Return to 4th Quarter 2022 articles.

EVIDENCE FOR GOD IN CHANGED LIVES

Skeptics and non-believers react to evidence of God's existence with hard hearts and closed minds. The bottom line is people want to live as they please without having to conform to God's standards. They deliberately forget or ignore that God has given us the freedom to make our own choices, but with that freedom comes accountability. Choices have consequences not only in this life but in the life to come. The Bible says all humans sin (Romans 3:23), but God is holy and cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13). God made us in his spiritual image (Genesis 1:26–27) with an eternal soul that lives on after the body dies. Therefore, sin separates us from God not only in this life but eternally.

Our choice to deny or accept God and his Word has eternal and real consequences in this life. God says we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7) and “your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Living to please our sinful, selfish nature can be fun for a while, but it does not last and often ends in broken relationships and broken hearts. People turn to drugs, alcohol, money, or materialism to dull their heartaches and disappointments.

God created us to love and be loved, and that is how we can live a truly fulfilled and happy life. Real love is unselfish, sacrificial, and giving, and God sets the example. He allowed his only Son to become human and face temptations, hardships, and persecutions. Finally, he experienced a cruel, slow, agonizing death on a cross (1 John 3:16). God did this because he loves us (John 3:16) and wants us to be with him in heaven. We can only love as God has shown us (1 John 4:7–12) by dying to our old, sinful selves and becoming new in mind and heart.

When we choose God over self and die to our old life in baptism, we become new in Christ (Romans 6). God not only forgives all our sins (Hebrews 8:12), but his Holy Spirit helps us overcome our sinful nature (Romans 8) and live a g]odly, unselfish life. As we grow in God's love (1 John 2:5) and the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) we can experience real joy, happiness, peace, and contentment. We demonstrate the change in our lives by how we treat others and spend our time and money. The moral decisions we make and the priorities we set show the actual changes in our heart and mind. A life changed by God is a powerful “sermon” that unbelievers cannot deny or dismiss.

— Cynthia Clayton

Picture credit:
© Julie Marcussen

Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website.