but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;———-1 Peter 3:15

Every person has a belief system of some sort regardless of whether a deity is involved. Every belief system is based on presuppositions. Muslims, Jews and Christians assume that the universe is an open system. There is something that exists outside of the universe and that Something (we call it God) created it. Atheists assume that the universe is a closed system. Nothing exists outside of it and everything that happens in it has a physical naturalistic cause and effect. As an aside, science and naturalism are not synonymous. There are notable scientists that  believe in God; just because a person does not believe in God, does not make him scientific. Science and human reasoning can only take us so far. We as individuals choose the premises on which we base our world view. Ultimately, it is faith, either way.

Christians also believe that what the Bible says about God and humankind is true. It tells us what we cannot learn for ourselves, the nature of God and His relationship with His creation.

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a record of man’s relationship with God and God’s willingness to keep communing with His creation. It is all about God and the worship of Him. The Law, given first in Exodus, and again later, in various forms, was given to instruct us that we are morally, imperfect, God is perfect and we are not, big surprise. Sin is rebelliousness against God. Humanity as a whole does not want God, or they want a god that accepts their goodness as a reason for admittance to heaven or some reward. They want to be able to DO something to earn heaven, or salvation, or whatever. We cannot earn it by being good. God wants us to acknowledge that life is all about Him, to realize that He is the Master of the Universe, The sacrifices they were commanded to make in the Old Testament, were also to be reminders that God is holy and perfect and to turn our minds towards Him. Animal sacrifices were not the cause of God’s forgiveness. They looked forward to the ultimate sacrifice that God made when He came to earth as a human, left His deity behind to agonize with and because of, His creation. We can now know that He knows how we feel. When we feel betrayed, He was betrayed, etc.

His ways are not our ways, and His way is perfect. His way was to come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth. Every single soul on the planet is valuable to God.  He demonstrated that by coming and dying. He gives you and me the choice to  accept or reject. He does not force.

Accepting begins a relationship of love. We study, we pray, we love and the goal is to become Christ-like. We don’t reach it in a lifetime but that is the striving. If you want to know what God is like, read the Gospels.

Paul wrote mostly to believers. He wrote to people who had already made that decision. He continually reminded them, because it is easy to fall into old thought patterns, that obeying a particular set of laws or rules is not what life with God is all about. It is about the life, death, and resurrection of God in the form of Jesus. Our value is not based on our faith, our faith is based on the value He places on us. Our faith is accepting God’s assessment of our need for Him.

Science cannot prove spiritual work, nor can science disprove it. The Bible was not designed to be a science or history textbook. It is sixty-six books (more or less, depending on which version you read) to teach us about God. The proof that no one can take away from me is the growth of peace, love, and understanding that I have experienced through the years that I have let God work in me.

Feel free to comment respectfully. I enjoy talking about God.

note: The site is programmed not to post comments that have profanity because that is who I am and profanity does not add anything to the discussion.

Seven-of-Nine was number seven in a group of nine, a character in Star Trek Voyager. She was rescued from the Borg Collective whose individuals were joined by cybernetic implants. These individuals heard and felt everything that the rest of the group heard and felt. There was never silence. No one was ever alone, no matter how far apart they were. She had grown up with the constant communion of that mind. When the ship’s doctor disengaged her from the Collective mind, she felt ripped apart and inexpressibly lonely. When we suffer some traumatic event, we feel it for the rest of our lives.

When Jesus Christ suffered in physical pain and humiliation, he also suffered a mental and emotional rupture. He was wrenched away from His deity, His glory, and the sufficiency that was God from eternity past. He knew loneliness like none of us will ever know. God is outside of time; all times are now to Him. The rest of His life is eternity. Just as Jesus on earth, turned to look at Peter with love and forgiveness, after the rooster crowed, after Peter’s denial of Him, Jesus in heaven looks at his disciples now with love and forgiveness even while remembering the pain.

The Borg just knew that its way would bring perfection and happiness to the universe. It did not give anyone a choice. It assimilated everyone. The Borg represents us, human beings. We know what we know and we want everyone to agree with us, regardless of the subject. Throughout history, we have forced others into converting to our way of thinking, whether it is political, philosophical, or religious. The trouble is that a coerced convert is not a true convert. Unlike the Borg, God perfectly loves. He does not drag us into his presence and is willing to let us go our own way. But, he put himself through that agony of tearing himself into pieces so that we can have the privilege of His companionship.

This weekend, as we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and God, we should remember that love was His motive. We need to show that love to others with respect for their right to choose even though it may break our hearts.