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Rahman
Member



Joined: 2004/3/24
Posts: 1374


 Why Do You Believe In GOD? ...


Last night i was standing at my kitchen counter making a sandwich when out of the blue this question just exploded in my spirit ...

[b][color=FF0000]"Why do you believe in God?"[/color][/b] ...

i couldn't stop thinking about it till i came up with some answers, and i couldn't wait to post this question on SI ...

[b][color=FF0000]If you had to give explanation of "why YOU believe" in the Judeo-Christian GOD, in His existence, what would you say?[/color][/b]

 2006/12/12 9:46Profile
MSeaman
Member



Joined: 2005/4/19
Posts: 772
Michigan

 Re: WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? ...

The evidence of God's creation.
My conscience. God has written His Law on my heart.
The Holy Spirit. He convicts me of sin, and convinces me of Righteousness and Judgment.
The Holy Bible. His Word tells me He exists.

That's all.


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Melissa

 2006/12/12 13:54Profile
Rahman
Member



Joined: 2004/3/24
Posts: 1374


 Re: WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? ...



Bravo sis Melissa! ... i didn't want to lead out answering ... :-D


These after some thought are my reasons ...

1 - From a purely spiritual and supernatural sense (apart from anything having to do with me) via Rom. 9 i believe i believe in Him, because i'm predestined by Him to believe as a chosen "vessel of mercy" ... ([i]Not gonna get drawn off topic here in another long drawn out dispute about predestination, this is just my own personal belief ok[/i])

2 - In a more natural sense i believe in Him because from a child my parents taught me to ...

3 - But as i became a "saved" adult (analytical by nature) the main reason i believe in Him is because of His book the Bible ... Not so much because of all that's written tho it too is a huge part of my reasoning, but moreso because of the 12,000+ years story line of scripture from the first creative day till present, as well as the continuous redemptive plan story line from Genesis to the Revelation which engulfs not only our time but the future ... My analysis was even more reinforced in my research and writing of The Called and God On Earth ...

In my mind only the supreme Judeo-Christian God of the Bible could have managed such a perfect cohesive feat, using so many different writers, over such a great span of time, to gift to us who believe now but have not seen ...

In my walk with God He doesn't appear to me visibly, hasn't physically sent Gabriel or any other angel, He doesn't speak to me audibly, and tho i thouroughly believe He communicates with me spiritually in motivation of my life i can't prove it in explanation to anyone as why my belief in Him ... But i can and do give explanation regarding the Bible as afore stated ...

His Word and plan in all it's historical consistency is my "proof" of Him, His existence, and why i believe in GOD ...


Now what's even more interesting a young man on my job whom i've been discussing our Lord/the Bible with asked me this very question at lunch ... Praise Him for preparing our way!

 2006/12/12 14:36Profile
beenblake
Member



Joined: 2005/7/26
Posts: 524
Tennessee, USA

 Re: WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? ...

Dear Rahman,

The answer is simple: because God is actively involved with my life. I am a living testimony of God. I have my initial testimony of how Christ saved me and changed me. Then, I have regular testimonies of God working in my life on a regular basis. My wife is one such testimony.

God is with me, and it shows in my life. Not because of anything I have done or do, but because God is able to work through me freely. People who spend a considerable amount of time with me see this. They see my prayers answered, and see God at work in my life. They see me fall into life struggles, then see God deliver me.

It was God working in the life of my brother that brought me to salvation. The greatest proof of God I had ever encountered was the change in my brother. The biggest thing that struck me was his answered prayers. I said to myself, "I must be praying to the wrong God because God does not answer my prayers."

When we look at others from the bible, it was God working through them that helped people believe. Joseph, for example, was made second in command over Egypt, not because Joseph was good or smooth. It was because through Joseph God interpreted a dream. The Pharaoh could see that God was with Joseph, and because of that, he was assigned such a high position. Joseph was a prisoner. This proved to Pharaoh that God was with Joseph because Joseph certainly couldn't have done it on his own.

God is proven in and through His people. Likewise, our faith is proven through God working in our lives.

In Hebrews 11:1 (KJ), Paul says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Have you ever wondered how that can be? How can faith prove the work of the spirit?

When we have faith in God, He can work in us. And it is God working in us that He is proven. This often comes in the way of trials and tribulations. Every time God delivers us from a trial or tribulation that we could not get out of ourselves, then God is glorified. We place our faith in God, and when God is faithful to fulfill His promises in us, then our faith is proven.

This is why I believe in God. Because I have seen Him change people's lives. I have seen Him save sinners. I also experience Him at work in my own life.

In love,
Blake


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Blake Kidney

 2006/12/12 14:36Profile
beenblake
Member



Joined: 2005/7/26
Posts: 524
Tennessee, USA

 Re:

Quote:
In my mind only the supreme Judeo-Christian God of the Bible could have managed such a perfect cohesive feat, using so many different writers, over such a great span of time, to gift to us who believe now but have not seen ...



