BELIEF IN GOD:

Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God MUST believe that He IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

This is our "starting place" regarding God. Notice the word "must." God insists that every man resolve this within himself, that God exists. The fact is, that every man already knows within himself that God is there, for God created humankind with an inner spiritual awareness. A human being is in fact a spirit, a spirit-being. That spirit has a mind. This spiritual and mental complex resides within a physical body. Man's spirit within him knows that God exists. But through the fall of our ancestor Adam, the human race is in sin, and every human being is born in a state of corruption, tainted by sin. Every man has a "sin nature" before he is regenerated through coming to Christ. Still, even before faith in Christ, a human being has "spiritual senses" and instinctively knows God exists, and knows that we should seek to be united with Him, our Creator. Each of us has a faculty called the "conscience." It is the inner voice that tells a human being that a thing is "right or wrong." That "voice" is actually the "voice" of the human spirit. God is not requiring much at all when He says each of us "must" believe that He is, for we already instinctively feel that He is, and our conscience bears witness with that feeling in our spirit. But the corruption of the world, sin, and the sin nature, have "muddied the waters." Man is sinful, and his tendency to love sin works within him an evil motive for wanting to not "face" the fact of what he senses within. Fallen man's will and "wish" is sometimes to be "free" of awareness of God, so as to not have to be "bothered" with the implications of what that necessitates; Giving the Creator His rightful place in our life, finding out what God's will and way is, and walking in subjection to God as one of His created beings. Man, in his corruption, realizes what truly acknowledging God will mean, and so, some men try to "turn off" that awareness of God they were born with. Some men have deliberately buried their inner awareness that God exists, covered it over with layers of worldliness, and sometimes have done so with philosophies that help "block it out." Romans 1:22 says, " Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." It is amazing, that while such men make themselves think the "unbelief" they are "layering upon" their spirit and their conscience is "wise" or "intellectual," they are actually crippling and stifling, suffocating, some of their own human faculties. Deliberately burying your own senses, blocking out your God consciousness, is about as "wise" or "intellectual" as blinding one of your eyes would be, or destroying the hearing in one of your ears, with a sharp intrument. Indeed, " professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God." Notice that as I said above, God associates atheism with corruption, and mentions it in connection with abominable works." It is a history lesson, a lesson in the history of human morals. It is a process as certain as the law of gravity. When a society, or an individual, loves certain sins, or "abominable works," and wants those sins to be free to spread and operate, or when an individual wants to be free from the pain he feels from the voice of the inner conscience, he, and society, will naturally be tempted to believe "there is no God!" The motive is to relieve guilt, or, to be free of the responsibility to "get with" this God. That is why God tells us there is a direct association between atheism and sin. It does not mean that all atheists necessarily practice more heinous sins than others. No. It is more a history lesson in how a society can become this way. An individual atheist today is not necessarily the very person that "invented" his atheism so that sin can be condoned. But the society that handed him the philosophy of atheism did. That is the history of the philosophy. Earlier in history, wicked men who loved thier sins and wanted to shut out the voice of God so that sin would be condoned, deliberately blocked out that voice with the rebellious and defiant cry, "There is no God!" When that atheism afterward was permitted to circulate in society and take root, and become acceptable thought, it was passed down in books, passed down in institutions, and even passed down in families. So an individual today may indeed unwisely embrace the philosophy of atheism even though he is not one of the early rebels who did so because of the love of sin. But he is "inheriting" or falling for a mindset that has that corrupt history behind it. Although not every individual atheist has fallen for atheism due to the love of sin, he is indeed embracing a philosophy and mindset that came into the world through those who God says were "corrupt" and did "abominable works" and were against the "good" of God. Such men were the "forefathers" of atheism. If an atheist denies that he himself has the motive of wanting sin condoned, he might do well to reconsider whether that is really the "ancestry" he wants. It's not the best "family tree," to belong to, as philosophies go.

