Verse of the Day - John 12:44-46

Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
~ John 12:44-46 (NIV)

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I have heard that to be an agnostic is the latest craze. The American Heritage Dictionary says this:

1. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
2. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
3. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

Now, maybe it's true that proclaimed agnostics really believe they can't know God, but in many cases, I think this is a cop-out. I think the "non-committal" part of the definition is the essence of their claim. It's as if they think, If I say I'm agnostic, I don't have to think or talk about religion with anyone. Maybe they'll just leave me alone. Maybe they really do fear a God in heaven, so they don't want to go so far as to claim atheism, but they don't feel like dealing with the spiritual ramifications of looking at themselves in the light of a God who sees and, possibly, knows them. Just too uncomfortable to deal with, so they don't.

Jesus says if you hear Him, you have heard God. If you see Him, you've seen God. Pretty basic, huh? And He said that He brings light to the darkness. Truth to ignorance and deception.

Jesus claimed to have come from heaven -- God in human form. He did many miracles to back that up, including healing the blind and lame, and raising the dead. And since God is eternal, death is of no account to Him, so when men slayed Jesus' mortal body, it was only for as long as God allowed Him to stay in the grave. He deemed that to be three days -- predicted by Jesus, and fulfilled as He claimed. He walked and talked with many people afterward, so that there was no doubt that the Jesus they had met before the crucifixion was the same Jesus afterward. He said He would never leave His followers and that He'd come back some day to reclaim them for God for all eternity. And then He ascended into heaven in the presence of many witnesses.

So, an agnostic can say it's impossible to know God. But God says different. He says Open your eyes, and see Jesus. Open your ears, and listen to Him. I sent Him for your benefit. It is possible to know I exist and to know what I'm about. You have no excuse, now that He has come.

All that God is, is good. And Jesus shed true light on who God is, caring for the sick and dying, comforting the mourning, raising the dead. Who would not want to embrace Him?!? Well, that is the $64,000 question. And sin has the answer. Sin does not want to submit to righteousness. Sin loves basking in it's sinful ways and revels in it's sinful deeds. So, many who don't want to submit to God's authority can just claim agnosticism, the idea that there is no way to know if God is real. It's an easy out, in their mind. But reality can never be changed by supposition or theory. What is, is. And God is. One day, all will be laid bare and revealed, and there won't be any room for supposition or theory. Reality will be revealed in all His glory.

If you have entertained the agnostic faith or know someone who does, I challenge you/them to this question: Do you really care to know whether God is real, or are you just copping out? Because if you really want to know God, just look to Jesus. He came so you wouldn't have to be in the dark about God. And if you're just copping out, I ask you to reconsider. Jesus is asking you to reconsider. Because it's a matter of life and death.

Love,
Joelene