My dad has raised here one of the longest standing issues in the existence of the church which is the question of our (humanities) knowledge of God after the fall. Many people have taken the reigns to provide an answer between the dichotomy of nature and grace. I don't have anything more to say on that right now because I don't have time. But, I did find helpful his asking what Christians mean when we say we "believe" in God. For more on the kinds of things I think about when I ask this question check out this conversation on Radical [Financial] Trust and Obedience going on at Charlie's blog. Otherise click read more and enjoy the post.
From My Heart
Rick Savage
Believing in God seems to be a natural condition for mankind. Except for a few people who call themselves atheists, most people believe in God. They may not believe in God the same way, and may not ever worship God as God. They may not believe God is personal or involved in the human situation. They may not believe God is making claims upon their lives. They may not even once in their lifetime work their way through their thoughts and feelings about God. However, most people are content with the premise that behind everything there is a God, a Supreme Being.
All this leads me to ask what we Christians mean when we say we believe in God. I am prompted in my question by an intriguing little verse in James (2:19) that reminds us believing in God is not a big spiritual issue. The Biblical writer indicates that even demons believe in God. So what do we mean when we Christians say we believe in God?
Do we not mean by it that we are responding to Him with the "Yes" of our obedience? Does it not mean that we are committed to His claims, yielded to His purposes, open to His involvement in our lives and in our world? Does it not mean we are acknowledging history was no accident of chance but that the world exists by design and that man reflects the creative capacities of God? Does it not mean we are committed to the premise that God is good, that love is best defined by what we see when we see Him, that justice is a universal standard and that in Jesus the Good News of God, the love of God and the justice of God are fleshed out before our eyes leading us to see that God is so involved in the human situation that He bleeds?
Based on what I see in the Bible I must contend that real belief means we embrace God with all it means for us to be who we are, and call Him "Lord of all."
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