By the Numbers

Friday, February 21, 2014

Truth, God, and Life After Death

                      Truth, God, and Life After Death
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Some persons scream their faith is the only true religion about God and life after death. But equally sincere persons claim world religions are simply different ways to God or the Ultimate. Then, others dogmatically claim there's no God nor life after death. Who is right? Maybe some pointed questions will help us decide.
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1. Can the many conflicting religions all be right? For example, the wise politician, Confucius, gave us some ethical concepts he believed would make a better world. The atheist, Buddha, said to deny desire and follow his eightfold path would solve our problem of pain. Zoroaster believed in both a good God and a bad God and to follow the good one would make a better world. Hindus believe we need to know God is the spirit of the universe that takes many forms and many lives. Muslims claim Allah's angel spoke the Qur'an to Muhammad and everyone must believe it to go to heaven. Christians believe in one God as a Trinity and Jesus alone is the Savior. 
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Now in the interest of truth, there's no way opposite truth claims--no God, one God, two Gods, the universe is god--can all be right. We must base our beliefs on some kind of objective visible evidence. Otherwise they are just limited human guesses, mere claims without factual basis.  
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2. Can our sincerity be enough to set things right with God and give us assurance of Heaven. Maybe there are many ways to God and Heaven. Persons seem narrow minded, prejudiced, disrespectful, and condemning who say their religion is the only way. God may be known by different names. All religions teach the Golden Rule. If God is love and forgiveness, then surely He cares and accepts us imperfect people everywhere. It doesn't seem fair that God would make Himself known to just one group.
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The sincerity view seems so reasonable. But it has serious limitations that may be fatal to ignore. If sincerity is all that is needed, then it doesn't matter whether we believe in God or not, or whether we  save life or destroy it. Jesus said love your enemies; Muhammad said kill the unbelieving infidel. Cannibals say eat your enemies. All may be sincere believing they are right. Again, objective factual evidence is needed for honest thinking people to believe. If and when it's given, all the sincere arguments above are shown to be human guesses, and fall to the ground as null and void.
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3. What if there really is NO God? Then doesn't each person have to make up his or her mind what seems right for them? That being so, and all of us being imperfect and self-centered, we naturally choose what we want despite our fellow human beings. The evolutionist is right that things are always evolving and chance, so there is no absolute truth or morality. It's whoever can get the biggest stick or power to impose his way on the rest of us. And since we are all only animals that return to dirt, all that ultimately matters is what we can get for ourselves. Why be overly concerned about the other animals? A conscience and rules of morality can change with our situation--it's after all a world of temporary survival of the fittest, a world without ultimate purpose that ends in darkness and death.
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4. But what if there really is a God? Hasn't science given us good reasons to believe in a Creator of matter, life, mind? We now know the universe is running down, cooling off, there is no eternal regression of time, our dependent universe can cease to exist, so the material universe had a beginning. Its Creator (sustaining cause), then must be eternal, immaterial, unchangeable, all powerful and personal. As eternal, He is unchangeable as what changes goes out of existence. As immaterial,  He would be everywhere upholding everything but be unseen. He must be all powerful and personal as an infinite mind and will is necessary to create things of such variety and complexity  purposely working together--mindless energy simply can't accomplish that. We are more than star dust. Now here is an amazing fact: an eternal, powerful, spiritual, personal cause of the universe is what the Bible calls God as we intuitively know as a Higher Power (Gen. 1:1; Ex. 3:14; Rom. 1:18-20; Col. 1:16-17).
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Hence, things impossible for us would never be a problem for the Almighty, the universe's  Lord, Owner, Lawgiver, Life-giver, and Authority. But the crucial questions are: Does this God act upon our world in ways we can know Him?  We should be honest, objective, and open to that possibility? Wouldn't we have to know everything to deny it? I can't tell you what's going on even in the next room.
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5.  What kind of evidence is required to know God? We know the world operates with a system of natural laws of cause and effect. But when we know a Creator and Sustainer exists, then He would be in control of everything--He could direct His laws anytime anywhere to suit His purposes. So if someone could walk on water, multiply food, heal obvious diseases immediately, even raise a cold still smelly corpse, and all the while claims He is God come to us with a human nature in the form of a man, that should get our attention. That should give us good reason to believe He is what he claims to be--God.
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Further, if He shows He can read minds of persons He just met that too is good reason. Then, if He can dare hostile critics to find anything morally wrong with His life and they cannot, that too is good reason. Again, what if He can predict detailed future events impossible to explain away as coincidence or contrivance such as the circumstances of His betrayal, rejection, death, and resurrection three days later? And two hundred or more predictions about Israel's Messiah made centuries before Jesus, He alone can be said to fulfill. These include Bethlehem His birthplace, virgin birth, miracles, death for our sins, resurrection, and ascension. There is nothing in world religions even remotely like all this. 
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All that is what is meant by visible, objective evidence for faith, and not just a claim some impossible thing happened somewhere because some honored person said so. Knowing nature's laws both hostile critics, and Jesus' disciples with him more than three years, were astonished and forced to admit he did such things. And after 500 saw him resurrected, they were willing to be condemned, tortured, and murdered because they could not deny him as Lord and Savior of us sinners. See Acts 1:3; 2:22-23; 1 Cor. 15:3-8.
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 6. But you still have questions! We don't have to know everything about history to know some things, and even secular and hostile critics will admit miraculous things are said of Jesus and that He is said to be God. Like everyone else, Christians aren't perfect, but that won't excuse anyone at the judgment. Our moral sense, purpose in nature, Bible history, and God's Spirit, all tell us there is a God, and we may find Him if we are willing to go His way. When God has given evidence honest thinking persons can know, and the majority of persons choose to disagree, a truly loving God can't force them to love and obey Him. Nobody has all the answers, but Jesus being our Savior is the crucial solution to our rebellious sin problem. When we put thieves, rapists, murders in jail to protect human society, we can have no objection when God allows them their way to Hell to protect His perfect Heaven. Let's not deny what evidence says is true!
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Now this hour can be your decision for eternity with God, or the other uncomfortable place. Jesus forgives and cleanses us of all our sin, and credits us with His perfect purity making us fit for His Heaven. Won't U say, Lord, I trust You now and forever to be with me to live a life that honors You until I go to be with You in Heaven. Thank You Lord and use me as Your faithful and fruitful servant. I love You Lord.
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