Articles
Four Reasons to Believe
Some define faith as “belief in something you know ain’t so” or “the illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.” But Biblical faith is not unthinking, irrational or gullible. Rather, faith is the measured step we take based on evidence provided by God himself -— “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).
There is confidence in that step of faith because there is a sure foundation of trust beneath it. Though the Bible makes extraordinary claims, we have strong reasons for believing in the existence of God and the truthfulness of his promises. We can see four of those reasons by looking back, looking up, looking down and looking in.
Look back to the beginning of the universe. Just in the last 100 years, the majority of scientists have come to believe that the universe had a beginning. We are able to detect the expansion of the universe in size in all directions indicating a fixed starting point in time and space. In other words, as Stephen Hawking said, “the universe has not existed forever… it had a beginning.”
The opening verses of the Bible give a reason for that beginning: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). If God did not create the universe, then what is the alternative? Many say that it simply came into existence for no apparent reason. But can something come from nothing? If the universe has a beginning, there must be a reason—a cause—for its existence.
Look up to see a universe finely tuned for life. Imagine a poker player who draws twelve straight royal flushes, the odds of which are about the same as winning the lottery twelve times in a row. Something similar could be said with respect to the universe. There are many features of creation that need to be precisely as they are for life to be possible, not just life on Earth or life as we know it, but any form of life anywhere. How are we to explain these amazing “coincidences”? The rational conclusion is that the universe is not a chance result of random forces but rather the result of a purposeful and powerful mind. Paul says God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)
Look down into the empty tomb. The historical evidence of Jesus’ bodily resurrection agrees with what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, that he was raised from the dead and appeared before many people. Christians proclaimed this resurrection even under threat of death. Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor in the first century wrote, “I ask them if they are Christians, and if they admit it, I repeat the question a second and a third time, with a warning of the punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution.” What alternatives are there to Jesus’ resurrection? Was it a legend? History shows it takes about three generations for a legend to develop yet Christians were proclaiming his resurrection immediately after it took place. A hallucination? Could hundreds of people have seen the same hallucination? Not likely. Was it all an elaborate lie? What would these Christians have to gain from lying? Poverty, prison and persecution awaited them. Or could it be that God “has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31)?
Look in the pages of Scripture. For me, more than all the philosophical and scientific arguments, the Bible itself is Christianity’s most powerful apologetic. And not just the proofs for the inspiration of Scripture either, but the message of the gospel, the beautiful story that unfolds to show God’s unconquerable love toward you and me, people who are so flawed and reprehensible, and yet are meant to be the recipients of his transforming grace! — Jerome Sasanecki
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The matter of how one believes is one that is often a point of disagreement, but few seem to want to really know what the Bible teaches so they can come to an agreement — so they can know the truth. Many are content with accepting what others have told them — without ever checking the Scriptures to see if it agrees — and many more are content to simply formulate their own personal beliefs about how one believes, with no Scriptural basis whatsoever.
But, as with any spiritual matter, we should be most concerned with what God says on the matter. And how one believes is no different. Let’s see what the Bible says, and then let us then resolve to accept these things as the only pattern for how one believes today, for they are the only examples we may know with absolute certainty were approved of God.
The Conversion of Cornelius. (Acts 10; Acts 11:13, 14) If we consider the example of the first Gentiles converted, we find Cornelius was told by an angel to “call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” Note, first, it was words “by which” they would be saved; without these words which came to them, they would not be saved. But what words did Peter bring to them that had such power?
Later, when Peter explained this to those in Jerusalem who were gathered to settle the matter of whether circumcision was necessary, he told them he was sent by God to them, that they “should hear the word of the gospel and believe” (Acts 15:7). Let us note it was the gospel which Peter spoke to them. Should we be surprised to read that the gospel has such power? We should not be surprised (Rom. 1:16)!
The Parable of the Sower. (Luke 8:4-15) In explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus plainly said, “The seed is the word of God” He further stated that the seed that fell on the good ground represented those “who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” But let us note that none of those who believed did so without the sowing of the word of God. There is no belief without the preaching or teaching of the word of God!
Plain Statements. John concluded the record of his gospel by summing it up in this way: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30, 31). Again, it is the written word of God that can cause one to believe! Jesus even prayed, in one of His last recorded prayers, “for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20); He was praying for all future believers who would become believers through the preaching of the apostles! This, of course, agrees with what Paul wrote: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Faith, or belief, does not come by a miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit to cause one to believe, but when honest hearts hear or read the written word of God, the gospel.
Unfortunately, many today have no idea what to believe, or even how to believe, and they falsely believe and are falsely told that they are saved. Please know that without true faith, we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6). Do you have true faith? — Steven Harper
