“Yes, I Believe in God”

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble.” (James 2:19)

“I believe in God” is a comment that is often given by a person who does not know Jesus Christ in a personal way but doesn’t want to risk dismissing God altogether. I once listened to a man for several minutes while he criticised the way God was running His world and then switched his attention to “the church.” “Why doesn’t the church do anything to stop abortion?” A good question but the motivation for the question was meant to be a criticism.

Since the man was criticising God I suggested that he was in fact making himself of a higher moral authority than God and therefore superior. He had, many years before, had some involvement in a church and in more recent years undergone JW indoctrination for a couple of years before rejecting their teaching as well.

As the conversation went on it was clear that he did feel he knew how to run the world better than God and if he was in charge of the church it would operate more assertively. I suggested that there was another religious/political group that was being assertive but he fortunately didn’t warm to that group either.

After putting down everything in this world that pertains to God he affirmed, “Don’t get me wrong I believe in God” but it sounded like a patronising line to try and appease God – if indeed He exists. It doesn’t wash with God. He knows when a person is putting themselves in the high position over Him in breech of the first commandment.

In God’s grace we had enough time to clear up quite a few misconceptions and misunderstandings that he had. It became clear that even though he had rejected the JW doctrines as a whole some detail had stuck.

When anyone criticises the way God runs His Creation or His church they are making themselves as God. This is what Satan successfully achieved with Adam and Eve and has been doing with considerable success ever since.

It is no different when a Christian is critical of the way Jesus manages and grows His church. Perhaps you have been impatient with the spiritual development of another Christian or your church. It hasn’t gone the way you thought it should or perhaps not fast enough. If you were in charge things would be different. That is the voice of one who places himself above Jesus Christ.

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