Our beginning text, Hebrews 11:6, again, says, "without faith it is impossible to PLEASE him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." There is also a certain sort of "atheist" who is not fully convinced of his atheism. He secretly hides within himself a nagging sense of "what if?" Notice the word "please" in Hebrews. God is displeased with the atheist, and it is impossible for the atheist to do anything whatsoever that pleases Him. God will not receive it. There are indeed those in this world who profess with their mouths that they are "atheists." At least that is what they tell their friends and associates. Therefore in their social circle they feel they are exempt from any and all claims that "religion" could make upon them. But secretly, because within they ask, "what if?" this sort of "pseudo-atheist" sometimes goes about setting up a facade of manufactured "goodness." He might donate money to save the whales, or the rain forest, or to fight AIDS in Africa. And our "pseudo-atheist" secretly feels in his subconscious that "just in case" there is a future judgement or accountablity to a "God" out there, then perhaps these "good deeds" will accrue to his account. Our "pseudo-atheist" may devote himself faithfully to one spouse, and boast that he does not cheat on her. He may be kind to animals. He may give ten pounds to a beggar on the street. This sort of "pseudo-atheist" who secretly thinks "what if?" often becomes manifest, his "cover is blown," as they say, when in conversations in which belief in God comes up, this person always pops out with suggestions that he is not a "bad" person, or that he does some "good" things that not even some "religious" people do. If it is he himself who initiates and raises the mention of "good" and "bad" or "right" and "wrong" when God is mentioned, he is condemning himself out of his own mouth. He is making God "good," and belief in Him "good," while hoping to suggest that he can do "that" without God. He hopes he can do the "good" of God, apart from any obligation to God. But God has a message to this sort of "pseudo-atheist:" He says, "without faith it is impossible to PLEASE him." The secret hope the "pseudo-atheist" entertains, that some of his "good" will save him (or should) from damnation "just in case" this God he professes to not believe in, is real, is a vain hope. No clever efforts to "rack up points" with God will succeed. The individual must frankly, plainly, unequivocably believe in God. God rejects every channel but faith.

Above, we looked primarily at the INNER man, that God has created man with a spirit, an inner spiritual faculty that knows God exists, and we looked at inner motives in men's minds.

God has supplied man with another "WITNESS" of His existence. Man may delude and decieve himself within his own heart and mind, and is capeable of dulling his own inner senses and shutting out the voice of his own conscience, but God has not left the matter to how "sensitive" man is within. God has AVALANCHED man under an infinite volume of proof that He exists. Man is as submerged in and surrounded by God's proofs as a fish in the Atlantic is surrounded by water.

God says in His Word that man can clearly see all the proof he could possibly need, by looking at the CREATION around him. I quoted just a part of a Bible verse above. Here it is with more of it written out:

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" Romans 1:20-22.

Proof of the invisible God is CLEARLY SEEN by merely looking at the universe. That includes EVERYTHING in Creation; a man's own heart pumping blood within him when he is asleep, unconscious, his own eyes seeing color and beauty, his own ears hearing lovely music or a mountain stream, his own heart feeling fondness toward a little puppy, his own flesh healing itself after a cut, his own hunger for knowledge, his wish to know what is in outer space, his love of art and song and poetry, the desire for things that are aesthetically pleasing. Man's own mind and body are the created handiwork of God. One doesn't need to look far at all, to see God's wonders. The mere fact, that unlike the animals, man can ask the question, "Where did the universe come from?" is a display of the handiwork of God.

Romans 1:20 is brought out wonderfully in numerous translations. The characteristics of the invisible God "have been made visible to the eye of REASON, in the things He has made" (NEB). "... have been made intelligible and and CLEARY VISIBLE by His works" (Wms), "... even His eternal POWER and DIVINE character" (Gspd), "so that they may be WITHOUT EXCUSE" (TCNT).

Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."

To loosely paraphrase, the universe itself is a BIBLE with its pages wide open before us, testifying of God and converting our hearts to Him.

It is no coincidence that SCIENCE, the field of studying the Creation, is an area where Satan attacks with fury, and is an area of knowledge that the haters of God feel driven to meddle in and to utilize. It is, for one, an area that Satan knows plainly shows men the truth of God, and so he wants to cast up as many puzzles and contradictions as he can, and secondly, men themselves, men who don't WISH God to be acknowledged, SEE PLAINLY the message of the Creation, that it trumpets God's power and wisdom all day long, and so they, like Satan, are moved in a frenzy to generate as many puzzles or contradictions as they can. Because God's Creation all around us is His message, "Behold! Here I am!" demons and men driven by demons, have rushed in and made "science" a battleground.

