My What if Its True Examining Four Important Spiritual Questions

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WHAT IF ITSTRUE?

IIf something sounds too good to be true, it probablyis. Thats usually good advice. But there areexceptions. Someone doeswin the sweepstakes. Somepeople do land job offers that are far better than theythought possible.

Wise people are careful. But as RBC staff writer Bill Crowder points out in thefollowing pages, thoughtfulpeople are not blindly cynical.

With due caution andrealistic optimism, we havereason to ask questions aboutspiritual beliefs which, if true,lead to personal discoveriesthat are far better than we ever thought possible.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design:Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version, 1979, 1980, 1982, ThomasNelson, Inc., PublishersCopyright 2001 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTSReasonable Doubt..............2What If Its True . . .

That Jesus Is Who He Claimed To Be? ..............................3That The Bible Has The Answers To MyQuestions?........................8That The Church Is More Than JustHypocrites?....................14That The Creator Cares For Me?..............21

If Its True,What Does It Mean For You? ..................30Additional Resources ............................32

Q0610 What If It's True? b-w pp 1/19/05 3:47 PM Page 1

RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

REASONABLEDOUBT

OOn June 17, 1966, two men were arrested outside Paterson, New Jersey, for the murdersof two men and a woman at Patersons Lafayette Bar& Grill. One of the two men arrested was RubinHurricane Carteraboxer who had been aserious contender at themiddleweight level. Carterand his friend, John Artis,were tried. On May 27,1967, they were foundguilty of murder andsentenced to threeconsecutive terms of lifebehind bars.

Nine years later the New Jersey Supreme Courtoverturned the convictionsof Carter and Artis. The judges unanimouslyruled that the prosecutionwithheld evidence favorableto the defense. So theyordered a new trial. Later in

the same year the two wereagain found guilty and thesame sentences re-imposed.

After another 9 years, onNovember 7, 1985, JudgeH. Lee Sarokin of FederalDistrict Court in Newark,

New Jersey, overturned thesecond trial convictions.Judge Sarokin ruled that the original convictionswere based on racismrather than reason, andconcealment rather thandisclosure.

The trials of RubinCarter show the importanceof questions like: What ifits true? Who are yougoing to believe? Whatdoes the evidence reallysay? But there are otherareas, outside the courts,where even more is atstake.

2

What does the evidence really say?



WHAT IF ITS TRUETHAT JESUS IS WHO HECLAIMED TO BE?

FFor 2,000 years, much of the world has seen Jesus of Nazareth asthe founder of one of theworlds major religions.Many have also seen Himas a provocative teacherand good moral example.

But history doesnt giveus the luxury of thinkingthat Jesus was merely agreat teacher or good moralexample. The evidencesuggests that if He was notwho He claimed to be, thenJesus was guilty of crimesagainst humanity. If Hewasnt speaking on behalf

of our Creator, then He was either a very sick orevil man.

So, what were Jesusclaims?

JESUS CLAIMED TO BE MORE THAN A MANIn chapter 8 of Johns gospel,we find Jesus confronted byreligious leaders of His day.In the course of the debateHe claimed to know God in a way that they did not.Reflecting Jesus claim andtheir resulting rage, the textquotes Jesus as saying,Most assuredly, I say toyou, before Abraham was, I AM. Then they took upstones to throw at Him (Jn. 8:58-59).

Regarding Jesuswillingness to describeHimself as more than aman, Thomas Schultz wrote:

Not one recognizedreligious leadernotMoses, Paul, Buddha,Mohammed, Confucius

3

Was Jesus merely a great teacher or good moral

example?



. . . ever claimed to beGod; that is, with theexception of Jesus Christ.Christ is the only religiousleader who has everclaimed to be deity, andthe only individual everwho has convinced agreat portion of the worldthat He is God (cited by Josh McDowell inEvidence That Demands A Verdict, p.92).Is that possible? Whats

the proof? Whats theevidence that this greatspiritual leader really wasGod?

The four Gospel writers(Matthew, Mark, Luke, andJohn) provide differentperspectives but a sharedconclusion that the overall

pattern of Jesus life isunexplainable if He wasntwho He claimed to be. Theysay that in addition tofulfilling prophecy andliving a life of unparalleledwisdom and character,Jesus performed . . . Miracles of physical

healing: He healed aman with a terrible skindisease (Mt. 8:2-4);reversed paralysis (Mt.9:2-8; 12:10-13); andcured blindness anddeafness (Mt. 20:30-34;Mk. 7:31-37).

Miracles of nature: Heturned water into wine(Jn. 2:1-11); stilled astorm on the Sea ofGalilee (Mt. 8:23-27);and walked on water(Mt. 14:22-26).

Miracles of resurrection:He raised the deaddaughter of a religiousleader (Mt. 9:18-26), awidows dead son (Lk.7:11-15), and a friendnamed Lazarus who had

4

Whats theevidence that

this great spiritual leaderreally was God?



died (Jn. 11:1-44). How is such a life to be

weighed 2,000 years later?One thing is clear. Jesus lifehad a profound effect notonly on contemporarieswho were willing to die forHim, but on the wholecourse of history.

