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An Experiment For Those Living
Without God Today
by Major
Stephen Court
To clarify, we’re talking about people
who don’t have a real relationship with God in their life.
So, everyone from full-on atheists to agnostics and all
kinds (not ‘every kind) of ‘ists’ including false religionists
through to those who show up on an odd Sunday out of habit or
obligation, and those who knew God back in Sunday School days
like they had a friend in kindergarten who they haven’t seen
for decades…
So, for those types, here goes:
He’s here.
We think you know it.
There are few real atheists out there.
The rest of us know that God exists.
You know it deep down (or higher up).
What you might not be convinced of is that He cares,
and He has the power to intervene in your life.
We’re not aiming at convincing you of those things in
this post but maybe we can suggest a little experiment?
(the experiment)
Why not ask God to demonstrate that He
cares and has the power to intervene in your life?
You don’t have to be that vague.
You can and should be quite specific.
Pull out something that is bothering you.
Maybe it is an ailment or a glitch in a relationship or
current life predicament.
Put it out there in the context of God demonstrating
that He cares and has the power to intervene in your life and
see what happens.
God loves you.
Not only does God exist, care, and have the power to
intervene in your life, but He loves you.
In fact, He loves you, heaps
He made you for relationship with Him…
… This is so critical that until you
have a relationship with God you are missing out on your
life’s purpose.
Does that mean your life is useless?
Well, no, you can do a lot of good and meaningful
things and have rich relationships and make a difference in
this world. But
you will have missed your calling.
You might have one of those fancy smart
phones with all the bells and whistles.
It even has a flashlight on it.
It’s like using the fancy phone exclusively as a
flashlight. That
works. The fancy
phone could serve you as a flashlight for its whole life.
But it has the capacity for so much more.
And it is intended for so much more.
Can you imagine limiting your life to
being a good flashlight when you were meant for so much more?
The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross
for your sins.
Mine, too, of course, but we’re talking about you right now.
How is that significant?
In so many ways.
Jesus is the perfect human being.
He never sinned.
What humans forfeited to satan, the perfect Human
regained for us.
He atoned for our sins.
He conquered sin and death.
He rose to life again.
He defeated the devil.
He ascended to heaven.
He sits on the throne in heaven right now surrounded by
the four living beings, the 24 elders, the saints and martyrs,
and legions of angels.
And He’s coming back.
Whew.
That could use a bit of elaboration and clarification.
Here goes:
He’s not only the perfect human being.
He is also God.
The one and only God.
There is one true God.
And, mysteriously, there is God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
God’s name is Yahweh – for those who haven’t been
around this for awhile, the name less recently was translated
Jehovah. Yahweh,
the only wise God, is the godhead.
And His death and resurrection is the
only means of forgiveness.
There is no other way you can be saved from sin and
hell.
When the Lord Jesus Christ comes back
in physical form, everything wraps up.
Eternal life – already begun for followers of Jesus –
bursts, explodes into fullness.
God’s kingdom ripens into maturity and God reigns over
all the earth – literally reigns.
This is something you definitely don’t
want to miss out on (because a lot of people have made the
choices such that they will – more on that presently*).
The Lord Jesus Christ – God the Son –
invites you, right now, “Come, follow Me” (it’s in the Bible -
Mark 1:17).
Now, isn’t that the most amazing
invitation in history?
The creator God – the one and only – is inviting you
into His life!
Mind-boggling.
This is the invitation you don’t pass
up. This is the
one for which you change plans, make special arrangements,
sacrifice whatever is necessary so that you can accept.
But, because this invitation comes to
you from the creator God – the one and only – it isn’t only an
invitation.
It’s a command.
He is commanding you.
“Come, follow Me.”
He made you.
He has a legitimate original claim on your life.
He also died on the cross for your
sins. He has a
legitimate moral claim on your life.
How do you accept such an invitation?
How do you comply with such a command?
(we don’t mean emotionally – with joy,
relief, appreciation, humility… - though those are all
appropriate)
Jesus clarified in Mark 1:15 that the
way we accept the invitation, the way we comply with the
command, is to repent and believe.
'Repent' is to turn from our sins.
This involves sorrow for sin, confession of sin,
renunciation of sin.
And 'repent' includes a change of mindset – worldview –
such that God become sovereign in our thinking.
'Believe' is so much more than
intellectual assent or speculative opinion.
In the Gospel it is equated with 'obey' (John 3:36, for
example).
Accept Jesus’ invitation into His life
today. Repent and
believe. Submit to
God. (Only) He
will forgive you, regenerate you, justify you, adopt you into
His family, and so much more.
*We didn’t cover that bit about people
making choices that exclude them from God’s kingdom.
Well, quickly, if you choose to reject God’s invitation
and command, you are on the outside.
You miss out on His atonement – including forgiveness
of sins – and His kingdom.
This kingdom continues through eternity
– heaven and a renewed earth.
And by your choices you will have excluded yourself
from that kingdom.
The alternative after we die is hell.
Don’t go to hell.
Repent and believe.
Submit to Jesus.
Today.
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