by Jonathan Campbell
Does science really have all the answers?
In our lifetime, science has made many amazing discoveries in various fields from astronomy to microbiology. Through scientific study we have learned to understand and harness many natural processes. Early scientists believed that the smallest building block of living organisms was a cell. Now we have discovered an incredibly complex world inside of a single cell.
Indeed science can tell us many things, but scientists continue to discover things they never knew existed. In the last 100 years scientists have discovered huge stars that, despite their size, were too far away for us to see. It would be foolish to say, “Science has not yet found something, therefore it doesn’t exist.”
In fact, much of what science has discovered has not actually been through direct observation. Scientists can see certain colors of starlight and deduce what the star is made of. They can measure a star’s movement and deduce that there must be planets orbiting around it.
Some scientists boldly declare that there is no life after death and there is no God. Can scientists really speak with authority about these things? Are you willing to stake your future on such a claim? There is much indirect evidence both for the existence of God and for life after death. If God does exist, shouldn’t you try to find out what He is like and what He expects from you?
What is God like?
- God is a spirit. Although He is able to take on physical form, He is not bound to a physical form.
- God is eternal. Something cannot come from nothing. Something always existed, and that something is a Someone.
- God is a creator. More than any other life form, humans like to create. People make things for pragmatic reasons, and they also make things in order to enjoy their beauty. This desire to create was given by God as a small reflection of His own nature.
- God is completely good. The world is full of bad things, but we talk about good and bad because good does exist.
- God loves and desires to be loved. Love is not real unless it is voluntary. God has given humans the freedom to choose. Evil exists in the world because many have chosen not to love God. However, evil will not always exist in the world. There is coming a day when all those who chose not to love God will be sent away to hell and those who chose to love God will live in the visible presence of God and no longer be tempted by evil.
- God is just. He punishes all evil and rewards all good. However, God in His great love does not usually punish immediately, but often gives many chances for people to change course. He also sent His own Son to pay the punishment for our evil.
- God is unique. God is a real being. Many religions have invented substitutes for God, but there is only one true God. We can learn a lot about Him in the Bible.
What does God expect from us?
God expects us to accept Him. Many people say that we need to believe in God. While this is true, it needs explanation because even Satan believes in the existence of God and is afraid of God. God requires us not only to believe in His existence, but to accept His rightful authority over us before we can be accepted by Him. In other words, part of loving God is not rebelling against His authority. This does not mean never doing anything wrong, but it does mean we have a desire to obey God. It also assumes that we are accepting the true God and not a cheap substitute invented by a human seeking fame or power.
What will happen to those who accept God?
- God accepts us. God accepts those who accept Him. God does not accept people based on their good deeds, because no one can measure up to God’s high standard of perfection. However, when we accept Him, God forgives us and calls us good based on the price that His Son paid on our behalf.
- God begins to change our hearts and actions. When we accept God, He immediately begins to help us love what is good. This process starts immediately, but it is a process. No one reaches absolute perfection during their earthly life, but those who accept God begin moving in that direction.
- We spend eternity in the presence of God. Humans have a spirit that is eternal. Our spirits will either spend eternity in God’s presence or banished from the presence of God in hell.
Conclusion
There is much more that can be said. The bottom line is, God exists, and He will reward those who accept Him and will punish those who continue in their rejection of Him. He wants your love and will help you get to know Him. Ask Him to help you know and accept Him, He will not refuse your request!