Why I Believe in God

Recently I have had conversations with two very intelligent millennials who claimed to be atheist. In both instances, we were engaged in an extended conversation that was not about religion at all. In both cases I was asked why I believed there was a God. They seemed to accept me as a fairly intelligent person and could not understand how I could believe in God and all of the things that seemed to go along with that belief like seven-day creation and a literal flood.

I said, “I believe in God because there is love in the world and I cannot find anything in the history of mankind that leads me to believe we invented that concept. Mankind left to their own devises do not love by nature. I used to make a speech titled, Self-made Man, a Horrible Example of Unskilled Labor.

I also believe in and am a fan of Jesus Christ because of how He lived and what He taught. That life and those teachings also had to come from an outside source. As to the creation and the flood, my faith does not hang on either of those. My faith hangs on the person Jesus Christ. Disprove creation and or the flood and it has no impact on my believing or following the person of Jesus.

I visited with a man named Bob each Monday for the last year of his life. He was an honest seeker for truth and we had wonderful struggles together. Shortly before he died he asked me a profound question, he said, “If there were no heaven or hell would you still be a Christian?” I did not answer him flippantly nor on the spot. I thought about it for some time and in the process learned much about myself and my faith. May I share a few of the things I learned? There is not room here for all of them but maybe two or three will give some idea. My answer was a resounding yes. If there was no heaven and no hell I would still be a follower of Jesus. Because:

HE GAVE ME A GOD I COULD LOVE AND WHO LOVED ME

Jesus came as the exegesis of God. that is a big word that sounds like something a monk might say, but it has great meaning. Exegesis means to display something at its maximum of beauty. Like a diver going down into the sea finding a pearl and bringing it up to the sunlight to show off its shimmering beauty. Or like a jeweler showing a diamond ring, most have a pad of dark velvet under a light that disperses its rays from all directions to pick up each facet of the diamond to show it in tis true and maximum beauty.

Jesus came to show us who God is in all of His beauty. “And the word became flesh and we beheld His glory the glory of the Father full of grace and truth.”

“In Him dwelt all of the Godhead bodily”

His words, “If you have seen me you have seen the father. We are one.”

That means God is just like Jesus. He loves like Jesus loves. He forgives like Jesus forgives, He accepts like Jesus accepted, and He does that all of the time. This is not how God behaves on His good days or on our good days. This is how He is.

I can draw near a God like that. I can trust a God like that. I can love a God like that.

HE GAVE ME A WAY TO LIVE I CAN FOLLOW

Jesus did more than just die on the cross for our sins. He also lived among us as a human experiencing what we experience and facing what we face. Tempted in all the ways we are and understanding how hard those are for us to face. He also came as the exegesis of life at its best.

He spoke what I consider the most profound and the most practical words ever spoken when He said, “If you want to save your life you must lose it.” The closer I get to that the healthier I am mentally, physically, and spiritually. The further away from that, I become I am more-unhealthy and more self-absorbed. If I get far enough away from that I am capable of doing horrible things to myself and others. Everything He taught and lived among us is encased in those simple words.

HE MADE IT SIMPLE ENOUGH FOR A CHILD TO UNDERSTAND

He came to a world so hidebound with rules and laws they could do nothing but try to appease a God they thought was angry and vengeful. And today He faces our world so tied up in theological discourse and opinions we can do little more than argue with one another and spend our energies putting others down so we can feel superior. To both worlds He said. Love God, love your neighbor and love yourself. He went on to say all the law and all the prophets are fulfilled in that. He was the first one to invent the KISS which means keep it simple stupid.

HE GAVE ME A CHALLENGE TO WORK ON ALL OF MY LIFE

He said, “FOLLOW ME.” ’Nuff said.