Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Christian faith is the belief in the existence of God and His goodness. That is what our passage today reveals – that we must believe that God is real and that He is a rewarder. However, there are those who question the existence of God – agnostics, atheists, and even some Christians. The issue at hand is usually the fact that we can’t see God or perceive Him with our sensory organs. Yet this exaltation of a specific method of testing is flawed because that is not how we test everything else. For example, we all know there is wind yet only because we can see its effect.
This is the same with God. Because He is spirit, He is therefore invisible and cannot be seen by human eyes. Yet we can, with confidence, affirm His existence through what we see. When we look at all that God has made, then we must arrive at a conclusion that surely there is a God. In fact, two passages of Scripture assert this:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)
…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)
Mankind is without excuse. And, therefore, it is only reasonable to believe that God exists and unreasonable to believe in the contrary. This is what theologians call general revelation – that all humans have. However, in Christ Jesus, we who are believers, have specific revelation – where we can really know not just whether God exists but also who He really is. Praise God for Christ!
Reflections
1. Have you ever struggled with the question of God’s existence?
2. In what ways has today’s devotion bolstered your faith?
