I was called the other day to my supervisor’s office. After probing a bit about the ongoing projects being handled by me, he handed over a small book to me. He said that he wanted me to read it and give his comments, soon. The book’s title was ‘The true message of Jesus Christ’ authored by an Arabic writer (as from the name I perceived).
This gesture was triggered by me, since I offered him a copy of my book ‘Encounter with Life’ a few weeks ago to read. At a quick glance, I knew that this soft bound small book is certainly going to give me a different perspective on Jesus which is more close to the followers of the land, I am living in. I was keen to read it.
I read it through in next 2-3 days and returned it. It gave several cases as if the Bible was altered or having contradictions. I had already read many such things on the internet and after reading this book, I have developed conclusions (contrary to the suggested perspective) due to the discrepancies in their understanding of the Bible and my experience of reading the Bible through a decade now.
I am now more than convinced that Jesus is the son of God, who incarnated 2000+ years ago, to pay the price of the sins of the human race and reconcile it to God. He died and rose again and is still alive to hear my prayers and answer them. And if all this is true (which it is), then he is coming soon to judge the world.
Yet, I chose to read another book, which uncle Peter so graciously lent me – The Case for Christ by Lee Strobell. I am half way through with this book. Lee, so avidly brings clear conclusions on the authenticity of the New Testament, Jesus Christ, his historicity and his deity based on physical, historical, archeological, psychological, scientific and other kind of legalistic proofs which after his thorough research satisfied his journalist atheist mind that Jesus Christ is God. He was expert in going to the core of the criminal cases based on various evidences, which were at times overlooked even by the judiciary. He had several cases to his account where he brought the cases to an altogether different end, which would not have happened if he did not have those eyes to see the intricate details, as he had.
While reading this book, few thoughts popped up in my mind, one of which I wish to put as under.
THE CASE FOR FAITH
… faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (NIV), or in other words – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (KJV)
[Hebrews 11:1]
Usually in order to solve many mathematical and scientific problems, researchers make certain assumptions and consider them universally true, even before conducting their experiments. They just assume them to be true – based on what?
One of the major assumptions is that – the natural phenomenon/processes and characteristics of the elements are uniform and therefore should provide the same result every time when conducted in a close environment.
copper is a good conductor of electricity and will remain so unless worked upon by an external agent to change this characteristics. That the pure water shall start boiling at 100 degree Celsius and would freeze at 0 degree Celsius unless mixed with impurities. That the apple must fall down on the ground after getting detached from the tree. That light must travel at the speed of 3×108 (precisely 299,792,458 m/s) meter per second. Speed of light is greater than that of sound. What if ‘systematic nature’ gave away one day, could scientists do anything about it.
No!
- What if copper lets the electricity pass through it in one experiment and not allow in the second instance? What if glass allowed light pass one
time and stop it in another instance? - What would happen if light from sun might take 8 minutes to reach to earth on one day and more on other day and less on the even other day?
- What if gravitational pull kept changing its nature?
- What if moon or earth changed its trajectory and went its own way?
- What if Sodium and Chloride refused to get together and make salt or Hydrogen and
Oxygen did not make water? What if Plants started using hydrogen to make food and produce hydrogen paroxide? - If this happened, what would happen to the laws of Newton? Could there be any Doppler effect? Could scientists derive any exact equations? What about reflection and refraction, evaporation and condensation, sexual reproduction and DNA science?
Any change in this uniform nature could create havoc in the modern scientific world.
Who is behind the uniformity of the universe or nature? Why scientists assume that nature is uniform or systematic and therefore it should produce the same results every time the same experiment is conducted in a give set of environmental/physical conditions?
Based on the assumption of ‘systematic nature’, all machines and other devices are made which perform same universally (example BMW car engine produce same results in all the places and therefore company can claim certain specifications to be true while marketing the car, failing which it may be sued).
Scientists unknowingly believe in the creation of that super-intelligent God, whose products they are using as source to produce the bi-products or derived products by applying science (which is nothing but discovered/derived/developed knowledge from the nature). Therefore it can be concluded that an intelligent God has to be present to make this systematic nature which produces same results always.
Scientists may prove, by repetitive experiments and showing consistent results that – nature is uniform, but they cannot force the nature to behave in such a way. That is God’s prerogative. Therefore scientists who seem to be against faith – are actually supposing the nature to be true – just by faith.
Contrary to the teachings of the new age saints and gurus, we must put our faith in God, our creator. Instead of looking into our self, we must look for the grace of God. God is the source of everything; he only can bring salvation and redemption from sin, which is the main reason behind all problems in the world around us.
The true spirituality is not in going deep in ‘self’ but to be allowed to call God as our ‘Abba and father’ or to say ‘Papa and daddy’. Making this love relationship is crucial because God intends to do so. He created us so that we may have fellowship with us. God incarnated as man in Jesus to reconcile the fallen race to God.
… God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ, so that whoever regardless of his religion, gender and other bias believes in him, shall not perish but may have eternal life in heaven and abundant life on Earth. God did not sent his son to condemn the world or to punish them, but so that the world may be saved through him..
[Paraphrased John 3:16, 17]
Are we ready to put away all our prejudices today and put faith in God, a simple faith, a child like faith so that grace of God may flow and bless us.
Lets pray.
God, we come with a simple faith to start and build a relationship with you today, regardless of our religion, our previous philosophies and the teachings of the world. We want to learn from you, bless us, lead us and give us more faith. Amen