Do We Believe?

Editor’s Note: In his accompanying comments, Mr. Robson had this to say: “Brooks, In a recent church bulletin, they conducted a survey where it was discovered that 75% of our clergy believe in God and for the rest, it depends on what we mean by God.  Lord, help us!” I often reflect on the words of the late Jim Read, our former president. He would say, “Many believe in God, but do not believe God.” This is so true, as the survey to which Mr. Robson refers. When theologians begin teaching false doctrine, it’s like the Apostle Paul said, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, who we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:4) So, such theologians convince baby Christians to accept the false doctrine they are preaching. All the churches are now inundated by such preachers and sadly, some false doctrine is now even seeping into our movement. The Apostle Paul said that the day of Christ would not come unless there first come a falling away. Well, as Mr. Robson points out in this excellent article, we are there!

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

How many Christians believe these statements by Moses and St. John? Many have decided to follow the route of the “intellectuals” and the scientific community who have struggled for many years to remove God from the creation relying on the big-bang theory and the theory of evolution. Some of us have passed this dilemma by seeing the beautiful harmony and design in nature and the obvious holes in the theory of evolution to find the story of creation by God to be undeniably credible.

Chapter 4 of Amos, declares that God is punishing Israel to bring them back to Him but concludes, (I think in despair) that “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” How many of us believe that God is behind the curses brought on our land because we have abandoned the precepts of God’s law? I had my pastor declare to me that he did not believe that God caused the drought that Elijah requested in prayer, even if James referenced it as fact in his epistle. If we don’t believe that God made and controls the elements, how could we expect Him to heal our lands?

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

Recently, we have seen riots in the streets from unemployed, frustrated youth unable to participate fully in our society remaining impoverished and abused. We have spiraled into a society without the morals that we should have taught our children. Psalm 78 reminds us of this duty at its beginning with these words, “Give ear, O My people, to My law; incline thine ears to the words of My mouth. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and wonderful works that He hath done.”

Psalm 78 reviews the story of the exodus where God demonstrated on the unfortunate Egyptians, His power. In the wilderness, there were further demonstrations of power, chiefly the provision of manna and water from the rock. Verses 21 & 22 state, “Therefore the Lord heard this (their complaining) and was wroth; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger came up also against Israel; because they believed not in God and trusted not in His salvation.” Do we believe our ancestors’ behavior without believing ourselves?

Through experiment and observation, we have discovered many of the laws of physics and used them successfully in exploring the universe. It seems that we have accepted their design and reliability but when we look at the Creator’s laws of prosperity and social justice we believe we can do better! The fact that we constantly change our laws shows our ineptness whereas the Eternal designed His laws for eternity. And we were shown how His laws prospered a country as they were applied by Kings David and Solomon. Christ said, “If ye love me obey my commandments.” Do we love Christ?

Jesus told Pilate that His followers were not of this world, lest they would fight for Him against His enemies. Are we not of this world? Do we follow the spiritual truths espoused by Jesus or are we inclined to follow the wisdom of this world? Christians, it is time for some soul searching! Do we believe in Jesus, the way, the truth and the life? Consider the words of Jesus as recorded by St. Luke 18: 8, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”