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, put 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 arguments and rationales. 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 the 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. 16:26. 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 pre-salvation 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 of 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 a 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! As 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!


Po