TWO RAPID RESPONSES TO KEEP YOU STRONG IN LIFE’S STORMS
In this blog post, I revisit some truths that I have presented in the past and have talked about how getting this information "down" can help in your conversations with nonbelievers. But it can also be very reassuring to
Christians who might be struggling with the same issues in their lives. Here are two ways this information has been extremely valuable to me on an ongoing basis.
Ever since I was a child, I have had two persistent questions:
- Is there a God?
- Does He love me?
Over the years, I have developed a rapid-fire response to these questions that has held me solid in the storms of life. It has taken me many years to develop this rapid-fire response, but now I go through it in a matter of seconds, not re-asking the questions, but rather reminding myself of well-reasoned truth.
FIRST, is there a God? There are four quick questions/answers that reassure me there is.
- Why is there something rather than nothing?
There are only three options:
- Something came from nothing
- Matter is eternal
- God created it
I don’t believe that something can come from nothing and I don’t believe that matter is eternal. Those are two blind leaps of faith, and if I am going to make a leap of faith (which I must), the existence of God is a much more credible option. (For a fuller discussion of this topic see my blog on
"Three Reasons Why It's Safe to Believe in God".) So, I conclude that God created the “something” that we see.
- Which God created?
There are only three options:
- The god of animistic religions
- The god of eastern religions
- The God of Abraham
The gods of animistic and eastern religions do not have a consistent or credible account of creation. Their stories disagree and do not rise above the level of legend. So, I conclude it must be the God of Abraham.
- If the God of Abraham, which religion?
There are only three options, in chronological order they are:
- Judaism
- Christianity
- Islam
These three religions all go back to the God of Abraham, but they cannot all be true* because they contain contradictory teachings. The deciding issue is the resurrection. If the resurrection is true, then Christianity is the true religion (*Judaism, of course, is true as far as it goes, but falls short when it rejects Jesus as the Messiah).
- What is the importance of the resurrection?
If you apply the same tests of historical accuracy to the resurrection that you apply to any other historical event, and if you do so without an anti-supernatural presupposition, you conclude that the resurrection is true. The only reason you would reject the historical accuracy of the resurrection is if you decided ahead of time – before ever looking at the evidence - that it could not be true. So, I conclude the resurrection is true, therefore, Christianity is true.
(For a fuller discussion of points 2 through 4, see
"How to Decide Which God to Believe In".)
So, when I wake up in the middle of the night… all is quiet and my mind is clear… my first thought is usually the Lord. Then I often think, “Is this true? Is there a God? Why would I believe in God? I have never seen, heard, felt, smelled or touched Him. Anyone could say they are God. People in mental asylums claim to be God, but no one believes them. Why do I believe in God?”
My mind whips through the outline above, and in a second or two I am reassured.
There is a God! And I have the right One. I often follow up with a rehearsal of Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
This reassures me that it’s safe to die!
SECOND, when I am tempted to wonder why God doesn’t make things go better for me, the enemy would like for me to conclude that He is not all-good, or that He does not love me, or that I am not worth God’s effort to take better care of me. I have no trouble believing that He loves you, or Billy Graham, but does He love me?!?
But if the Bible is true, those doubts cannot be true. Psalm 103:11-14 speaks powerfully to me at that point:
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
This reassures me that it’s safe to live!
So, in reviewing the Rapid-fire Doubt-Killer System, I conclude that my doubts cannot be true.
There is a God, and He does love me. And while my plane may hit turbulent storms from time to time, it never crashes.
If you are tested by the same doubts as mine, I hope this Rapid-fire Doubt-Killer System will help you through the turbulence of your life.
If you know someone you think may find this blog valuable, please forward it to them. I am always glad to hear from readers. Write me at
max@bravenewdiscipleship.com. I will not be able to answer all emails, but I may address in future blogs the questions/issues you raise. And, please “Like” my Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/maxanders.author
