Is There A God?

Is there a God? Is there a supreme being or ruler of the universe? How can I be certain? The answer to this question is of utmost importance because, if there is a God and I ignore Him, what will the consequences be?

There are searching questions that demand an answer. Why am I here? From where did I come? What will happen after death? What is the purpose for my life? There must be a reason for my existence.

Throughout the ages of time, people have felt compelled to worship something or someone greater than themselves. Ancient cultures had sun gods, moon gods, thunder gods, and many others. Some native Americans, when discovered by the Europeans, were worshipping what they called the Great Spirit. The ancient Jewish nation worshipped Yahweh, creator of the Earth. It is apparent that inside every person is something that longs to relate to a higher power.

How can the harmony and balance of nature be explained? Think of the seemingly endless food chains, both on the land and in the water. One animal is food for another, which in turn feeds another. This cycle goes on and on, and always there is food for yet another.

Who put the calendar in the heads of the wild birds so they know when it is time to migrate to a warmer climate? How do they know that spring is returning to the land thousands of miles away? One may say it is instinct. That is true, but who placed the instinct there?

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Consider one of the fish of the sea. Who put the map in the brain of the salmon that tells it how to leave its ocean home and find the river and the very stream where its life began? There it lays its eggs, and soon after dies, making room in the cycle of life for its offspring who will follow the exact pattern of all its ancestors. Do you think this all just happened by chance?

We know the universe is so well ordered that clocks are set by the rotation of the earth and the various stars and planets. So precise is the movement of these bodies that eclipses and passage of comets can be accurately foretold. Who or what set this precise rhythm of the universe in motion? Is it only chance that among the hostile environments of the heavenly bodies this earth has the right mixture of those elements necessary for plant and animal life? There must be a master plan!

The plan for the universe, nature, our bodies, and our inner personal needs has been set in order by the great God of heaven. No mortal man, past or present, begins to have such power. The precision and detail of his plan shows us that He takes great interest in man and his happiness.

Faith is believing something we cannot see. We cannot see God but we see indications all around us that point to his existence. God has intended that we could not see Him but rather that we could accept his existence by the obvious evidences which testify of Him. God reveals Himself to us as we accept his existence.

One of the most convincing evidences that there is a God is the change that takes place in a person’s life as he becomes intimately acquainted with Him. Those who had the nature of a lion become like a lamb. Where there was hate, there is now love. Where there was fighting, there is now peace. Where there was turmoil within, there is now a quiet rest. Where there were endless questions, there is now confidence. He changes the selfish person into one who cares about others.

Dear reader, do you feel a restlessness inside or a longing for something, but you are not sure what it is? Do not stifle that feeling or try to cover it up. It is your soul reaching out to God. The same God that created the earth can be your God. If you have faith and believe in the God of heaven, your life also can be changed. Instead of resenting the trying circumstances of life, you can rest in the knowledge that God sees and hears and cares.

God reveals Himself through his Word, the Bible. The Bible is history; it is prophecy; it is instruction for life. But, it is also the love of God to us, and gives direction for the inner needs of the soul. Read the Bible. Start with Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-5. Read Psalms 23 and 51. Pray to God. He promises He will hear you.

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What Must I Do to be Saved?

Everyone should ask themselves the important question, “What must I do to be saved?” Many people believe they are saved, yet Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). To be saved, it is necessary to believe that Christ will forgive our sins. Then we must repent of them, live a holy life, and love one another. Because there are many teachings advanced by a multitude of religions, the question may well be asked, “What really is the truth?”

What Is Meant by Being Born Again?

Many people try to serve the Lord without first experiencing the new birth, but are they saved? Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When Jesus left this world, He sent the Holy Spirit. “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit will bring man to an awareness of sinfulness. When man begins to feel the burden of his sins, he will feel condemned in his heart. If he humbles himself and through faith in Jesus cries out to God with all his heart, then God will forgive him. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). Repenting of sins includes being sorry for them, forsaking them, and turning to a new way of life. When this happens, the Holy Spirit enters the heart and one is born again. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Who Needs This New Birth?

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the prophet Isaiah foretold the suffering of our Lord Jesus for the sins of mankind. He said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus clearly told Nicodemus, a seeker of the truth, that one cannot see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. This spiritual birth is the work of the Holy Spirit. All who want to be saved need to experience this birth.

All who are weary and tired of their burden of sin are invited to come to Jesus and find forgiveness. Jesus invites: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus suffered, shed his blood, and died on the cross “for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Repentance

Complete text of: What Must I Do to be Saved?

Repentance, confession, and restitution are all part of coming to the Lord Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If we have wronged our fellow man, we should confess and acknowledge our sins, and make restitution where needed. “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

Faith and Obedience

Once we have experienced the new birth, we endeavor to live faithful Christian lives. Jesus instructs his followers; “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). We are also admonished to keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27). “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

The Christian will be able to accomplish this by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give direction and the strength to live a godly life. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). The results of this effort will bring about a changed heart; a life of faith that will produce obedience. “By works was faith made perfect” (James 2:22). The Christian is now living for Jesus instead of living for himself.

The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit inspires a deep love in the Christian’s heart. He will seek the fellowship of other born-again Christians. The unity of this fellowship encourages an open-hearted sharing with one another. This is a support to the Christian and helps him to grow spiritually.

When we are born again, our names are written in the book of life. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Our sins are forgiven, and we experience joy and peace in our hearts. Satan will try to rob us of this gift of salvation by tempting us to disobey, but God has promised to protect and deliver us if we are faithful. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

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Profanity—What is It?

The Bible says: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45).

Swearing is a very prevalent, evil practice in society. It adversely affects our relationship with God and our fellow man. The use of profanity is associated with speech that is not sacred or holy, irreverent toward God and man, showing contempt for holy things, and blasphemy. In Exodus 20:7 we read, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Often there is ignorance involved in the use of profanity, especially in children. This habit that is formed in youth can last a lifetime and is very difficult to break. In James 3:6 we read: “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

The meaning of some curse words is that God should curse instead of forgive, put in prison instead of set free, cast away instead of deliver. They also infer that God should use his power to punish instead of bless or have mercy. Should someone be deprived of all happiness of both body and soul in this world, and in eternity shut out of heaven and cast into hell? The horrible condemnation man can pronounce upon himself is indescribable when one is sold to and under the control of Satan. When God opens our eyes to what has overtaken us, it becomes abhorrent. Jesus said that “Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:4 to the professing Christian: “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.” The tongue, unless the heart of man is cleansed by the Holy Spirit, remains an unruly evil in one way or another. Even though man may possibly cease and refrain from sins such as profanity and kindred evils, the mouth speaks what is in the heart. “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

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“The Lord… is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We are still in the day of grace when we can prepare to meet our God. He will deliver us from every sin, if we will let Him. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Jesus spoke of his own ministry when He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).

Today there is still pardon for our sins if we come to the Lord Jesus who made an atonement for us through his shed blood. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness, and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers” (Ephesians. 4:29).

YOU TELL ON YOURSELF

You tell on yourself
By the words you speak, by the friends you seek,
By the way you employ your leisure time,
By the use you make of your dollar and dime.
You tell what you are by the things you wear,
By the spirit you, your burdens bear,
By the kind of things at which you laugh,
By the songs you sing, just a paragraph.
You tell what you are by the way you walk,
By the things of which you delight to talk,
By the manner in which you bear defeat,
By so simple a thing as the way you eat,
By the books you choose from the well filled shelf,
In these things and more, you tell on yourself.

“Let not sin, [unrighteous thoughts, words or deeds] therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12). “Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

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