According to WilliamRobinson:

If one takes a historicallyobjective approach tothe question, it is foundthat even secular historyaffirms that Jesus livedon earth and wasworshiped as God. He

founded a church thathas worshiped Him for1,900 years. He changedthe course of the worldshistory (Our Lord, p.29).

JESUS CLAIMED TO BE A SAVIORAccording to each of thefour written records ofMatthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus repeatedlytalked about being on amission of rescue. Even as His popularity began toworry the religious leaders ofIsrael, He talked repeatedlyabout going to Jerusalem to die. His followers found such commentsunthinkable. Yet after only 3 years in the public eye, He went to Jerusalem, wasrejected by national leaders,and was sentenced to die bycrucifixion for claiming to bethe King and God of theJews.

Only after His executionwould followers see Hiswillingness to die in the

5

Jesus life had a profound effect

not only oncontemporarieswho were willing to die for Him

but on the wholecourse of history.



light of a comment made byHis forerunner. Three yearsearlier they heard a ruggedprophet of the wilderness,known as John the baptizer,say about Jesus, Behold!The Lamb of God whotakes away the sin of theworld! (Jn. 1:29).

In retrospect, it seemsreasonable to conclude that Jesus saw Himself as a sacrificial lamb. Forthousands of years thereligious law of Israel hadbeen requiring the death ofinnocent animals on altarsof sacrifice. All the while,mysterious statements ofJewish prophets referred to a Messiah who would

Himself bear the sin of fallen humanity. Yet themeaning of a sufferingMessiah (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 53; Dan. 9:26; Zech. 12:10)would remain a mysteryuntil after the death of Jesus.

According to hundreds of eyewitnesses, Jesus did dieand 3 days laterHe left the tomb alive. Also, consider the following evidence: Secular historians

acknowledge that Jesuswas a real living personwho gained renown infirst-century Israel as ahealer and a teacher.

Secular historians(Jewish and Roman)acknowledge that Jesusdied at the hands ofreligious leaders.

The biblical record tellsus that Jesus was seenalive by more than 500people after His death.

If He was to save us fromour sins, Gods plan forsalvation would have to

6

According tohundreds of

eyewitnesses, Jesusdid dieand 3

days later He leftthe tomb alive.



be achievedand in the crucifixion andresurrection, dozens of Old Testamentprophecies of Gods planfor providing forgivenesswere fulfilled in the spaceof just a few hours.In all of these amazing

events, Jesus Himselfdoesnt make it easy for us.When He said, I am theway, the truth, and the life.No one comes to the Fatherexcept through Me (Jn.14:6), He didnt leave uswith many options. He does

not allow us to think thatHe was just a goodteacher or a moralmodel.

C. S. Lewis, CambridgeUniversity professor andformer atheist, observedwith his usual candor:

I am trying here toprevent anyone sayingthe really foolish thingthat people often sayabout Him: I am readyto accept Jesus as a greatmoral teacher, but Idont accept His claim tobe God. That is the onething we must not say. Aman who was merely aman and said the sort ofthings Jesus said wouldnot be a great moralteacher. He would eitherbe a lunaticon a levelwith the man who sayshe is a poached eggorelse He would be thedevil of hell. You mustmake your choice. Eitherthis man was, and is, theSon of Godor else amadman or somethingworse. You can shut Himup for a fool; you canspit at Him and kill Him

7

I am the way, thetruth, and the life.No one comes tothe Father except

through Me.Jesus (Jn. 14:6)



as a demon; or you canfall at His feet and callHim Lord and God. Butlet us not come up withany patronizingnonsense about His

being a great humanteacher. He has not leftthat open to us. He didnot intend to (MereChristianity, p.41).

WHAT IF ITS TRUETHAT THE BIBLE HAS THEANSWERS TO MYQUESTIONS?

FFor years the game show that everyone seemed to watch wasJeopardy. Later it was joinedby Who Wants To Be AMillionaire?

The format of the secondgame show is simple:Answering increasinglydifficult questions brings anincreasingly larger payback.Some of the questions arebasic (Did Hannibal crossthe Alps with elephants orllamas?), but others aremore intense (Who wasthe first $100,000 winner onStar Search?). The lightsflash, the audience tenses,and the kettledrum rollswhile contestants agonizeover who invented thecheese grater or pasteurizedmilk. The program guests

8

A man who wasmerely a man

and said the sort of things Jesus said . . . wouldeither be a

lunaticon a level with the man who says

he is a poachedeggor else He

would be the devil of hell.C. S. Lewis



carefully use their threelifelines as host RegisPhilbin asks, Is that yourfinal answer?

Many of us find itentertaining to watchsomeone else sweat in an effort to get rich quick.Yet we also know that thequestions the contestantshave to ponderno matterhow intriguingare not in themselves all thatimportant. The reallyimportant questions arethose that haunt us in thedarkness as we lie in bedtrying to sleepquestions

that eat at our heartsbecause we sense that ourlives and relationships, ourwork and our health, ourhopes and our happinessall hang in the balance.

