Archive for November, 2013
Being Sure God Exists
In our increasingly irreligious society, it has become almost fashionable to proclaim one’s self an agnostic or even an atheist. The number of irreligious people – “the nones”- continues to rise in many Western countries. Christians are moving from the majority to the minority status.
One writer has noted,
“In this climate many are asking the question, ‘How can I know God exists?’ It is impossible to ‘prove’ the existence – or the non-existence – of God. But the real question is, ‘Does the evidence around us argue for or against the existence of a divine Creator?’ Just as a spectacular building or an inspiring piece of music draws us to the one who designed or wrote it, Psalm 19 argues that creation itself testifies to the reality of God, reflecting both the existence and attributes of our Creator.”1
In more theological terms, what we find in Psalm 19 are descriptions of general revelation and special revelation. Each of these tell us different things about God, and together they tell us God exists and who He is.
When we look at creation we see the glory of God. This is what the psalmist writes in verses 1-6. That creation exists at all reveals the glory of God (vs. 1-4) and the order exhibited in creation reveals the glory of God (vs. 5, 6). These things tell us little about God Himself, but they tell us enough to know that He exists.
What can creation tell us about God? When we look at the vastness of the universe, we can conclude God is powerful, even awe-inspiring. Consider the working and order of the universe, the sun’s consistent movement through the skies, the earth’s perfect distance from it, or the placement of the moon to control the tides. From these and other such facts we can determine that God has vast, even unlimited intelligence. We might conclude that God is a God of wisdom and order.
But this is not enough for us to know God, only to know some things about Him. To know God, His character and His moral attributes, God must tell us about Himself. He must reveal Himself to us.
This is exactly what God did in His word, the Bible. Consider some of what God reveals in the Bible: His instruction, that His testimonies are trustworthy, that His precepts are right, that we are happy when we obey Him, that His ordinances are reliable, His ordinances are more valuable than fine gold and sweeter than honey.2
We could learn none of those things by looking at mountains, no matter how majestic they might be.
God is so loving, so filled with grace and so interested in our redemption that He made Himself known to us specially. He did this through Jesus Christ. We learn who God is and his character through His son, Jesus Christ, even as the prophets and apostles made it known to us. General revelation tells us only enough to condemn us (Romans 1:18-20). Special revelation tells us enough to save us (Romans 1:16, 17).
Can we be sure God exists? Absolutely. Much more than this, we can know Him in a deeply personal way because He has revealed Himself personally to us.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
1– Bible Studies for Life: Honest to God, by Robert Jeffress
2– Paraphrased summary of Ps. 19:7-10.
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
When Expectations are not Met
I am a football fan. I love the game at all levels: high school, college, and professional. In high school, the playoffs are now beginning. In college, bowl eligibility and possible championships are pending. In the professional realm, separation from the pretenders and true contenders is becoming clear.
At this point of the season, most teams are discovering that their expectations are not being met and will not be met. This creates moments of enormous tension and stress for individuals, teams, their followers, and of course, the coaches themselves. Few things are as difficult as dealing with unmet expectations.
What should we do when expectations are not met?
1. Evaluate everything, beginning with yourself.
When expectations are not met in your life, the easiest thing to do is to point fingers at others, situations, or even make excuses. It may be true that others may have affected the outcome and situations beyond your control may have influenced the present condition. However, begin with evaluating everything.
- Were your expectations reasonable?
- Were your expectations attainable?
- What could you have done to improve the outcome?
2. Elevate the process, not the end result.
National championship football coach, Nick Saban stated on “60 Minutes” that he tells his team at the University of Alabama not to look at the scoreboard, but the process; perfect the process and the scoreboard will take care of itself. Nick Saban is exactly right. Far too many times in our culture, we are bent on focusing on the end result rather than the process itself. Consider these thoughts:
- The process always precedes the product.
- If you want a better product, change the process.
- Elevate process even more than your expectation.
3. Expand yourself and the rest will take care of itself.
Expanding yourself is not about increasing yourself, but about growing personally. One of the greatest blessings that can happen from not meeting your expectations is the personal growth that will come if you learn from your experience. Life can be a wonderful teacher if you are willing to learn from it. Ask yourself honestly:
- Am I teachable?
- What did I learn?
- How will I change?
- What will I do differently?
Yes, if you will grow through every unmet expectation in your life, the rest will take care of itself.
Therefore, do not treat your unmet expectations as your enemies, but as friends and teachers in your life.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.