Let
us know; let us press on to know the Lord
(Hosea
6:3 esv)
The knowledge and
understanding of God is the most fundamental search a person can
undertake. In a world of so many options
regarding ‘higher powers’, Who exactly is God?
God
exists. This is a foundational
presupposition of the Bible and the Judeo-Christian Faith. The
Bible never argues the existence of God; it is simply assumed. The Bible opens with a statement of plain
fact: “In
the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1)
Scholars
and theologians have attempted to develop many ‘proofs’ for the existence of
God [the Law of Causality;
the Arguments from Design & from Reason]; each having some merit and some flaw. We could also look to the witness of history,
‘providence’, nature, the study of Biblical revelation, and the testimony of
Jesus, ultimately belief in God is an act of faith.
“Now
faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
(Hebrews 11:1-2)
The writer of Hebrews understood that faith
in God is not a blind faith, but a reasonable and certain conviction that there
is One Who is greater than us, yet Who enters into our lives in meaningful and
powerful ways. He looks to the lives of
the great heroes of faith—Noah, Abraham and Moses—to demonstrate the reality of
faith in God. As they lived believing,
God blessed them, giving His approval by the way He worked in their lives.
Their faith in
God grew as they followed God. This may
seem odd to the world: believe and then you will know, rather than know so you
can believe.
This is what the writer of Hebrews went
on to say: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
A person who
approaches ‘theology’ with doubt in the existence of God will not only find it
difficult to discover what they are looking for, worse, they may experience an
even greater sense of emptiness: “Distressed and hungry, they will roam through
the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward,
will curse their king and their God. Then
they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful
gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.” (Isaiah 8:21-22)
Just as God
approved of those ancient heroes and heroines, He is ready to commend and bless
all who will come to Him in faith that He is.
Like them, our faith in God will grow as we follow God. We choose to believe that we may know, and in
that knowing we find greater confidence to believe.
Be blessed
