“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8
My daughter and I have been having very dynamic conversations about faith in God, heaven, and Bible interpretation. Though she has been raised in the word of God, she had many questions she needed to be answered. Unfortunately, many Christians have questions that need to be answered but are afraid to ask because they don’t want to be labeled heretics.
Many non-Christians have lost interest in God precisely because they are frustrated with the disingenuousness of many Christians who expect them to believe in God without asking difficult questions about God . I strongly believe, most people have an innate desire to know God and have a right relationship with Him. But because of their experiences with the institutional Church, they’ve become jaded and have lost interest in the Christian faith.
I am very passionate about helping people rediscover their faith so they can have the right relationship with God. This means taking the time to expound the truth of the Gospel and developing a practical hermeneutic to help them understand and applied the truth of scripture. God invites us to ask Him questions and to seek understanding about His divine purpose for His creation. But to do so there are some truths we can’t deny.
The first truth is that God exists. In Romans 1:20, we read, “For his 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.” Our spiritual journey begins with acknowledging the existence of God and our need for God.
The strange thing with atheism is that it acknowledges the existence of evil, yet it denies the existence of God. Atheists use science and technology as justification for their faithlessness, but they cannot explain the origin of science and technology. They claim they do not need a deity to help them, yet they cannot explain why human beings exist as an interdependent species.
The second truth humanity cannot deny is that we need a Savior. Every human being is a sinner (Romans 3:23). “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Sin causes eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:11-15), and leads to eternal death (Romans 6:23). Human beings cannot rescue themselves from eternal damnation. We have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Jesus is the only savior of the world. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to humanity by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is God’s salvation gift to humanity because of His divine love for us. He is the sacrificial lamb that was offered for the redemption of humanity. For by grace, we have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8).
The third truth we cannot deny is that we need God. Why do we need God? He is the supplier of all our needs. Everything we have comes from God. He supplies the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the materials to build the houses we build, the sun for heat, the moon for shade, the stars for light, etc.
We need God for protection against dangers seen and unseen. We need God for strength when we are weak and helpless in face of adversity. In times of sorrow, we need God’s joy to revive our souls. We need His peace in times of trouble and conflict. When we are sick, we need His healing power. In times of anxiety and weariness, we need God’s comforting grace so we don’t descend into chronic depression.
If you are on the fence about God and struggling to acknowledge the three truths in this devotional, ask God to reveal Himself to you so you can learn about salvation and your need for Him. Today is a good day to start your journey with God. Don’t be afraid to ask God tough questions. He has already provided the answers. For, everything that needs to be known about God has been revealed in scripture.
Questions for Personal Reflection
What is salvation?
Why do we need God?
Prayer- Blessed Lord, thank you for the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus. Please help me to trust you at all times, and remind me that I cannot live without you whenever I am tempted to go astray or disobey your word.