reality of God Archives | Mary Jo Sharp

People Will Live What They Believe – Part One

Posted on January 31, 2009October 17, 2015 by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

“People may not always live what they profess, but they will always live what they believe.” Neil T. Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness, pg.124. Anderson’s powerful words hit at the very heart of the Christian’s life. It is one thing to live your life while professing Christianity. It is yet another thing to live your life believing the Christian message to be the truth about reality. To believe that Jesus was actually God entails some transforming factors: 1) God is real; there is more than just the natural world; 2) God has been, is, and will be active in the lives of his creation; and 3) What God says about us is the truth about us. 1) I still think many Christians have a difficult time with this first point. We are so inundated by naturalistic biases that we begin to question why it is that we think there is something other than strictly matter (these biases, related to “plausibility structures,” are aptly covered in the book, “In Search of a Confident Faith” by Moreland and Issler.) Doubt is not the problem here. Many people will have doubts, as can be seen even in the Scriptures; in the case of Thomas questioning Jesus (John20:25-28), and in the case of Paul and the Bereans (Acts 17: 10-12). The problem is the response to doubt. An inappropriate response would be to allow the doubt to continue without a proper investigation into both sides of the concerning issue. Then the doubt can become an emotional commitment without proper reasoning or without being intellectually honest. An appropriate response would be to read arguments on both sides of the issue causing the doubt—in this case in the area of metaphysics (metá = beyond, physiká = physical)—and to grapple with the arguments presented. There are many articles and books at differing levels for a person to begin their investigation; from a very introductory level to a very experienced level. Christians, who doubt, need to be honest with themselves and deal with the reality of God’s existence. Why do they believe God is real? What has brought them to this knowledge? Can they articulate that belief? In order to live like God is real, we first must believe the foundational premise that God is real. When Thomas was presented with reasonable evidence, he professed Jesus as God. When the Bereans were presented with a case for Jesus as God, they went home and checked it out for themselves; with many then professing Jesus as God. Without establishing each argument, a quick list of arguments for God’s existence to check out include: 1. The Cosmological Argument – Kalam Cosmological Argument – Thomist Cosmological Argument – Leibnizian Cosmological Argument 2. The Design Argument – The Anthropic Principle – Information as Design – Irreducible Complexity 3. The Moral Argument – Relativism – Conventionalism – Ethical Subjectivism – Objective Morality – Where Do Morals Come From? 4. The Argument from Consciousness 5. The Argument from Beauty 6. The Argument from Evil A good beginning resource for these arguments is The Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics by Doug Powell of www.selflessdefense.com . Most of the arguments listed plus the argument from consciousness (from the mind) and the argument from beauty can be found in Scaling the Secular City by J.P. Moreland; along with many more not mentioned here. I have listed these arguments because it is important that Christians know there are numerous arguments that deal directly with the existence of God; not as a thorough treatment of any argument. I’ll continue with the points two and three later. MJ

Are Christians Living like God is a Real Being?

Posted on June 16, 2008April 25, 2020 by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

Tonight, I stare at the computer screen a bit heavy-hearted once again over the same question. Why do Christians struggle so greatly with obeying the Word of God? There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books written on how to live the Christian life. There are conferences, sermon series, Bible studies, and retreats all about improving your walk with God. And, of course, there is the Word of God; the best material on the most important matters in life (a Dallas Willard quote). And yet, we still fail.

We have all the information we need for success, and yet we choose otherwise. Why?I expect most people would give me a Systematic Theology answer about the fallen nature of man. While this answer is definitely a part of the problem, I’d like to explore another area. Because what I am seeing is not just great leaders falling prey to grievous sin, but a daily pettiness about the details of life. One reason for this behavior that I have noticed over the years is not all Christians understand God to be a real being. I do not mean a real idea or a real teaching, but a real being like your parents, spouse, children, or friend. It would be extremely difficult to go to church with your family and then go home and act as though your family does not exist. However, some Christians go to church and then go home and act as if God does not exist. Embarrassingly, some Christians even act as if God does not exist while they are at church. This is such odd behavior for the body of Christ who claim to have the most powerful, intelligent, and loving being dwelling inside of them.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” Plus, the God who indwells us is described in 1 Chronicles 29: 11, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.” This is the God who is in us! Yet, I see so many defeated Christian lives. In fact, this behavior reminds me of the agnostic view about God; that perhaps there is a being that created everything, but we cannot really know that being. The agnostic view would explain a behavioral pattern of going to church and then going home quite unchanged and indifferent. Christians, on the other hand, do not believe in a nebulous creator that cannot be known.

In fact, the New Testament writers affirm the certainty with which believers can know the reality of God:Luke 1:1-4, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”2 Peter 1:16, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” These authors viewed God as a real being, and Jesus Christ as his real Son. They are essentially saying, “I was there and I saw these things with my own eyes.” No wonder they were able to suffer and die for God, because they had a reasonable understanding that God was real! So I am wondering if we would see a notable difference in the behaviors or attitudes of the body of Christ if all believers could articulate why they believe that God exists (apart from the answer of “the Bible says so”)? At the very least, would Christians be able to better prioritize what is petty from what is important in life if we could grasp hold of the reality of the God who indwells us?