There is a God, you ain't him (nor am I)

 I do not care what you believe, or more accurately, I do not care very deeply. It is between you and God. One of the fundamental questions in life is the nature of our self. Do we exist only in the flesh and cease consciousness when we die? Descartes pondered the eternal and came up with the postulate that if you do exist forever and act as if you do not then you would likely regret your actions, but if you do not exist forever then there is no harm in living your life as if it has consequences.

Do you believe in God? It seems to be a yes or no question although some agnostics want to sidestep the question. If your answer is no then why not act only in your own interests? In that universe, to quote a good friend, we are only self-aware dirt in transition. An accident happened with no real purpose and we exist only for a breath and then we are no more. A most dangerous prayer is to sincerely ask “God, if you are real, show me.”

If you find you believe in God what is His nature? Humans often ascribe our sense of morality on the eternal. We think we are the arbitrators of right and wrong. If there is an all powerful God that created the universe who are we to question motives? A speck of dust on a speck of dust screaming “it's not fair.” The Bible reveals God's nature. One of the recurring themes is the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. Fearing the consequences of our words, deeds and thoughts. Whether we want to or not we will be judged. God is holy and perfect, against that standard we fail. The old testament is full of rules and sacrifices to atone for breaking those rules. The Jewish people were constantly presenting sacrifices to atone for their sins. In the new testament God sent Jesus to earth to provide an everlasting payment for the sins of mankind. You only need to believe in Him as your savior. It seems like an easy deal, and it is, but you are expected to repent and turn away from your sins and live a new life.

Failing to live up to the standard is not the end of your journey. We are in a constant battle between our natural tendency to rebel and the Holy Spirit's divine grace. God will use you to fulfill His purpose, “Even the wicked are made for the day of disaster.” I do not pretend to understand why we are given free-will AND our destiny is preordained. I know my rebellious selfish nature is wrong and I fall short. I know God helps me to know the difference and sometimes I choose correctly.