Is there a God, if we do not know Him face to face?
Recently, a young Pastor fresh out of seminary, from another denomination in my community, contacted me frantic over a situation he was experiencing. It seems a school aged boy in his church called him very upset stating, "that his new step dad was not going to allow him to attend Sunday School and Church any longer, because he does not believe in God." The mother simply told the child he would have to do as his new dad insisted, "to keep peace in the new family." The Pastor asked me how was he to address the issue and of course my first words were, "CAREFULLY."
I told the novice Pastor that he would run into these type situations along the way and needed to prepare himself for them. In this day and age, those type situations are indeed now a fact of life. He asked me how would I personally go about dealing with this and I told him first he needed to pray and seek the Father for answers, but I could lead him in the right direction since he came to me about the situation.
I reminded him of the Scripture over in John 1:10, which states, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not".
Just because we do not know God does not mean He does not exist. It is easy to believe the world is round or that our world revolves around the sun. We believe it because scientists have been able to measure and observe the Earth. With God, He is outside our five senses. He operates outside of our natural realm. We cannot know Him like we know material objects. This does not stop us from knowing God.
All people have experienced God and have the ability to know God. We experience Him because he is their Creator. Beside God being the person who created us, there are two more significant things that all of us have experienced in this world that only come from God. Those things being love and goodness. The Bible says that love and goodness only comes from God.
God Is Good. Matthew 19:17, "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
God Is Love. 1 John 4:16, "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
God Is the Creator. People also know in their heart of hearts that a supernatural force (God) created matter, life, and our own soul. Matter does not create matter. The natural world cannot be the origin of the natural world. Only the supernatural created this natural world (Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters").
The real reason many of us do know God or deny God is that to know Him we would have to give up somethings in our lives that are not of God. We would have to give up our pride that we think we know everything and that we are fully independent (pride of life). We would have to start believing that there is someone more superior being than mankind. We would have to give up putting all our lust and fleshly desires first in order for us to serve God. This is why many of us do not know God (John 1:10, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not"). We do not want to know God because we would then need to give up our sin. But even if we choose to not know God, God exists.
As a new member of this site, I am well aware there are many faiths and paths that belong here and we are more of a peer group of ministers that as my dear friend Dr. Michael Collins-Windsor expressed to me as colleagues not trying to convert one another, but to express views, comments and lend an ear to each other. In other words, be there for each other as friends, regardless of faiths or paths. I like this concept. It reminds me of the community clergy meetings, where all faiths are represented.
So I guess my blog here would be meant mainly for those of the Christian faith, not quite sure how all of this works yet and how everyone reacts to each other. I will make this promise though, I will not be one to push myself or my faith onto fellow colleagues here. If you like what I have to say, I will be happy to hear what you have to say as well as those that do not agree.
Oh, here is the rest of the story. The young Pastor that asked me for the advice? He set up a meeting with the mother and step dad and explained the child's desire to attend Sunday School with his friends and his personal love of the Lord. He apparently took my advice and was able to get the step dad to see reason.
In all things when dealing with our fellow men and women, deal with people in love and understanding. You will find those that will not believe in God or anything about the Bible or any Christian teachings. Do you get angry and rant and fight them? Absolutely NOT! One of the biggest disservices I see in the Church world today is the "it's my way or the highway." The "I am right you are wrong" attitude, has cost those of us in the Christian world more potential converts than anything else. We serve a loving and kind Lord, yet many in the Christian faith have this constant desire to make things a "we/they" situation, or play the blame game, or even find someone to hate.
As a heterosexual married man with a wife of 25 years and 4 beautiful children, one of the things that drove me out of my former denomination was the hate so many have for gays and lesbians. I helped start a denomination with one of the most saintly men I have ever known, who is gay. But in my honest opinion will make it to heaven before so so so many hundreds of thousands of so-called Christians that have hearts filled with hate.
The name of this blog is entitled, "Is there a God, if we do not know Him face to face?" Wanna know how to find God and know Him? Get that hate out of your heart, and to be honest the main ones I am speaking to ARE my FELLOW CHRISTIANS!
