I’m Convinced

Deep down in my being I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real, personal and powerful. I have absolutely no doubt that what the Bible says is true – each historical letter, historical narrative, poem, genealogy text, book of law, song and historical account of the life of Jesus has archived for us the complex and remarkable story line of God orchestrating his plan on this earth to redeem his people from darkness and give them a way to be restored into right relationship with him.

And the life and message of Jesus is true – He is who he says he is and he did exactly what God said he would do – and he alone has victory over sin and death – through faith in him, we also have victory over sin and death!

And to top it all off, we are not alone!

God went over and above and gave us the Holy Spirit – God no longer dwells in tabernacles or in “high places” but God dwells through the Holy Spirit in us, his children, who are adopted into his family through faith in Jesus – a miraculous reality that God is personal and intimately involved in our lives, interceding on our behalf and involving us in his purpose-driven work here on earth.

It’s hard to grasp....it’s too good to be true....how in the world can anyone pass this up??

I not only know all of this to be true from personal experience but we also have historical and witness proof.

For me personally, when I put my faith in Jesus, he transformed my life. It’s hard to explain unseen things, but I felt so lost and then I felt so loved. I was blind to all things spiritual and then suddenly spiritual things were so evident to me. I was heavy, overwhelmed, confused and conflicted, and once I surrendered my life to Jesus, all of that was gone – the burden was lifted, there was clarity and joy. It was a true experience of being rescued from darkness and brought into an abundant life on earth with an eternal hope and confidence. (whoo hoo! He’s so amazing!).

But we must remember that it’s not just about an experience. We have proof.

I am not a theologian or a judge, but I know enough to understand that when something happens and it is documented and there are multiple witnesses that corroborate what happened, it is very difficult to say that it didn’t happen.

The historical narrative (text) of God’s work on earth testifies to God’s truth. We have multiple accounts of Jesus’ life on earth that testify to Jesus’ message. We have prophesies that were documented and hundreds of years later the prophesies came true (down to the tiniest detail!) and the fulfillment of the prophesies was also documented. And remember....when a lot of these things happened, they didn’t have the text that we have today to see how it was all playing out. The prophesies played out through many orchestrated details over time – I mean, we’re talking hundreds of years of genealogy and geo-political shifts - circumstances beyond one’s control (like wars, social unrest, births/deaths, tax decrees, and so forth). The fulfillment of the prophecies is remarkable! Additionally, these ancient texts document Jesus’ life and correlate and corroborate that God did what he said he was going to do.

It’s true.

And don’t forget witnesses – we have historical texts that document the lives of kings and kingdoms, we have documented accounts of people who followed God, we have the law, the prophets, and so much more. There is real evidence of what took place before Jesus was born. Then, there are archives and eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life, teachings, death and resurrection. And, we have documentation of what took place after Jesus ascended into heaven, when the Holy Spirit began to move upon the people. People like Paul (formerly Saul) of the Bible were real people – he was murdering Christ followers and after encountering the living God, he became one of the most prolific teachers of the message of Christ. Paul was a real dude – not a made up Bible story.

Beyond what we know from history and from ancient texts of the early church, we also have other people, past and present, from every corner of the earth who can testify to how God has transformed their lives through faith in Jesus.

People like you and me.

I’ve been interviewing people for the Faith Conversations Podcast (launching soon! Yay!) and it’s incredible – none of the podcast guests know one another, they didn’t grow up together, they come from all corners of the globe, and when they sit down to tell me what it has been like to put their faith in Jesus, they are talking about the same God. If they were to meet one another, they would immediately have something in common - they know the same God and have been personally rescued and transformed by his presence and power.

I find it fascinating….they all talk about “peace”. It’s the number one thing they talk about! They all describe a peace that they can’t explain.

Isn’t that what everyone in the world is looking for?

And when I ask them what they’ve learned about God as they’ve walked in relationship with him, “faithfulness” is the number one answer.

Isn’t that what humans aren’t good at?

They have all experienced the SAME GOD! It’s remarkable!

He’s real folks!

It might seem hard to believe, but whether we believe it or not does not change the fact that its true.  

I’m convinced. I hope you are too.

If you are struggling with doubt, talk to God and others about it and read the Bible.

God is not scared of your doubt.

The last thing Satan wants is for you to trust God, so he would love for you to stay isolated, keep your distance from God and not be exposed to God’s truth through the Bible. If you want to fight for faith, you’ll need to not fall into those temptations. Instead, ask God to give you faith, ask others to pray for your doubting heart, and seek God by reading his word.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

If you would like to know more about God’s good news for mankind, read the previous message, “What is the Gospel Message?”