Title: Believing God Is
Text: Hebrews 11: 6
Date: October 2, 2019
Place: SGBC, NJ
Hebrews 11: 6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must BELIEVE THAT HE IS and that he is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek him.
Subject: Believing God Is
I want to deal with this fundamental part of faith—“he that cometh to
God must believe that he is.” Every
believer has a new man and old man; new nature and old sin-nature. Therefore, every believer struggles with
unbelief. I have had more than one
believer tell me that on occasion they found themselves wondering if God even
exists. I want us to be concerned when
we have those doubts—bury yourself in the word, in the gospel. But also I want each believer to know that it
is not uncommon for a believer to have struggles with unbelief. We have to pray like the man who said, “Lord,
I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”
Then there are professing atheists. An “atheist” is defined as one who
disbelieves the existence of God. In the
past 100 years, self-professed atheists theorize that we are religious
because we do not have the moral courage to face a meaningless life. The atheist would rather life be meaningless
than that life be, as it is in truth, according to God’s purpose to bring glory
to God. God tells us in his word that no
man has fully convinced himself that God does not exist. God has given man too many witnesses for him
to escape the truth that God is and that we all must stand before him in
judgment.
Now, the Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God. It merely begins with the stated fact, “In
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Propose: So it is not my
purpose to try to prove the existence of God.
Instead, I want to show you three witnesses that God has given, which show
us that all men have a sense that God is, even though they may try to deny God.
Divisions: 1) Our Heart and
Conscious 2) Creation 3) The Word of God
OUR HEARTS BEAR
WITNESS
Romans 2: 14: For
when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in
the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15: Which shew
the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one
another;
God created man in his own image.
Therefore, though we fell and are conceived with a corrupt sin-nature from
Adam, though we fall short of the glory of God, yet the law remains written on
our hearts. The witness that God is, is
yet in our conscience. It is corrupted by
sin. But it is enough to make all unregenerate
sinners have a sense that God is and that we must stand before him in
judgment.
It will not lead men to a spiritual, saving knowledge of God or even
make us seek God. But all men, by
nature, have a sense of moral obligation to God, as well as to man; a sense of
right and wrong, which necessarily means man, by nature, knows God exists. Think about it. The very fact that some so adamantly deny
God’s existence proves they have God on their conscience. You do not try to deny some one that never
crosses your mind.
Even the ancient philosophers, as wrong as they were in other things,
got right the fact that all men, have a consciousness of a god or gods. Plutarch said, “If you go over the earth, you
may find cities without walls, letters, kings, houses, wealth, and money,
devoid of theatres and schools; but a city without temples and gods, and where
is no use of prayers, oaths, and oracles, nor sacrifices to obtain good or
avert evil, no man ever saw.” Cicero
said, “There is no nation so wild and savage, whose minds are not imbued with
the opinion of the gods; many entertain wrong notions of them; but all suppose
and own the divine power and nature.”
CREATION BEARS WITNESS
Psalm 19: 1: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork. 2: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night
sheweth knowledge. 3: There is no speech nor language, where
their voice is not heard. 4: Their line is gone out through all the earth, and
their words to the end of the world. 4: In them hath he set a tabernacle for
the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and
rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6: His going forth is from the
end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing
hid from the heat thereof.
In creation we behold the glory of God’s power—Jeremiah 10:12: He
hath made the earth by his power,
Isaiah 40: 25: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith
the Holy One. 26: Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these
things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by
the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
All around we behold the glory of God’s wisdom—Jeremiah 10: 12…he
hath established the world by his wisdom.
Creation declares the glory of God’s skill/discretion—Jeremiah 10:
12…and [God] hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13: When he
uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he
causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings
with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
Around five years
ago, we took a few days travelling down the pacific coast on our way to Rescue,
California. One night we built a fire on
the beach. It was the first time I
watched the moon rise out of the sea. We could see stars from east to
west. We were in awe at the beauty of it
all. Even at around thirteen years old,
Emma said, “How could anyone believe all this was created from a big bang? It is impossible not believe God created it!”
The rain and lightning and thunder, along with the whole witness of creation,
speaks to every man on this earth every day and every night, declaring God is—"Day
unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no
speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out
through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” No matter what language a man speaks, he
understands the voice of God’s creation and that voice is heard by all
declaring God our Creator.
Not only do we see and hear the witness of creation, we feel it—"In
them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out
of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is
from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is
nothing hid from the heat thereof.” The
glory of the sun is so bright that we cannot look upon it. How much more God
our Savior who created it! He is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King
of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be
honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Ti 6:15-16)
When a believer
beholds the sun rising in the morning we are reminded of the Sun of
Righteousness, the Husband of his bride the church, who after redeeming us, came
forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, arising with healing in his
wings/rays.
