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NASB | Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. [Heb 11:3] |
Bible Question:
Why do so many people worship "god" when the bible is the only basis for your beleif? I beleive the bible is fictional - and I pity the people that spend their life living by it's word. |
Bible Answer: It is really quite interesting that no one has yet attempted to answer chimaera's question. Irrespective of his or her motive for asking the question, there are several fundamental issues presented. First, is the Bible the only basis for our belief in God? Chimaera assumes this to be the case, but clearly it is not true. Certainly, the Bible is the primary basis for our belief in Jesus Christ, because it is an exceptional historical record of the events from his birth, death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 15, etc.), and because Christianity is based upon those events. But the Bible is not the only basis for belief in God as Creator, Sustainer, and Lord. First, the alternative of naturalism is unable to explain ultimate origin (even if you believe in a big bang, someone or something had to cause it - there can be no effect without a cause), any notion of progress (naturalism cannot evaluate change as good or bad), or why there can be so many common moral judgments across various cultures (see C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, for further explanation). Second, I think most believers would agree that they were led to the witness of the Bible by the Holy Spirit. God himself is the basis of our belief in Him. What he has given us in Scripture is a thorough and compelling account of his actions, character, and will, so that we might not be led astray from the truth. Another fundamental issue here is that we need to understand how people move from disbelief to belief. Obviously, non-believers (perhaps like Chimaera) consider the Bible at least to be flawed, if not outright "fictional." Otherwise, they would believers. The point is that a belief that the bible is fictional is the status quo - it is our responsibility to be able to give an account not only of why we believe that the Bible is true and that Jesus is the Christ who came to take away the sin of the world (through apologetics, historical studies, etc.), but also an account of why we believe that the Bible makes sense to the human condition. Thus, consider the argument above that some belief in "God" fits the evidence better than a naturalism that cannot explain ultimate origin, transcendant values, or common morality. Given a being who has the power to create and sustain the universe as we see it, we can rightly conclude that such a being is able to exercise his will (the sovereignty of God). We can also conclude that such a God would have to be wholly good, because if he were evil, he would take pleasure in our pain and destruction, and life could not be nearly so joyful. Given a good God, however, we must wonder how such a being could tolerate the existence of evil in human beings. In every other religion, the answer involves some notion that we can work to overcome our evil (sin), in order to please God and thus earn our way into his favor. Christianity, however, posits that an honest assessment of our nature cannot conclude with the (silly) idea that we are capable in ourselves of performing such a feat. Rather, we are at God's mercy, and if there is to be a relationship between God and man, only God can make it possible. Thus, God sent his only begotten Son to pay the penalty for our disobedience, and it is by His grace that we can accept His gift of salvation. To make a long story short, the reason so many people worship God is because each of us (Chimaera included) has been created by God to be in a relationship with Him, and until that relationship is realized in our lives, we are frustrated and empty, without meaning to our worldly existence. The worship of God consists of living our lives as a sacrifice to Him (Romans 12) in response to what He has done for us. Chimaera, you can have a relationship with the God of the universe through Jesus Christ, and it is not based upon myth or fable, but the true story of how God has created us, loved us, as rescued us from our own disobedience. Believe that (as a decision, in spite of silly doubts), as I pray you will, and the rest will follow in due course. If you cannot, keep asking questions, and perhaps eventually the Holy Spirit will draw you to God. As to your pity - the Apostle Paul agreed with you that IF there is no resurrection, we (Christians) are most to be pitied of all men (1 Corinthians 15:19). However, this is not the case, and pity is only for those who heard the good news of what Christ has done for them, but chose to dishonor him and continue walking in futility and disobedience. In Christ, disciple |