Ponderings of an Old Man
I’m 78 years old so I think I quality as being old. Some recent online and offline exchanges with an adversary of mine that has developed over the last few years pertaining to the credibility of Christianity and the Gospel of Jesus Christ has brought about some remembrances in my mind that had been previously forgotten a long time ago.
The short story is that you cannot “prove” the viability of God nor the validity of Jesus being the Son of God to another person. In order to “prove” something, you need to be able to provide unrefusable evidence that effectively removes all doubt from the other persons mind and that is something that is darn near to impossible as impossible can be.
I could provide many examples of the truth of my last statement but you’re going to have to take my word for it because I don’t have the time to expound upon it. But to summarize, if you don’t want to believe in something, you can find reasons to validate your conviction. If you do want to believe something, you can also find reasons to validate your conviction. The “truth” that is encapsulated within our conviction resides within the mind of the individual who holds the conviction.
The difficult part of course, for all of us, is to be able to discern which “truth” resides within our minds, along with the honest understanding that we may possess of why we desire to maintain the conviction that we adhere to. And to be honest with you, I can’t help but think that whom we believe that we are accountable to, is a major aspect of this particular decision. This pertains to both ourselves and other human beings, and I would ultimately think even God, if we believe that He exists.
There are a considerable host of different reasons why I believe in God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I could list some of them but then, this post would become a book. And yet, the interesting thing that I have observed time and time again is that the reasons why I believe in God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, do not necessarily change the differing and conflicting convictions that others may hold.
I’ve done my homework. I’ve investigated the pros and cons of many of the “factual” arguments that exist and studied the source document of my “faith”. I can make a strong case for why I believe what I believe. But those are my convictions, and not necessarily yours. Exchanging “arguments”, in my experience, seldom results in an immediate change in the convictions of another who opposes my convictions. This is what I would consider a “true” statement, unless God intervenes (which He can and sometimes does) or the person to whom I am exchanging differing convictions with, is honestly open to possibly changing their currently held conviction, which in my personal observation, is rare.
But convictions are one thing, and the developing relationship with God are another. And by far, this developing relationship, especially over an extended period of time, is the rationale behind my continued holding of my convictions, and one cannot pass this aspect onto another. God does not have grandchildrenin the sense that we can pass our relationship with God onto another. It is personal and it has to be this way because each of us are individuals unto ourselves and God does deal with us primarily as individuals.
I will not change my convictions because I cannot walk away from my relationship with God. I cannot adequately articulate this relationship but it literally means the world to me. I love Him because He loves me, He forgives me time and time again, blesses me when I do not deserve His blessing and nurtures me in ways that do not even originate or enter into my mind. The beauty and love of God is experienced in the relationship that He and He alone can bring into this equation that we call life. And there are so many aspects to this relationship. His Holy Word, His forgiving benevolence because of my faith and trust in the shed blood of His Son Jesus, and the kindness that He continually extends to me and those that I love. And please note that does not mean that those that I love and myself have not experienced our share of difficulties and trials.
I am far better as a human being than I used to be but I still have a long long way to go to be perfect as He is perfect. Think “not even close”. Yet I believe that which He started in me, He shall bring to completion when I stand before Him and look upon His face. My completeness is in His Son, it is the way that it is supposed to be and in fact can only be, and there is no human way that I am aware of that this “truth” can be adequately or effectively conveyed from one who believes to one who does not believe.
The “proof” is in the eating.
Psalm 34:8 NASB
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
Revelation 3:20 NASB
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
Worthy is the Lamb! Blessings!
Bruce Cooper is a disciple of Jesus, married to Peggy, with 5 grown up children, 7 grandchildren. He is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and resides in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. a.k.a. “Papa.” To read more of Bruce’s work visit Reasoned Cases For Christ.
Dear Bruce:t
I too have confronted that react “ion. What my immediate reaction to the struggles you mentioned above is the old phrase “you can LEAD a horse to water, but you CAN’T make them drink” is SO TRUE.
We can TEACH about the faith, we can teach WHAT we believe, but we CAN’T MAKE others believe. Only THEY can take that step. We can TEACH, we can ENCOURAGE, be MODELS to others of the faith, and hopefully be supportive of them on their journey to belief. But only THEY can be open to the grace TO believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.