In his third rebuttal, Mr. Adams indicated that I unwittingly hit the nail on the head by admitting that people believe in God because they need to rather than because there is any evidence for that belief. What I have maintained from the start of this debate is that people turn to the Lord out of their individual need. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Once they have taken that first step by faith, then God provides ample evidence to the individual that He is real.
Surely it is true that a person can try to convince him or herself that God exists and then try to live a wonderfully clean, pure life. However, this kind of personal deception is not the essence of genuine Christianity, and it clearly is not having the relationship with God which is described in the Bible. In this life, a person can actually have a personal relationship with the God Who created them, but such a relationship will not happen until that person is willing to come to Him on His terms.
Mr. Adams also stated that God could prove His existence in far more effective ways than by putting Himself in Christians and then by putting those Christians in the world. Mr. Adams is clearly correct to make such an observation. God could walk up and down the streets of this world and personally introduce Himself to every one who passes by. However, the fact that He does not choose to do so is not a proof against His existence. This life is full of troubles. Instead of showing Himself through personal appearances or through verbal communications, God reveals Himself to non-believers by showing Himself in the life of believers.
In I Corinthians 1:17-25, the Apostle Paul wrote that preaching is foolishness to the wise of this world, but he followed that remark by saying that it is by the foolishness of preaching that men, women, boys, and girls are brought to God. As I have also maintained from the start of this debate, God will not be found by those who demand a proof of His existence. He will only be found by those who come to Him by faith. If the wise of this world wish to call that first step of faith by the new believer foolishness, then so be it. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I John 5:12).
Tom of SpotswoodReturn To The Index Of This DEBATE"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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