A faith proved by ME

Hey all,

My conversation has continued by email with my old college friend- so this is in a sense part two of the conversation. Our discussion has moved more into the areas of faith and science. I get this a lot from people and while I am grateful all of science (in my opinion) points to the fact that God exists, my faith rests not on the pillar and foundation of the evidence, but on the undeniable evidence within me that God exists, that He is my ultimate authority, I am under His wrath, and through Jesus alone is my relationship with Him restored. Here is my response to his wavering belief in God as a result of questions from science.

A faith built and supported primarily by intellectual and evidenced based faith will always waver, as arguments come daily that bombard and look to destroy your reasoning for what you believe. It's not to say that there isn't evidence, it's just that those who want to deny God have for thousands of years been creating new thoughts on how to get around the evidence that IS there. In fact all liberalism is self-critiquing- as Christians it would almost be wise at times to just let it all go. As a liberal thought will come out today that battles against the conservative Christian mindset- but in 15 years this once liberal idea will also be considered conservative and be ripped apart by those who once created it and will ultimately introduce a new liberal idea.

I do believe all the evidence points to God- I genuinely believe in a catastrophic flood where God killed all humanity and Noah was left. I believe in a literal 7 day creation of the world- as I know that God made Adam and Eve as mature men and women- showing God has the ability to create things with age. I believe he created the world with the appearance of God and then set it all into motion to leave us with an amazing universe full of discovery that would cause men like Albert Einstein to say, "The more I study science the more I believe in God."

My faith in God, though supported by science in billions of ways, is not primarily supported and maintained because of science. It is maintained and supported by the inner testimony of the eternal life that is within me that I cannot deny. Call that foolishness, but what I have within me has proven itself so many times over that even if all of science disagreed with me it would be impossible for me to deny.

A couple years ago I met weekly with a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses for 4 weeks. Michael and a new sidekick were always looking to convince me and me them. We debated the nature of Christ, the sanctity of blood, the true Gospel, and etc and by week four it was clear to them they were getting no where with me, I was a waste of their time and I was out of arguments. So I threw the only thing I had left, though in hindsight it was my best argument. I felt like the guy in John 9- I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but all I know is I was once blind and now I see. I asked Michael, "Tell me what God has done in your life." He responded with a story of his childhood and a belief structure that essentially boils down to, "I believe because Jehovah has given me purpose and meaning in life." The worst support for faith in something ever as anything can give you purpose and meaning- a job, a cat, a terrorist plot, a cult. Most of the time the thing that gave you purpose and meaning isn't anything special it was just the first thing that got you.

I then shared my story- of a man once angry, lonely, loving the world, chasing all it's offerings, and what Christ did in me, has done in me, continues to do in me. "My God is the God who changes lives. What does your God do? Nothing, he doesn't exist. If you don't believe in my story here is 100 others just like it (as I handed him an Intersect magazine). I've seen healings, miracles, greatest of which are people crossing from death to life, and more." With that Michael said thanks and I haven't seen him since.

My inner testimony, which I cannot deny, is what keeps me with God. I appreciate the email and can't wait to talk soon.

Cody