The Case for God: Jon’s version
In this article I will attempt to outline why I think there is little doubt that God exists -- and also how I have come to understand that there is a way to relate to Him, and also a way to know for sure that you can get to Heaven. If you haven’t clicked Close yet, then keep going and enjoy the read! At least you will know a little bit more about what makes me tick…..
Love and the Ten Commandments
Here’s the thing: human beings all grow up knowing what love is, and that it really does exist. Animals in the wild do not experience love, your housecat or dog cannot love the same way you can. They respond to kindness with affection, they are happy to see you because you feed them, and you can even teach them little tricks. But affection, contentment, and behavioral responses are not Love (in the human sense).
Parents; would you not sacrifice anything for your children? Would you not put up with just about any abuse, donate your kidney, “throw yourself in front of that car” to save them? Of course you would. So here is the thing: where does this altruistic and unabashed love come from? Certainly everyone may not possess this (nor even every parent), but the fact that it exists demands an explanation. Where does it originate? It does not come from Nature; time and evolution play no role in developing such strange behaviors as love. Evolution and Nature can only explain self-preservation and survival of the fittest. I’m afraid it cannot come close to explaining love.
Love is not a product of teaching or a learned response. Argument: my children grow up loving and well adjusted because we have raised them in a loving and nurturing household. Both of these things may be true, but had they grown up with dreadful parents in an awful household, they are still aware of love, and in fact still SEEK after love just the same. These kids have the same need for it as you and I – they have “the void” that can only be filled by this love. So then, where does this need come from? It has no part with Darwin. They can have a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, etc. But love is still different, it still stands alone. It is unique.
In fact love comes from God. There really is no other explanation. It is not a by-product of Natural Selection, its existence is not dependant on upbringing or learned behaviors, and it does not evolve over time. It is just there. It is this undefined existence of the greatest human achievement that gives away its Creator and grants testimony to God.
The Ten Commandments
So then, what would a loving God do for a species of creature such as us? We have the Bible, we have Church, we have the Creation around us. Churches (while necessary and wonderful) are run by people – therefore they are imperfect. Creation is all around us, but we need not spend too much time discussing science vs. God, even though the two are actually closely interrelated. Let’s talk a bit about the Bible then, specifically the 10 commandments.
Let’s look at all 10 below (my own interpretation in parenthesis after each one):
1.) You shall have no other gods before me (worship the one true God please!)
2.) You shall have no graven images (don’t bow down to something man-made)
3.) Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain (Stop using Jesus Christ or God in your cursing)
4.) Remember the Sabbath (go to church on Sunday, not to work)
5.) Honor thy Father and Mother (respect your parents)
6.) Thou Shalt not murder (don’t murder in the criminal sense, and ALSO don’t harbor anger)
7.) Thou Shalt not commit adultery (no illicit affairs – this includes lusting in general)
8.) Thou Shall not steal
9.) Do not bare False Witness against thy neighbor (no lying)
10.)Do not Covet (a greedy heart; don’t lust after your friend’s car, house, etc.)
This is what God has told us needs to be done throughout our whole lives to gain entry into Heaven when we die. Can you claim that you have followed all of these commandments your whole life? I haven’t either! In fact given our nature, it is impossible! In our conscience we know that all of these things are true and righteous, it’s just that all of us fall short in one way or another. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t, right?
So then, how DO we end up in Heaven?!?!?! Ever notice that this is the part of the conversation where most people either A.) stop listening, or B.) walk away? It is easier to say, “How can we possibly know God’s plan” or “there is more than one way up the mountain”. Here is the thing: many of us stop when it gets tough. We believe in God, but do not investigate Him for ourselves. We believe in Heaven, but we think that it is a default destination – that everyone will end up there no matter what (no thanks to Sylvia Brown, John Edwards, and the like!).
The Reality of Heaven and the Road Map to get there
Thank you for reading this far. I am almost done! Here is the plain truth as I have come to understand it:
We are here on this planet to love each other, to help each other, and to develop our walk of faith with God. Most people have no problem with this. Here is the other part…. God has in fact provided a way that we can 1.) get to Heaven, and 2.) live fulfilled lives even on Earth. That Way is through Jesus Christ. He is God’s provision for mankind. Once we do the hard work of admitting that just maybe we may have sinned and fallen short of the 10 commandments in some way during our life, that we just may need forgiveness for these sins, and that we can accept the reality of Jesus – we are reconciled to God. In other words, the Goodness of God that is contained in Christ can begin to exist in us. Until this point we are just privy to a small part of “the Truth”. Some people never get over this hurdle. Many people stay in this comfort zone their entire lives. I would implore you to at least check out Christianity. Not necessarily church, or even the Christian down the street that should treat people nice, but doesn’t – but to investigate the New Testament and Christ.
The Best for Last.
If any of this has made sense in any way, and you are interested in actually knowing God and being certain that your default destination IS Heaven, then pray the prayer below. Whisper it to yourself and mean it in your heart:
“Dear God, I understand that I am a sinner and in need of your forgiveness. I accept your son Jesus into my heart and into my home. Please come into my life, and save me into Heaven.”
Okay, so What’s Next?
Here are some good resources to help you on your way to “investigating Christianity”:
1.) Acquire or borrow a Bible and take a look at the New Testament. There are a few language versions out there that are QUITE a bit easier to understand the King James: my favorite is the NIV version (New International Version).
2.) Check out some good books on Christianity: The Case for Christ and The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel are two of my favorites.
3.) Ask a Christian friend that you trust. Maybe attend a church service with them. Even ask me about it!
4.) Pray. Don’t trust other people to give you a straight answer? Ask God directly. Then sit back and watch as He puts people or places in your path that answer your questions.
5.) Not enough time to read? Try one of these web-sites:
http://www.wayofthemaster.com/ http://www.medjugorje.org/index.html http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Love_Worth_Finding/ http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/unlocking_the_bible/
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