I read a Instagram post this past week in which popular Christian singer Jon Steingard claims that he no longer believes in God. Now, I consider this a audacious statement by anyone, but to each his own. As I read the article, I began to wonder just when the moment came in which this young man would denounce his faith in the Lord he so often worshipped. To his credit, Steingard says that he is "leaving the door open" to forming a relationship with God. Right then and there I saw what the issue with this man was. I, like Jon Steingard, have been to that place where I hoped, wished and yearned to see and hear from God. We are taught in Christian teaching that He is there if we only ask Him. That where two or more are gathered, He is there {Matthew 18:20}. We hang our belief in God upon His being there whenever we need Him. But what happens when God doesn't show up? I'll put it another way, what happens when God doesn't show up when we ask Him to? Well, speaking from my own experience, we may all too often start to have a negative view of God. There have been a few times in my own life when I was angry enough with God to give up on Him. One of those times was immediately after my mother passed away. I had been praying that God would heal her as she suffered through her final days. When that didn't happen, I wanted to know why. I asked, prayed and pleaded with God to show me why it was that He couldn't answer my prayer. Was He angry with me? Did I have some underlying sin I wasn't aware of? This is the conversation many Christians have with themselves whenever God seems so distant and far off from our own lives. How could a God who promises to never leave me nor forsake me, let me down in such a way? Well, it turns out that God had indeed answered my prayer, just not in the way in which I was expecting. See, I was expecting my mother to be physically healed of her pain and illness. Again, we're told that if we ask anything in His name, it will be done {John 14:13}. I was simply doing what I had been taught to do. Then, God did His part. I don't recall the day, but I do remember driving to work one winter morning not long after my mothers memorial service when the thought suddenly occurred to me...she's no longer in pain. Through my grief, I had failed to realize that my prayer for healing was answered, just not in the way I wanted. I guess you could say that I spent some time talking to God apologizing for my thoughts. I think He gets it.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV
There is a common phrase thrown about whenever we see someone who claims to not believe in God. There are no atheist's in foxholes. That is, when the pressures of life finally catch up to us all, we all eventually turn to a higher power. When things are out of our own control, we suddenly look for someone who HAS control over the situation. Why is it that when even the most diehard atheist's are faced with their own destruction, possibly the first words out of their mouths are "HELP ME GOD!" Many Christians know of the apostle Paul's Damascus road conversion. What were Saul's first words uttered after Jesus introduced Himself to him? "Who are you, Lord?" See, Saul knew that he was dealing with something beyond his comprehension here. He might not have recognized the voice of Jesus, but as a persecutor of the early church he definitely knew OF Jesus. I said that I recognized what Jon Steingards issue seemed to be. As Christians, we're taught that there is a separation between ourselves and the God who promises never to leave us. Sounds confusing I know. I can see Jon Steingard struggling with THE question, "How can I have a relationship with God when I am a sinner?" I don't blame him for claiming he no longer believes. I blame the system we've created. Paul tells us in Romans that we are to consider ourselves "Dead to sin"{Romans 6:11} So, if you feel that your sin is keeping you from knowing God, you're in luck. God wants to know and love you. If He didn't, He wouldn't be God. Too many Christians spend too much time searching for a geographical location of God and heaven, I get it. Paul tells us that He is closer to us than we have ever known. For it is Christ Jesus who lives in us {Galatians 2:20}. It's definitely a tough thing to wrap our understanding around, but knowing that Jesus has provided for the death of all sin opens the door to our realization of who it is we truly are. We don't need to look for God, He's in us.
~Scott~
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