You may have heard it said that it is hard for really intelligent people to believe in God. Pastor Adrian Rogers said intellect has nothing to do with it! “Unbelief never comes out of the head, but out of the heart,” he said. And of course, he backed his answer up with Scripture.
“Can an intellectual believe in God?” is just one of the tough questions we’re exploring at Love Worth Finding. Here are some other questions you may have that the Bible has answers for:
How can I believe God is real?
Is Jesus God?
Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?
How can I be certain the Bible is God’s Word?
What is the unforgivable sin?
Why did Jesus choose Jesus to be a disciple?
Who crucified Jesus Christ?
Let’s see how the Bible answers these tough questions.
How Can I Believe God Is Real?
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good (Psalm 14:1).
Don’t check your intellect at the door when it comes to seeking God. Do understand you must seek Him with your whole heart, which is another way of saying your entire nature and understanding. The key to knowing Him and finding peace, joy, and meaning in life is surrendering your heart to Him.
Here are some ways to fully engage your mind, will, and emotions as you get to know God.
God’s Creation
God displays His glory, His greatness, and His goodness through creation.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).
Recall times at a beach, in the mountains, or gazing at the stars when you tasted the immensity of God’s creative greatness and understood the beauty around you was not random but designed. Spend time in nature talking to God and singing praises to Him. The Bible says that if Man keeps silent, failing to offer praise, the stones would “cry out.” (See Luke 19:40).
All people from every period in history until the end of time have seen evidence of God in creation and are without excuse if they fail to seek Him.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:20-21).
God’s Word
While creation gives you evidence of God’s existence and power, God gave you the Bible to reveal Himself to you—His nature and character, His plans for Mankind, and even His plans for you!
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7).
His Word is perfect, plain, sure, and pure, and will never lead you astray. His Word is also precious, protective, and profitable. Learning God’s Word adds value to your life.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:9-11).
God’s Spirit
As we see how God’s majesty, power, and order in creation and understand His character through His Word, we begin to experience the conviction of His Spirit.
We can’t see our own errors because we can’t see the truth about ourselves. We know we’re not right, so we hide from God in the same way Adam and Eve hid in shame in the Garden of Eden. But as we read about the plan God put into place for Mankind—the death of His son on the cross to redeem us from sin—we are convicted by the Holy Spirit of God. Conviction leads to confession, cleansing, and a desire for God to keep us from future sin.
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:12-13).
Is God knocking at the door of your heart? If so, come to Him with your whole heart, surrendered completely to His will, and you will know that He is not only real—the sovereign King of the Universe—but that He is also someone you can know personally, walk with, talk with, and enjoy fellowship with throughout this life and forever. That’s His revealed plan for You!
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the "only Son of God," (John 3:18) and that He walked among us both fully human and fully divine. Jesus is the Creator of all things. He Himself could not be created because all things were created by Him.
According to Colossians 1:16, it was Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, at work during Creation. Whether things in Heaven or things on Earth, everything was made by Jesus and for Jesus.
Jesus is the very image of God. The word image here means the exact representation and likeness of God. Sometimes when we are photographed, we lament, “Oh, that’s not a very good picture of me....” But God says Jesus is the very image of Himself. When we look at Jesus, we are seeing what God is like.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15)
The Bible says Jesus is the only person to have ever lived a perfect, sinless life. When He died on the cross, He took on all our sins so that we could be forgiven and have His sinless righteousness.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
After making payment for our sins, Jesus was in the grave for three days. Then He rose from the dead, demonstrating that He had conquered both sin and death, which is the penalty for sin.
Now Jesus is reigning in Heaven. Someday He will return to Earth to judge the living and the dead, to destroy sin and Satan, and to make all things new.
Pastor Rogers said, “Jesus is Lord. We didn’t vote Him in, and we won’t vote Him out.”
For more about the deity of Jesus Christ, read the article, “Is Jesus God?”
Is Jesus the Only Way to Heaven?
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell (Colossians 1:19).
"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27).
There is only one true God, the maker of Heaven and Earth. And there is only one way to that one God: through Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus reveals the Father. God is unseeable. Because He is infinite, He is unknowable. Because He is holy, He is unapproachable. There is no way we could come to or understand God by reason, religion, or ritual. We must know God by revelation. Somebody must take us by the hand and introduce us to God, and Jesus alone does this. You can know God as Creator, as sovereign—that is, you can know about Him. But you cannot know Him, have intimate fellowship with Him, and enjoy eternity in Heaven with Him except through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Only Jesus rules the Universe. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16a). Jesus made every angel and every tree. The baby in Matthew 1 is the mighty God of Genesis 1. The baby in the manger was the God who spoke the Universe into existence.
Only Jesus reconciles the lost.
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:19-20).
God, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature. It is Christ’s deity that makes His death meaningful. He made the world with a word, but He saved it with His precious blood.
Eastern religions believe that life is circular—if you didn’t do it right the first time, you get another chance. But the Bible teaches that history is linear, that we are headed toward a climax, a purpose. It was all made for Jesus.
Pastor Rogers said, “If you wonder what this world is coming to, it is coming to Jesus!”
There is an ongoing war over the Word of God. There are those who despise, dissect, and disregard it. But perhaps the greatest enemy of the Word of God is the one who believes in it but doesn’t know it.
We will never be settled until we are settled about the Word of God. Our salvation and our growth as Christians depend on it.
Revelation 22:18 says, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book…”
There are several to consider about the Bible as the Word of God.
First, consider the Bible’s scientific accuracy.
