A weekly re昀ection from a memeber of the Hastings clergy

Written by Pastor Paris Pasch of The Journey Church in Hastings

I Wonder If You’ve Given It Enough Thought?

Some people today think it’s pretty silly to believe in a divine being who created this universe and expresses love and care for His creation. Some think it’s silly to trust in an invisible God who says He has made a place for us to exist in eternal time and space. Some believe we are fools for living our lives trying to be reshaped by words written in the Bible.

The folks who historically thought this way, used to be identified as atheists, or people who deny God’s existence, but today they seem to be considered rationalists. They are perceived as having a value only in things that can be explained by nature and some imagined cosmic explosion that no one has any way to prove, because it is billions of years past.

So let’s boil it down to two options: Option one is a person who believes in pursuing God as the source of kindness, honor, forgiveness, respect for others, charity, morality, identity, purpose and direction for life. Historically this has produced institutions of education, hospitals, care for mental health, esteem for all races and people groups along with weekly gathering of worship and exaltation of someone other than self. These people believe God has sent His son Jesus to eternally rescue anyone who follows His words.

Option two is believing in survival of the fittest, strongest and smartest. Viewpoints of oppressors and victims, skin color matters, choose who you think you are instead of who your body identifies you as are seen as important in option two. This option denies eternity, denies repentance and forgiveness, denies the need for supernatural deities. This option believes people can eliminate genetic flaws and clean up our genetic problems by building our own perfect race in a laboratory.

If option one is wrong at the end of this life, they will look silly for believing in a loving and merciful God. The result is that they will simply die and be placed in the ground with option two. They will have wasted their eighty years trying to improve their lives by following some written words that call us to higher standards of living.

If option two is wrong then they will have missed the opportunity to live in heaven eternally with a loving and merciful God. They will have struggled on this earth for eighty years just like option one but will have done it without having God walk with them through the challenges.

Have you given it enough thought?

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.