, though they may be only one person at first or at a time.

There are several lessons from this episode at Jacob's well:  don't be prejudiced; don't flaunt your faith, which turns people off before the door is opened by the Spirit; don't privatize or be ashamed of your faith either, no matter how small; we all can find a need and fill it and be useful for Jesus in our sphere of influence and circle of friends; we should know the good news and be ready to share it--be prepared like a Boy Scout; we need to relate and listen to people as well as preach and tell the good news; we must learn to personalize our witness to the situation and person and be able to adjust; finally, we need to get the "can't-help-its" or the urge to preach eagerly (cf. 2 Cor. 4:13; Acts 4:20).
Soli Deo Gloria!