What to Believe about God

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Interesting sermon this morning – centered around that thought. Before you can “come to God” you have to believe he exists. And, secondly, you have to believe that he will reward you for coming.
I suspect a lot of atheism, a lot of rejection of Christianity, has to do with one of those two points. A good many people – in a moment of desperation or fear – come to God. (No atheists in foxholes they used to say.) They plead for something without really believing anyone is there.
How would you respond to a neighbor or co-worker who came to you for a favor, but the whole time he talked at you, he didn’t really act as if you were present? You might want to wave your hand in front of his face. “Hey, look at me, notice me, pretend I’m really here.”
Finally you’d walk away – without doing the favor. Would this be proof that you did not exist? Or, getting on to the second point, that you weren’t a nice enough person to do anybody a favor?
The second point is that he rewards people that come after him, believe he exists – and, as part of being a diligent seeker, shut up long enough for him to answer. This means you believe that he is fundamentally good.
That’s harder to believe that about God in America than we might think. We live in a society where every disaster or major loss is immediately labeled an “act of God”. I watched an episode of “Gray’s Anatomy” the other night where a man who was having medical problems kept repeating, “God hates me”.
We’re very quick to imagine ways God has shown hostility or indifference toward us. We often see him as malevolent. Then we come to him and ask for favors. Is it surprising that he may feel there are other issues to settle first?
Is it shocking that he chooses not to reward people who don’t like him, believe he doesn’t like them? He says, “Let’s make up our differences first.” He makes it very clear throughout the Bible that he favors those who like and trust him. Who doesn’t?
Without the belief (“faith”) that he exists and is willing to do you the favor you ask, it is impossible to please him. So says the verse.
You don’t have to keep rules. He doesn’t evaluate you on the size of your church contribution or your good behavior. He evaluates you on whether you have enough faith to believe he exists and cares enough about you to help – if you talk to him as if he were real.
There are wives and husbands all over this planet who feel the same way about their mates.
For some people it may simply be easier to decide he just doesn’t exist. That way they never have to get real with him. They never have to set aside the skepticism that says, “He’d never do that for me.”
I know people who feel that way. I’ve had trouble with that issue myself. It’s really hard sometimes to trust a friend or a mate that much. It isn’t any easier to trust God.
But just because you don’t like or trust him, don’t tell me he isn’t really there.