You have heard the phrase “I’m not sure about this… I’m on the fence.” This reference to the “fence” seems to me adequate in order to describe a phenomenon that I have noticed regarding the belief in God. If you ask some people “do you believe in God?”, I think you will get this type of answer. And they might explain it as such: “I have investigated the evidence, I have looked at history, and I have done my homework – and I would have to say that none of it was compelling enough to elicit a belief in God.” What I think is really happening here is that people have simply re-discovered something about the God of the Bible that they either never knew, or had forgotten about. We can follow any line of evidence only so far, and then it trails off into the unknown. At this point we must make our own choice.
For example let’s look at how Widget A was created. If you want to get the whole story, you begin by examining all the information on Widget A that you can find. You read books on the subject. You ask other experts about Widget A. You even interview people that hold different beliefs about what Widget A meant, and what it means today. But eventually, if you go back far enough, you reach a point where you are taking someone else’s word for it; or the recorded knowledge stops. Here then lies “the fence.” It is up to you to make the decision which side of this fence you will land on. Do you interpret the evidence such that you accept a God, and maybe even Jesus? Or do you interpret the evidence in such a manner that you reject any notion of this.
But did you notice what was missing in the example above about Widget A? Our fictional investigator researched, read books, and did interviews about his subject matter… but he never actually tried to experience it! Why not go to the store and pick up a Widget for yourself? Can’t do that when it comes to God? Are you sure? If we look in the Bible about what God tells us regarding this, we come across two very interesting verses. First, Jeremiah 29:13 tells us “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God is no fool, He will not be tested. But seeking Him is not the same as testing Him. Have you been seeking God with all your heart? Or just seeking immediate gratification?
So why would God leave any room open for discussion about Himself? Why does there exist this kind of cosmic fence, for which we have the ability to choose Him or reject Him? It is precisely because God wants us to love Him of our own volition, and real love requires a decision. There will be a time when no one can deny Christ, but that isn’t here yet. We have this time as grace. To come to Him on our own accord, making up our own mind regarding Him, and then choosing to love Him freely. Acts 17:27 says this, “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God wants us to search for him, to grope as it were. But don’t worry, He will answer us when we call.
For example let’s look at how Widget A was created. If you want to get the whole story, you begin by examining all the information on Widget A that you can find. You read books on the subject. You ask other experts about Widget A. You even interview people that hold different beliefs about what Widget A meant, and what it means today. But eventually, if you go back far enough, you reach a point where you are taking someone else’s word for it; or the recorded knowledge stops. Here then lies “the fence.” It is up to you to make the decision which side of this fence you will land on. Do you interpret the evidence such that you accept a God, and maybe even Jesus? Or do you interpret the evidence in such a manner that you reject any notion of this.
But did you notice what was missing in the example above about Widget A? Our fictional investigator researched, read books, and did interviews about his subject matter… but he never actually tried to experience it! Why not go to the store and pick up a Widget for yourself? Can’t do that when it comes to God? Are you sure? If we look in the Bible about what God tells us regarding this, we come across two very interesting verses. First, Jeremiah 29:13 tells us “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God is no fool, He will not be tested. But seeking Him is not the same as testing Him. Have you been seeking God with all your heart? Or just seeking immediate gratification?
So why would God leave any room open for discussion about Himself? Why does there exist this kind of cosmic fence, for which we have the ability to choose Him or reject Him? It is precisely because God wants us to love Him of our own volition, and real love requires a decision. There will be a time when no one can deny Christ, but that isn’t here yet. We have this time as grace. To come to Him on our own accord, making up our own mind regarding Him, and then choosing to love Him freely. Acts 17:27 says this, “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God wants us to search for him, to grope as it were. But don’t worry, He will answer us when we call.
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