As we behold the sun
go forth from east to west, the believer is reminded that Christ is the strong
man, who for the joy set before him, ran the race set before him, enduring
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God—so that he is the Author and Finisher of faith (Heb 12: 1-3). By his faithfulness he manifested the
righteousness of God—how God can be just and the Justifier of those who believe
on Christ. By his faithfulness he justified
his people freely from our sins. It is
by his faithfulness that we are saved—that is what true, God given faith
confesses!
As we feel the heat
of the sun we are reminded nothing is hid from our all-knowing Lord before whom
every sinner must one day stand, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised
him from the dead” (Acts 17: 31).
Since every man has creation’s
witness, God says men are without excuse for not seeking him and bowing to him—"Because
that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto
them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Ro 1:19-20)
In creation we see
clearly: God eternal—he existed before the things he created out of nothing; God
all powerful—speaking the world into existence; God as head and creator of all
things—he is before all things and by him all things consist. Just consider the human body. The Psalmist said, “I will praise thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my
soul knoweth right well” (Ps 139:14).
So why does “the
fool say in his heart, No God?” What
makes men claim they do not believe God exists?—"For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1: 18).
The flood in Noah’s day, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the
destruction of the tower of Babel at which time God confounded our languages
and divided the earth all declare the wrath of God from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men.
Yet, men hold down this
truth in unrighteousness. They suppress
it like pressing down on a large coil.
Why do men try to convince themselves there is no God? It is the only
way they can live in ungodliness and unrighteousness with no dread of future
judgment—"He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his
face; he will never see it” (Ps 10:11).
But man cannot
obliterate a consciousness of God. Therefore,
he creates a god like unto himself, which results in God turning men over to a
reprobate mind. Listen to this
description. It sounds like our day.
Romans 1: 21 Because that, when
they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but
became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools, 23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an
image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and
creeping things. 24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature
more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26: For this cause God
gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural
use into that which is against nature: 27: And likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with
men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence
of their error which was meet. 28 And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29:
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30:
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents, 31: Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without
natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32: Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them.
GOD’S WORD BEARS
WITNESS
Psalm 19: 7: The law
of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is
sure, making wise the simple. 8: The statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening
the eyes. 9: The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the
judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10: More
to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb.
The Bible is the
inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.
There are no contradictions in this book—"For the prophecy came
not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Pet 1: 21).
Some have said that
religion originated with political leaders to try to keep the population in
subjection. But no one has ever been
able to tell us the name of that political leader or group or even what age
they lived in? Surely someone would have
documented something so monumental!
Sinful man could
never author this book but if men did, they would never declare man totally
depraved, with a mind which is enmity against God so that man is incapable of
receiving the things of God. Man would
never write that Christ died for a particular people—the elect only—and accomplished
their redemption. If man authored this
book he would never write that we must be born again and that it is the Spirit of
God only that can give us life, faith, repentance and all things that pertain
to life and godliness. Man would have
written that man has part in salvation instead of writing that salvation is of
the Lord, by grace alone, through faith alone, apart from man’s works.
Consider that this
book was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). Forty different authors wrote it. They lived on two separate continents. It was written over fifteen to sixteen
hundred years. Yet, it has one message perfectly
set forth throughout which is salvation by Christ and him crucified.
Consider that prophecies which God declared in minute detail came to
pass exactly as God said they would, at the time he said they would, and it is
backed up by secular history.
Then consider how long this book has been preserved. Moses wrote the first five books around 1400
BC. Moses’ writings are about 400-500
years older than the oldest secular writings which are by Homer. The new testament was written in the first
century AD. That is almost 500 years
before the Quran.
Arthur Pink said, “Imagine forty persons of different nationalities,
possessing various degrees of musical culture, visiting the organ of some great
cathedral and at long intervals of time, and without any collusion whatever,
striking sixty-six different notes, which when combined yielded the theme of
the grandest oratorio ever heard; would it not show that behind these forty
different men there was one presiding mind, one great Tone-Master? As we listen
to some great orchestra, with its immense variety of instruments playing their
different parts, but producing melody and harmony, we realize that at the back
of these many musicians there is the personality and genius of the composer.
And when we enter the halls of the Divine Academy and listen to the heavenly
choirs singing the Song of Redemption, all in perfect accord and unison, we
know that it is God himself who has written the music and put this song into
their mouths.”
With all of these witnesses, sinful man still attempts to deny God’s
existence. This why we must be born of
God of the word of God and kept by God—let us thank God that “The law of the
LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making
wise the simple….More to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Ps 19:7-10)
Amen!