I've been struggling with a certain question lately and have not been able to find, or think of, a single explanation for why God expects everyone to admit His existence (I assume that to admit that He is the Lord, you're going to then submit to him).
The issue I have is that if you look at the Bible and its contents from a rational standpoint, there is no reason to believe it.
There is, actually.
Apart from anything else, the Bible contains a lot of history - for example, the history of the nation of Israel, which the Jewish historian, Josephus, writes about. In the NT, Luke was a historian, and often gives us historical details - eg in Chapter 3 he tells us who was emperor, governor of Judea and high priest at that time. In Acts he tells us of a famine which occurred during the reign of the emperor Claudius.
Archaeologists have uncovered remains and buildings which confirm the presence of buildings listed in the Bible, and then there are manuscripts, the Dead Sea scrolls and so on. The book of Ezra contains the edict of Darius, a Babylonian and pagan king.
So the historical references, details and evidence alone should tell us that the Bible contains some truth.
The Old Testament is the Jewish Scriptures. It contains all the details of their feasts, laws, festivals and how and why they were to keep them. They still do to this day. I understand even Muslims accept and believe the Old Testament. Christians do too.
A large number of people, therefore, believe and acknowledge the OT. That may not prove to us that it is true, but it is surely harder to dismiss the faith and practices of thousands of people.
Christians differ from these two religions, though, because we believe that the Old Testament points to Jesus and prophesies his life, teaching, death, resurrection and more besides. This is where faith comes in; the Pharisees had, and knew, the OT Scriptures, but they didn't believe - or didn't want to believe - that Jesus fulfilled them.
Yes, we know that there was a guy who claimed to be the messiah who died on a cross, but that does not confirm that he was a real messiah (though obviously I think that he was).
That's the crux of the whole matter - what do you, and others, think of Jesus?
In Mark 8:29 we read that Jesus asked his disciples; "who do you say that I am?" He still asks each of us that question today.
If you have ever done an Alpha course, or read about them, that is one of the questions that is discussed in detail; was Jesus mad, a liar, deluded, or who he said he was?
You, or others, may conclude that he was one of the first 3. Ok, but they then have to dismiss teachings such as "treat others as you would like to be treated", "love one another"; parables such as The Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son, (and both those phrases are used in everyday speech or conversation), and the well known Lord's Prayer which has given comfort to many. Because how can you trust these things if they are the words of a liar or deluded man?
If someone believes that Jesus was a good teacher and accepts as true these words of his, then surely the only logical conclusioin is that he was right about the other things that he said too? He predicted that he would be tortured and crucified - that was true, why not his words about rising from the dead?
And this might be a matter of faith again, but doesn't the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead confirm that Jesus was weho he said he was, and spoke the truth? Would God raise a blasphemous liar from the dead? Would the disciples have been willing to endure persection, torture and to give their lives for something which they knew wasn't true?
You can't look at everything in the world and rationally conclude 'Jesus died for my sins'
Don't look at eveything in the world to discover the truth of this statement; look at Jesus, what he said, the cross, what the disciples taught and what they were willing to give their lives for. Then look at the saints, clergy, missionaries and ordinary Christians who, for the last 2000 years, have lived and died for this Gospel. Read the testimonies of former drug addicts, Satanists, cult members etc and people who had their lives completely turned upside down when they dared to believe that God loved them and Jesus died for them.
The evidence of changed lives, being set free from bad habits and destructive lifestyles, is vey hard to dismiss or ignore.
With a complete lack of evidence and the fact that the Bible is a book of ancient theology
Is it?
Have you read the story of Jacob - who cheated his brother out of an inheritance, had to run away to save his life and went to stay with his uncle, who in turn, cheated him and tricked him into marrying a woman he didn't love?
Or of Joseph - a spoilt younger son, his father's favourite, who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, falsely accused of rape and imprisioned and could have been set free sooner than he was if someone had kept their promise?
Or of David - a great king, who gave into temptation, had an affair, got the woman prgnant, tried to get the woman's husband to sleep with her so that they could pass the bay off as his, and when that didn't work, arranged to have the husband killed?
Or of Solomon, who started so well but was seduced by women and wealth and lost his faith?
Or of Peter, who swore blind he would never deny Jesus, but when under pressure, did just that?
Ancient theology? Some of these stories have formed the basis for plays and soap operas. Do they have nothing to teach us today; are they irrelevant?
(written, depending on the book, anywhere from six to two thousand years ago)
Yet the earliest Gospel was written about 30-35 years after Jesus died - compare with some other books which have been written hundreds of years after the subject of the book had died.
It doesn't seem to matter how much a person searches - if they apply a reasonable amount of skepticism, nothing is going to conclude to a big picture which makes sense and fits together. Not without faith.
We need faith for
everything.
You have no proof that you will wake up tomorrow; you no doubt expect to, and that means you will be happily go to bed tonight.
Ever thought that it takes just as much faith to believe that God
doesn't exist in the face of overwhelming testimony and personal experience from those who believe that he does?
And that's the problem: Faith is irrational! But we're all expected to have faith in the Lord and to come to Him.
We're not
expected to - he gives us the choice; we have free will.
Those of us who come to God to be saved by him, do so because he is the only One who CAN save us.