It Makes a Difference
Whether God exists or not is certainly life's most important question. It makes
a difference as to whether you and those you love are special creatures who bear
the Creator's image and here by purpose, or they are simple mobile masses of
molecules that have come together by chance. If God exists, then we are His
offspring. If He does not, then we are in the same category as mold and mildew -
things that are alive for no particular reason. The Bible affirms that we are
the offspring of God (Acts 17:28).
To deny that God exists one must ignore the abundant evidence that suggests that
He does exist. We find this evidence in many different areas including the
existence of the universe itself. We see it in nature's complex designs, in
man's moral nature, and in the power that true Christianity has demonstrated in
the lives of the faithful. We see it in fulfilled prophecy.
Also, to deny the existence of God robs us of any real sense of value of human
life. How much of the violence and cold-blooded killing goes on today because
people have lost their sense of value as human beings? There is a struggle in
our hearts between good and evil, and without some sort of appreciation of the
fact that we are creatures of God, the line between good and evil becomes
blurred; people become things to be manipulated, and love becomes an empty word
with no real meaning.
God is real, and accepting that will make a difference in one's life. The
Scriptures put it this way; "Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is
the whole duty of man." (Eccl. 12:13).
Whether Jesus was raised and lives today also makes a difference. It makes a big
difference! Jesus' executioners had pronounced Him dead. His body was finally
removed from the cross and laid in a tomb. He was dead and buried, but not gone.
On the third day Jesus arose to live forevermore. One of the accounts of the
resurrection is found in Luke 24:1-48.
Everything we know comes from one of two sources: either our own experience or
the testimony of others. When it comes to historical events that occurred before
we were born, everything we know comes from the testimony of others. But how do
we determine what testimony to believe and which to reject? Not all testimony is
true.
We would consider the honesty and motives of the witnesses. We would ask if
their testimony was hearsay or did they possess first hand knowledge. We would
want to know if they were in a position to know the facts for sure, and we would
compare the testimony of multiple witnesses if we had it. When it comes to the
resurrection of Jesus, all these criteria point to the truthfulness of the
testimony. These were honest people. They were willing to give up everything,
even life itself, teaching Jesus and His resurrection. They sacrificed
possessions and suffered hardship. They did not get rich - and they taught and
lived by the highest ethical and moral standards. They died by stonings,
beheadings and crucifixions. They were willing because they knew what they were
teaching was true. They had watched Him die, crushed and perplexed of spirit.
When He had arisen, they had walked and talked with Him as they had done for
three years prior to His death. They were willing to die for Him because He had
been willing to die for them and us. They knew He would bless them with eternal
life. Death had lost its sting.
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By Jon W. Quinn
The Front Page
From Expository Files 16.8; August 2009
