Why do I believe in God?
It’s a good question. Why do you and I believe what we do? Is what we believe simply what is convenient to us? Crucially, is it based on truth? Or… have we not really thought about what we have staked our life on?
If you were to ask me why I believe what I do, I might, in a whimsical moment, say this:
Imagine a five-inch thick slab of concrete resting on two walls, three yards apart. If you were to drop a bowling ball onto that slab, it would shatter and collapse. If, however, that same slab was reinforced with iron mesh, you could drop bowling balls onto it for as long as you like, and it would remain intact.
Why do I tell you this?
Because the consistent principles of God taught in Scripture are for me my reinforced iron mesh. It holds everything together in my life. And because the mesh is something “given” to me, I can’t boast about having created it. I can claim no merit, other than having the God-given wisdom to accept it.
This does not mean that I accept the mesh mindlessly without testing its worth. I do test it. I test it for strength by trying to bend it and break it to see if it is trustworthy. I test it against all the things in life that whisper truth.
Is what I believe scientifically reasonable? Yes, it is. There is no evidence that everything can come from nothing as a result of nothing.
Is it morally true? Yes: The morality epitomised by Jesus has never been improved on.
Is it historically true? Yes; Christianity is not just a philosophy, but is something grounded in history—a history for which there is evidence.
Is Christianity truly transformative of the human condition? Yes: It changes individuals, families, cities and nations, making them “good.” It has been the testimony of history that nothing produces a civilised society so well as authentic Christianity.
These are some of the tests I do to examine the worth of the reinforcing mesh.
Conducting these ‘tests’ is not an expression of lack of faith. It is sensible. If God is God, then all truth has its origin in God. Therefore, all truths, whether scientific, moral or philosophical, should support each other and make room for each other.
However, I will admit that when I come to testing the reinforcing mesh, I do so with a degree of respect. This is not to pre-empt the outcome of what I will believe, but because the mesh has earned respect. I pick it up knowing that the mesh (the consistent principles of Scripture) has stood the test of time. It is the testimony of millions of people that these principles have never been improved on. This respect is also fuelled by knowledge of what occurs when these principles are ignored e.g. by the atheistic philosophies of Hitler, Stalin, Chairman Mau and Pol Pot… and increasingly, by the secular West. The results are very ugly.
So, I have tested God’s biblical principles that I’ve sought to use to mould my life and hold it together… and I have found them to be fabulously strong.
You might reasonable ask at this point: “What is it, Nick, that you bring to the party, if you are just relying on God to give you your strength?”
In short, I bring the cement. That is to say: I bring myself—and nothing more. My contribution is simply:
1) my identity
2) my ability to comprehend, at least in part, those things that are true and good.
So, there it is: That’s why I am a Christian. That’s why I put my trust in God’s word—as embodied in Scripture. That’s why my hope is in Christ… and that’s why my joy is in Christ.
Now, may I ask: Why do you believe in what you do?
