Pastor Matthew Peters,
High Prairie Bethel Baptist Church.
This can only be answered if we believe such a thing as truth exists.
When you speak about God, you say certain things about Him. Are they true? How do you know? And what about someone else who makes claims about God that contradict yours? Are they true?
This is our postmodern problem. There is a desire to be kind and tolerant to everyone, which is a good thing. The problem is when tolerance becomes the king of all other virtues. The king of truth for example.
Somebody says they follow God. But they speak of God as though He is nothing more than the universe. Or their personal experience. Perhaps you say this too. “I follow God my way and you follow God your way. Let us all be friends and live happily together.”
I’ll certainly be friends but there is a problem. My God says that He is the only God. He says mankind can only be saved through Him. He says all other gods are false gods. Therefore, I must tell you, as your friend, that you are wrong. And that is where the bullets start flying.
Now you are offended.
“How dare you say I’m wrong? Who do you think you are?”
My response is “that’s what the Bible says. Oh, and by the way, when you don’t agree with me, you’re also pointing out the fact that you think I’m wrong. Where is the tolerance now?”
I’m not trying to make you angry; I’m just pointing out that we cannot live as though we can just accept everybody’s beliefs as true and live as though there are no consequences. There will be.
How can we know what is true? You already saw what I believe. That the Bible is the place where we get answers about these questions. That God has spoken to us in the Bible, and we are told we need to listen. This is God’s talk.
Who is God? There is one God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. He is not the universe. He made the universe. Man is not god; he is a created being. God is the one who made him in the beginning and God is the one who gives him life. This is very important. Mankind can never be said to be god. Nor can it ever be said that the universe is god. God has always existed. The universe did not exist till it was created.
The Bible says there is one God, and that any of the nations that worship a different god, are actually worshipping demons. Many people think they are in touch with God. They might practice certain forms of spirituality, nature worship, tarot card reading, talking to the dead, horoscopes, interpreting omens, palm reading, meditation by emptying the mind, etc. The Bible explicitly labels all such things as abominations (Deuteronomy 18:9-12).
Why? Because when you practice these things, you are seeking “god” through means that God has told you not to seek Him. If you have never known this before, now is the time to consider. The apostle Paul says that you are actually worshipping (even unknowingly) demons.
You might say, “Well, I do not believe that.”
And that is the deception. Satan is called by Jesus “the father of lies” (John 8:44). You believe that your experience trumps the testimony God has given in the Bible. That deceit will be costly. The devil is a liar. He comes as an angel of light and makes you feel good. But it is a trap. In the end, there will be destruction.
But God is different. He is the God of Truth. He sent His Son Jesus who is the Truth. Jesus comes as your Saviour. His words might hurt you, but He actually cares. And He truly shows us who God is. He was sent not to condemn you but to save you.
The devil tells you that you do not need to be saved, you are good enough. This may produce pride in you.
“At least I’m not as bad as that person.”
Deep down, you know that’s not true. How many times have you messed up badly?
Jesus says, “Yes indeed you have.”
And that needs to be paid for. So, He has come to set you free. It will hurt because He came to set you free from the sin that you love. But recognize that He died on the cross for that sin, experiencing the punishment that you deserve that you will not need to experience that punishment for all eternity. Then He rose again. Therefore, sin and death have been defeated.
This is the true God. The One who tells us the truth even when it hurts. You know in real life if you live for what feels good, you will suffer. If you live every day for Dairy Queen ice cream, you will suffer the consequences eventually. If you choose the difficult path, it hurts but the results are wonderful. Ask anyone who exercises.
The devil will feed you ice cream. And eventually, it will catch up with you.
God’s way seems difficult. But it is worth it. For there is eternal life. There are many false gods (demons), but they will deceive you. Jesus is God and He will lead you.