A Church Without God
Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the LORD added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47
In 1966, English journalist and author, Rev. Ernest Harrison, wrote a book with the title of today’s devotional. In it, he suggested that we abolish the concept of God. His reference related to the idea of the church getting back to meeting the needs of people.
Can you imagine what our world would be like today if the sovereign God of the universe totally left us to ourselves? Guaranteed, there would be a lot more and much greater needs to meet if God left us to ourselves.
There are already many churches in our nation that long have switched from a biblical theology to a social theology. Some of them are doing quite well from man’s perspective but the no longer teach or preach God’s plan of salvation. This means that people are being deceived and are heading to eternal destruction. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36). It is very sad, but many Christian churches have abandoned their prayer meetings. It is as though they are telling God He is not any longer needed in their ministries as well. Many others have turned to using worldly methods and promotions to attract people to their churches. They measure success in material terms, numbers, buildings, and money. Human effort and manipulation can achieve all these things. What ever happened to waiting on the Lord and seeking His blessing on His work?
The same can be true in our lives individually. Do you daily need divine intervention and can you get along on your own? I know the answer, but then why is it we so often go through the day without spending time with the Lord. Is your Christian life defined more from your perspective or God’s perspective? If you were on trial for being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict you? Worldly holiness and Christian atheism will never bring God’s blessing or leadership into your life or into your church. This is crucial because outsiders watch our lives.
The atheist will argue that there is no God, never was and never will be. Some will admit that God did exist, but now He is dead. The agnostic claims that you cannot know if there is a god while the deist will admit to there being a God, but He is not at all involved in our lives. Then there is the pantheist that says, “everything is god.” Add to this group those who think there are many gods.
Harrison stated that with regard to religion, the emotions of people as well as the idea of “divine revelation” are involved. The idea that God has not revealed Himself is not a new one. Many philosophers and liberal theologians have stated that God would have revealed Himself to us if He were truly interested in mankind. How would you answer the arguments Mr. Harrison presents?
It is not our emotional makeup or our imagination of a “divine revelation” that reminds us that God has indeed revealed Himself to us.
- God has revealed Himself to mankind through nature. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). The universe is so vast, complex and beautiful. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars with Thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of Him (Psalm 8:4)? Consider our sun, the nearest star, 93 million miles away from the earth with the power to heat our entire solar system. We are like a speck of dust in the Milky Way, which is 100,000 light years across. Traveling at the speed of 186k000 miles per second, it would take us the full 100,000 years to traverse it. A person doesn’t need to be a scientist to recognize that it did not just happen by chance. A Master Designer clearly laid out our universe.
- Our conscience reveals that God exists and has revealed Himself. This is far different from our imagination. The moral code of all societies testifies to a God Who has revealed Himself and His Law to us. In the early 1960’s a society of Aborigines, previously unknown to the world, were discovered in Australia who had six of the Ten Commandments clearly laid out in their moral code. Romans 2:14, 15 indicates that when the Gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the Law, they reveal the Law written in their hearts. In some way, God revealed it to them!
- God has revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Bible. II Timothy 3:16 – All scripture is given by inspiration of God and the word inspiration literally means “God breathed.” The very first words of the Bible read – In the beginning God (Genesis 1:1). Nowhere in the Bible does God defend these statements. It simply is His voice of authority regarding His Word. Jesus said, the first of the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord (Mark 12:29). The Bible is God’s voice (message) to mankind and is our source for the knowledge of His plans and purposes.
- God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus testified that He came to earth to reveal the will of God the Father (Matthew 11:27). The Bible refers to Jesus as the Word, which was with God, and was God, and became flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1;1, 14). Note also John 14:9 & 11.
Churches that no longer preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have become social oriented instead of God oriented are churches without God. People will never discover God unless they trust Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. The Gospel invitation is open to all who truly want to personally know the God that exists. And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.