But the attempt to make "science" the domain of devoted secularists will fail, for the simple reason that God is the Maker, the Creator, the Designer and the Sustainer of all Creation. Every star in every galaxy, and every electron within every atom inside the bloodstream of every scientist, is singing God's praise and teaching His Truth. The bigger they make the computers, and the farther they can see with telescopes, and the smaller worlds they can discover with microscopes, the better, for it all only shows more of God's handiwork. Science is studying God's Big Book whether some men realize it or not, and all they will end up with is MORE to give God glory for.

Occasionally a so-called "scholar" or "scientist" comes up with something he claims contradicts the Bible. Not one such claim by a so-called "scientist" in the past has survived the test of time. EVERY such "discovery" has been found to be wrong, by the next scientists that come along. They find that the earlier claim was based on a wrong premise or assumption, and a new breakthrough in science has ALWAYS come along that abolishes the former claim. This has ALWAYS been what happens. It is sad during the short season while one of those claims is enjoying publicity and popularity. Some enjoy prominence for a month, some for a year, and sadly, some have prevailed and confused humankind for fifteen years or even thirty. But always, BETTER SCIENCE eventually comes along, MORE ADVANCED discoveries are made, and the reign of the bad "science" finally crumbles, and science marches on. The science textbooks in colleges need to be tossed out all the time and replaced by those that contain the new understanding. No college of any serious reputation is teaching science today from the textbooks it used fifty years ago. To ask the simple question, "Why not?" tells the whole story.

My exhortation to the scientists of the world, is "KEEP GOING! Keep up the research! It just gets better and better. If every so often a puzzle arises that causes consternation, don't everybody have a tizzy, just KEEP LEARNING MORE, and it will work out."

There are true scientists, and, there are petty pseudo-scientists who have a grudge against religion, men with an agenda beyond actual science.

There are true scholars, and, there are men who pass for "scholars," but whose motive is to make war on God.

The genuine scholar and genuine scientist (and there are many) is devoted to discovering what IS, irregardless of his bias or predjudice. The true scientist wants the FACTS discovered, wants the TRUTH of things to be known. He does not operate with a personal "axe to grind" and BEND science into an instrument for promoting his own social biases. Whenever you hear some so-called "scholar" arrogantly stating that something of "science" aids in refuting religion, if you really take a look, you find that the speaker is NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER, one of the actual scientists that are in there doing clinical research and producing discoveries. This sort of speaker is ALWAYS only running around using as a banner for his anti-religious cause, what SOMEONE ELSE has supposedly discovered. NO ACTUAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST is ever such a speaker. The speaker might claim to be USING the discoveries OF one, but he never IS one. And that's because our actual scientists are men WITHOUT such agendas. THEIR love is SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. And they are no threat to TRUTH. All they can do is discover MORE and MORE of God's wonderful universe. And I say, more power TO them!

The ONLY times in history when so-called "science" has supposedly made life tough for Christians, is when so-called "scholars" have actually STOPPED science at a point where a puzzle that the Godless find "delicious" has been found. Instead of urging scientific discovery to KEEP ADVANCING, these "scholars" want science to STOP and PARK PERMANENTLY on that thing, at that stage. They say, "Ah Ha! This is it!" The Godless care more about doing all the damage they can to religion, than they care about science. At the moment of publicity, this sort seeks to achieve maximum damage to Christianity. Their disregard for true science is soon evident however, when science MARCHES ON and abandons that view the Godless were cheering about. When these men see science PROCEEDING ONWARD, past the error, this sort actually PARTS WAYS with the scientific community and digs in their heels back at the stage of the error, and they still try to get all the mileage they can out of the error, keep it in the textbooks even after science has abandoned it, and keep schoolteachers echoing the old error as long as possible. But eventually the true science prevails, the textbooks are again changed, and the Godless who had enjoyed a moment of gloating fall silent.

The characteristics of the invisible God are made visible to the eye of REASON, in the things He has made. They are made intelligible and and CLEARY VISIBLE by His works, even His eternal POWER and DIVINE character, so that man is WITHOUT EXCUSE.


BELIEF IN GOD is primary, among our "First Things."