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The reason for my hope!
I do appreciate
your visiting
this page.
I hope and pray that I can accurately and
thoroughly explain the reason for our hope
and my logic behind my belief in an eternal,
living, and loving
God and how we
can be in a very
personal relationship
with Him. Without
Him, there is a "God
shaped hole" in us
that we may not even
realize is present.
15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
(1 Peter 3)
(Bible quotes in red, verses numbered, my emphasis when bolded)
Introduction
The purpose of this writing is to share with you (humbly) my personal thoughts and convictions regarding my personal relationship with God. I freely admit that I am trying to sell you the concept of being right with God through Jesus Christ. I am not a biblical scholar, nor have I received any formal training in these matters. I have undertaken a course of interest in what others have called Christian apologetics. This is about making an argument by presenting evidence for the case of Christianity. I feel it is my duty to be satisfied in my mind that Christianity is real. If fact, I feel I have been commanded to do this and not blindly follow this doctrine.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12)
All people should examine the evidence for themselves and make an informed and well reasoned decision about the existence of God, the nature of God, and your relationship with God. This subject was not designed by God to be difficult, or else He would favor only the intelligent theologians.
I would like to make a distinction here. This is not about religion. Remember the Rolaids commercial? "How do you spell relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S." I once heard it said, "Religion is spelled D-O. Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E." There is nothing we can do (or not do) to deserve to be in right standing with God; no amount of money will do it, not going to church, not being baptized, not enough good deeds (but that will earn your way into the Scouts). We cannot earn our way into heaven. The only way to God is through the free gift of Jesus Christ.
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14)
Only when we trust Him to save us will we be right with God and be able to be with Him eternally. God's promise is that if we ask Him to save us, He will.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7)
Just who is God, anyway?
When someone says "God" there can be many meanings. The God I believe in is the only God (but He is triune or three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Father is the Big Guy, the Creator of Heaven and Earth (this includes the universe and time). He is eternal (lives outside the constraints of time), He is omniscient (all-seeing), He is omnipotent (all powerful), and He is both perfect and merciful. He is also the source of love. The Son is Jesus Christ, God made man. He is both fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born by the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried. Then was resurrected. The Holy Spirit is the Great Counselor. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and counsels us and gives us a new nature.
Why is it that we should want to be with God?
I answer simply, "God is love."
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4)
What does that mean? God is love. What is meant by "love"? (The following verses are among my favorites.) There are three kinds of love: philos (brotherly love, mankind), eros (between a man and woman), and agape (charitable, sacrificial). God's love is agape and is described below:
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails...13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.(1 Corinthians 13)
Hmm... patient, kind, not envious, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not angry, forgiving, truthful, trusting. How nice! Don't we all wish our relationships were like this? This is the way God meant relationships to be. I believe these characteristics can be applied to spouses, family, friends, neighbors, countries… And it is started by God and reciprocated (hopefully) by us. Just think, if everyone could love this way, there would be no wars, no hate crimes, no crimes at all, no need for courts, it would be like heaven.
Why do some people distance themselves from God?
If God is so great and loving, why doesn't everyone want to be close to God? Usually they believe the wrong thoughts. All of our thoughts do not come from God.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3)
But if we humble ourselves and listen to God:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10)
Here is an interesting saying I saw at my son's karate class:
Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
Some of our thoughts may be saying "This my life and I don't want anyone telling me how to live it!" (Pride? Self-seeking?) This does not describe love according to the definition. Maybe some feel so bad about things they have done that they feel God would reject them? (Unforgiving of themselves?) This also does not describe love. God will not reject anybody (if we repent). We should love ourselves regardless of our past or present. If Almighty God can love you and forgive you, so should you.
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