There have been many instances in which scientific theories have gone against the Word of God, but those theories have crumbled over time. Science changes direction, improves, and builds upon itself. But the Word of God remains unchanged and unmovable.
Second, consider the Bible’s historical accuracy.
Though it’s not primarily a history book, the Bible records many notable events verified by historians.
We also believe in the Bible because of its wonderful unity.
It is penned by people from all kinds of backgrounds: shepherds, kings, soldiers, princes, priests, and fishermen. Yet, from Genesis to Revelation, it reads as one book because of its divine inspiration.
Another reason we believe in the Bible is its fulfilled prophecy.
The Old Testament contains more than 300 prophecies that deal with Jesus Christ that He fulfilled in the New Testament.
We believe in the Bible because of its ever-living qualities. The Bible has faced much opposition, yet it has survived, and it still applies today. Adrian Rogers said, “The Bible is not the book of the month; it is the book of the ages.”
Ultimately, we believe in the Bible as God’s Word because of its life-changing power.
Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel of Christ is the dynamite of God that saves.”
It saves the sinners, sanctifies the saints, sustains the suffering, and satisfies the scholar. The Bible, in all its wonder and majesty, is summed up in this: “Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so.”
"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:31-32).
The only way to Heaven is to turn from sin and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. The deadline for making that decision is death, and some are closer to that deadline than others. If you pass the deadline without making a decision, you will have committed the unpardonable sin.
The unpardonable sin is not a moral sin, an intellectual sin, or a verbal sin. It is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, attributing the work of the Spirit of Almighty God to Satan. This sin is committed knowingly, willfully, and with eyes wide open.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:22-28).
"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:31-32).
Jesus’ healing of the demon-possessed man proved He was healing through the power of God. By attributing the miracle to Satan, the Pharisees were calling Jesus a liar and calling the Holy Spirit the devil.
The Pharisees also sacrificed their own logic by refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. Anyone who refuses the decision to follow Christ because of illogical reasoning is sinning against the reason God provides.
When we stand before God at the final judgment, we will not be judged primarily by the sin we committed, but by the light we rejected.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).
Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be a disciple?
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him (John 6:63-64)
Jesus knew from the beginning which of His followers would believe and who would betray Him.
Jesus chose Judas to help us understand religious hypocrisy and the need for true salvation.
Judas had the right credentials, associates, reputation, and participation. He had a form of godliness but denied the truth. (See 2 Timothy 3:2, 5a.)
Without truly believing and placing our faith in Jesus, religious practices add up to nothing. We must come to God with our whole hearts.
"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" (Matthew 7:22-23)
Jesus chose Judas to help us understand divine sovereignty and the reliability of Scripture.
We can only see one point in time, but God sees all of time. God knew exactly what Judas would do before he did it, and He let him make that choice. We have human responsibility, but God has divine sovereignty.
Jesus chose Judas to help us understand personal responsibility and the tragedy of sin.
Judas made his own decision, a decision that cost him an eternity separated from God. (See Proverbs 20:17.) We, too, have a choice to make, a life-or-death decision that matters for eternity. (See Hebrews 9:27 and 2 Peter 3:9.)
Jesus chose Judasto help us understand the security of the believer.
If Judas had been a true believer, he would have come to an understanding of His sin—not only that he had “betrayed innocent blood,” but that He had betrayed the God of the Universe. He could have come to Christ for forgiveness as Peter did after denying Jesus three times. Judas betrayed and disbelieved; Peter denied but believed. When Judas realized what he had done, he ran away from Jesus. When Peter realized what he had done, he ran toward Jesus. (See John 21:7.) When we believe, we can rest assured that Jesus can and will keep us for eternity.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one" (John 10:27-30).
Jesus chose Judas so we could learn how not to become like Judas!
He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6).
The prophecy above about Jesus’ crucifixion was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, at a time when crucifixion had not yet been invented as a cruel instrument of death.
The Jewish leaders convinced the people to call for Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate washed his hands ceremonially but still handed the Lord over to be crucified. The Roman soldiers scourged, spat upon, and nailed Jesus to the cross. But it would be foolish to blame either the Jews or the Romans for Jesus’ death.
Jesus laid down His life willingly, so in one sense no one can be held responsible for the death of Jesus on the cross. The crucifixion was God’s plan and one that could not be stopped.
But in another sense, everyone who has ever lived—since we all are sinners—is responsible. When Jesus carried His cross up the Hill of Golgotha, the collective sin of every person across the centuries past—as well as the years to come until Christ returns—was laid on Jesus’ shoulders.
Our sins were the nails that held Jesus to the cross. Our hard hearts were the hammers that drove those nails. We are all guilty.
Mel Gibson, who produced “The Passion of the Cross,” acted in only one small part of the film. There is a close-up in the film of someone driving the spike into the hand of Jesus Christ. Mel Gibson arranged that his was the forearm and the hand that held the hammer. He was saying, “I am guilty of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.” And God help us, so are we all.
Jesus’ death and resurrection mark the crossroads of your life. Go one way and you choose death; go the other and you choose life with God, now and for eternity.
To begin the sweetest relationship you will ever know, all you must do for Him to save you is ask. Simply pray something similar to this:
“Dear God, I know that You love me, and I know that You want to save me. Jesus, You died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust You. I do trust You. By faith I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me. Save me, Lord Jesus. Thank You for salvation. I receive it by faith like a child, and that settles it. Now begin to make me the person you want me to be, and help me, Lord Jesus, never to be ashamed of You. Amen.”
If you prayed to receive Jesus and you’re wondering what to do next, go here: I BELIEVE.
If you enjoyed the question-and-answer format in this article, consider purchasing the book, Reconciliation with God.