Though this may seem logical to you, I must caution you to beware. If you say that we can believe in God because of the bible, you are not giving credit to the cross. We can believe in God because of Christ and no other. It is the work of Christ through salvation on the cross that allows us to believe.

If a person comes to believe God because of the bible as a "feat" of God, then they do not have any faith at all. They believe in the bible and put their faith in the bible. This means, they are dependent on the authenticity of the bible and they accept the bible as Lord over their life. However, if a person believes in Christ, and He changes them, then they are dependent Him to be their Lord.

We are not saved and changed by believing in the bible. We are saved and changed by believing in God's Son. The bible may lead us to God's Son, however, it is God's Son who changes us.

Be weary of preaching the bible as the work of salvation. You could lead someone astray. You must preach repentance and belief in Christ. A person can only come to God through Christ.

If someone asks, "How can I believe in God?" and you tell them "because God gave us the bible", then you will have to prove the authenticity of the bible. But if you tell them, "because God gave us Christ" then you will have to prove the authenticity of Christ. Christ is the one who came from Heaven, born to a virgin, died on a cross, and was raised to new life. The bible, however, was written by men. Which would you prefer to prove?

I pray for the sake of this soul you preach Christ. I pray the Lord will empty your heart and head of everything, and fill your mouth with every word to say.

Preach Christ and no other. Through the death of Christ on the cross, are sins can be forgiven. Through His resurrection, we can be born again.

This truth is shown in the lives of people who have been changed. That is why we call them "testimonies" because they testify to the work of God.

If anyone seeks proof of God, do not try to prove God with the bible. Prove God by the work of the Spirit through Christ crucified. Show them lives that have been changed and answered prayers. Be the light of Christ, a living testimony of Christ.

I plead with you in the name of Christ,
Blake

1 Corinthians 1:23(KJ)
"But we preach Christ crucified"


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Blake Kidney

 2006/12/12 14:55Profile
MSeaman
Member



Joined: 2005/4/19
Posts: 772
Michigan

 Re:

beenblake said: 'The answer is simple: because God is actively involved with my life. I am a living testimony of God. I have my initial testimony of how Christ saved me and changed me. Then, I have regular testimonies of God working in my life on a regular basis. My wife is one such testimony.'

Great Answer, Blake! that is exactly right. We know who we were before Christ came into our lives, and how we have been transformed. It is His doing not our own!


_________________
Melissa

 2006/12/12 14:57Profile
Rahman
Member



Joined: 2004/3/24
Posts: 1374


 Re: WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? ...


Bro Blake you wrote;
"Though this may seem logical to you, I must caution you to beware. If you say that we can believe in God because of the bible, you are not giving credit to the cross."


---Your "caution" and "plea" are duly noted, tho i don't think this is what i said, and if that's what you got from my post it certainly isn't what i meant, as i also said "as well as the continuous redemptive plan story line from Genesis to the Revelation" ... From before the setting of the foundation of the world redemption is Jesus ---


Bro Blake you wrote;
"Be weary of preaching the bible as the work of salvation."


---Can you please point out to me where i said in my post anything about presenting the Bible as the work of salvation? ... i know who Christ is, He's the ONLY way, truth and life, and no one gets to the Father except by Him ... i'd certainly preach nothing else to anyone toward salvation ... The question is: Why do i believe in God? ... One of the main reasons for me is the Bible as the Word of God which i believe in ... Again the Bible (for me) is "the continuous redemptive plan story line from Genesis to the Revelation" ... It is the book about redemption and our Redeemer ...

Now the question comes to my mind if i would have been prone to continue in my childhood belief of God, and His redemption plan via Christ, if i didn't have the Bible? ... Hmmmm ... i guess i'll never know since i do have it, but being the analytical person that i am i wonder? ... i also know that for myself its the words of scripture hidden in my heart that often keep me going on past my doubts and fears ... How do i know Christ is with me always? ... It is written ... Hmmmm ... My dependence on salvation is on Christ, but my belief in Him (God) is strongly grounded in His written Word ...

[b]Wow ... i certainly didn't post this thread to dwell on my own reasonings for faith, but has anyone else seen in my post what bro Blake sees? ... If so please speak up, God may be trying to straighten out something in me, as i surely don't want to be misleading to anyone [/b] :-o ---

 2006/12/12 16:14Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re:

I believe in God because the antithesis of believing in God lies in complete arbitrariness and asininity. :-P

Ok, seriously, I believe in God because I know Him and He has revealed Himself to me.

------

as·i·nine
Function: adjective

1 : extremely or utterly foolish

*I did this because I had to look the word up*
;-)


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Josh Parsley

 2006/12/12 16:23Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re:

I think I completely miss your point beenblake. Unless your talking about just a mental assent to the Bible. Of course that won't save you.

Where does faith come from?


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Josh Parsley

 2006/12/12 16:46Profile
MSeaman
Member



Joined: 2005/4/19
Posts: 772
Michigan

 Re:

Rahman,
I read none of those things in your post at all... :)


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Melissa

 2006/12/12 16:54Profile





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