Romans 12:1-2

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (NASB).

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Should Everyone Believe There Is a God? - Catechism Questions and Answers

June 28, 2020 Bible and Theology , Catechism 0 Comments
Q. Should everyone believe there is a God?
A. Everyone should believe there is a God, and it is sinful and foolish to reject God. 

Doctrine
From the last catechism question and answer, which said that God is the first and supreme being, the next question logically asks whether everyone should believe that there is a God. The answer is yes; everyone should believe there is a God. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Man has been created to know and worship God. Therefore, it is wrong for a man to not know who God is. 

We can even go so far as to say that it is sinful and foolish to reject God. If mankind was created to be in relationship with God, to love, and to serve God, then mankind fails to live as they ought. Those who reject God are in sin. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good." When God is rejected, people rebel against the good order God has made for them and live lives that are corrupt, they do evil deeds, and they do not aspire to goodness.
Bible Verse Psalm 14:1

Problem
The problem we thus face is that humanity, to a large degree, rejects the true and living God. Most people worship a god of their own fashioning, whether it be an idol crafted by hand or an idol of the heart. Even those who reject God altogether claiming there is no God, worship and find their identity in something. Humanity is in a terrible condition and our world is filled with wretched vices because God is not honored. In Romans 1, we learn from the Apostle Paul that because society largely rejects the true God and in unrighteousness suppresses the truth of who he is, God has given society over to impurity (v. 18, 24; see also v. 28-32). 

Solution
However, God did not see it fitting that all humanity should suffer the destruction we all deserve, but in mercy provided an escape from the horrors of eternity separated from him. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, salvation can be found. And so, to those who have faith in Jesus and his accomplishment, we can draw near to God. The author of Hebrews wrote, "And without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Through the preaching of the gospel, God has given humanity access to him through faith--through believing that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Virtue 
Though mankind will largely reject God, Christians should desire to know God and to make Him known. Their greatest ambitions should be to know and experience the gospel and to proclaim the gospel. For, whoever rejects God, great sorrow is theirs. Therefore, with a holy and noble motivation, Christian men, women, and children should earnestly share the gospel in prayer and humility. 




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