God Is Unavoidable Series

GOD IS UNAVOIDABLE

Have you ever felt like someone was avoiding you? They don't pick up the phone when you call or when they see you coming they turn and run the other way. There can be different reasons for this. Perhaps you talk too much and they don't want to be trapped into having a long conversation with you.

Maybe you're always asking something of them and they don't want to be trapped into doing something for you. It could be because they know you're not happy with them and they want to avoid conflict. Or perhaps the last time you talked with them you were trying to confront them about some things and they didn't like it so now they avoid you.

Don't feel bad, people try to do the same thing with God. If we're avoiding God we're avoiding the truth. We can avoid the truth but that doesn't make it any less true; it just keeps us from seeing reality. To avoid dealing with reality is not good. Like the statement I read, "I avoid everything that makes me fat; scales, mirrors and photographs." It's pointless to think that we can really avoid God. Let's look at some reasons why that is.

God's questions are unavoidable.

With the unavoidable God comes some unavoidable questions: how did all this get here? Why are we here? Is there a God? I believe God has placed these questions within all of us. At some point in our lives we ponder these things. Who am I? What is my purpose? Is there something out there greater than myself?

For some people these are nagging questions but for others they are questions pondered for only a moment before they move on with their lives. They might come back to them every now and then but they don't dwell on them for too long. But God has placed within all of us these unavoidable questions and we must decide whether or not we will seriously consider the answers to these questions.

The problem with these questions is that there are various answers given by various people. Science says that there was no creator but that a big bang brought the universe into existence. Science says all species evolved through a singular organism, they weren't created by God. Some people teach there is no God, there is no heaven or hell, there is no afterlife.

Different religions and philosophies teach different things so we're faced with numerous possibilities as to what the true answers are to these unavoidable questions. But God is one who can cut through all the falsehood and reveal the truth. The question is-do we want to know the truth? If we're believing a lie God will counter with the truth and challenge us to believe it.

But regardless as to how seriously we contemplate the answers to God's unavoidable questions we need to understand that we are without excuse.

Romans 1:17-20, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

The truth of the gospel has been revealed. But we suppress that truth; we avoid that truth. God's truth has been made plain but I've been avoiding it. It's plain because of the plainness of creation. God's invisible qualities have been made visible and I need to answer the question, 'did God do this'? God gives us unavoidable questions for a reason-to seek him. That's his ultimate goal in giving us these questions to ponder; it's all for the sake of us getting to the realization that there is a God, he is the Creator, he loves me and he has a purpose for my life.

And along with these unavoidable questions comes two more-is there an afterlife? What will happen to me when I die? I believe everyone at some point in their lives are pondering these questions because God wants us to ponder them. We need to face these unavoidable questions because of the seriousness of them and the validity of them.

The reality is that there is something beyond this life. And that afterlife deals with facing God's judgment. Paul said in 2nd Cor. 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." There's no avoiding it; we must all face it. So it's important that we ponder these unavoidable questions because how we answer them will ultimately dictate where we spend eternity.