But what if the mostpublished book in the worldhas answers to our mosttroubling questions? What ifthe Bible offers us all threeof our lifelines in a showcalled Who Wants To HaveLasting Peace And Joy?

Now lets take a look atthree questions that manyof us wrestle with in thedepths of our souls. Thenwell take a look at theanswers the Bible provides.

IS THERE HOPE FOR MY FAMILY?According to Genesis, thefirst book in the Bible, Godcreated the family. The restof the Scriptures assumethat the One who mademarriage and parentrelationships is the Onewho knows how to make

9

Is it possible thatthe Bible answers

the importantquestions thathaunt us in thedarkness as we lie in bed trying

to sleep?



them work. Considerchapters 5 and 6 of Paulsletter to the Ephesians.Here the God of the Biblegives clear principles for a healthy family: Husbands (5:25-28).

They draw on thespiritual strength of Godto faithfully show self-sacrificing leadershipthat displays characterand integrity.

Wives (5:22-24). Theyfind security in theirrelationship to Christ sothey can complementthe strengths of theirhusbands.

Parents (6:4). Theylearn from their ownFather in heaven how to provide lovinginstruction and wisecorrection that equipschildren for life.

Children (6:1-3). Theyhonor the loving, thoughimperfect, example oftheir parents who areaccountable to God

for their care anddevelopment.Such biblical principles

are not rocket science. Theyare more important thanthat. If the Bible can betrusted, disregarding itsprinciples will diminish ourchance for true peace and

joy. Why? Because if Godcreated the family, He is theOne best equipped to tell ushow to make it work!

We expect computerusers who never follow theinstruction manual to havelots of problems. Whatshould we expect if the Biblereally has Gods answers forhealthy relationships?

10

If the Bible can be trusted,

disregarding itsprinciples willdiminish our

chance for truepeace and joy.



Husbands, do you wantto alienate your wife anddrive a wedge in yourmarriage? Then dont giveyourself for her, dont giveher the dignity and respectshe deserves. Dont pay anyattention to the biblicalinstruction to love her asJesus loves His church.

Wives, do you want todrive your husband away?Then dont give him theloving, supportivepartnership that GodsWord, the Bible, describes.

Parents, do you wantyour children to despiseyou and everything youstand for? Then beinconsistent, unfair, and unrealistic in yourexpectations. Try todominate them withoutgenuinely loving them.Ignore the biblical directionabout giving them loving,consistent discipline thatdoes not provoke them toanger.

Children, do you want

your home to be a place of anger, frustration, andconstant turmoil? Thendisregard and disobey yourparents. Totally forget thedebt of gratitude you owethem for giving you life andcaring for your needs.

CAN I FINDPURPOSE FOR MY LIFE?We live in a society that in the post-Vietnam, post-impeachment scandal erahas become increasinglycynical and jaded. Whathave we becomeand does it even matter?

Read these moving wordsthat have been attributed toa Columbine High Schoolstudent shortly after themass murders there:

The paradox of our time in history is that wehave taller buildings, butshorter tempers; widerfreeways, but narrowerviewpoints; we spendmore, but have less; we

11



buy more, but enjoy itless.

We have biggerhouses, but smallerfamilies; moreconveniences, but less time; we have moredegrees, but less sense;more knowledge, but lessjudgment; more experts,but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We have multipliedour possessions, butreduced our values. Wetalk too much, love tooseldom, and hate toooften.

We have learned how to make a living,but not a life; weveadded years to our life,but not life to our years.

Weve been all theway to the moon andback, but have troublecrossing the street tomeet the new neighbor.Weve conquered outerspace, but not inner

space; weve cleaned up the air, but pollutedthe soul; weve split the atom, but not ourprejudice.

We have higherincomes, but lowermorals; weve becomelong on quantity, butshort on quality.

These are times of tallmen, and short character;steep profits, and shallowrelationships. These aretimes of world peace, butdomestic warfare; moreleisure, but less fun;more kinds of food, butless nutrition. These aredays of two incomes, but more divorce; fancierhouses, but brokenhomes.

It is a time when thereis much in the showwindow, but nothing inthe stockroom; a timewhen technology canbring this letter to you,and a time when you canchoose to either make a

12



difference . . . or just hitdelete.Those words are as

insightful as they are scary,but is that all there is? Asong from the 60s by PeggyLee says, If thats all thereis, then lets keep dancinglets break out the boozeand have a ballif thats all there is.

Is there no hope? If theBible can be believed, thereis hope! Jesus said, I havecome that they may havelife, and that they may haveit more abundantly (Jn.10:10). Jesus offers us morethan answers. He offers usHimself.

CAN I KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER I DIE?This question can producethe anxiety John Lennonexpressed in his song ImSo Tired:

Youd say Im puttingyou on. But its no joke,its doing me harm. Youknow I cant sleep, I cant stop my brain.You know its 3 weeks,Im going insane. You know Id give youeverything Ive got for a little peace of mind.It is for this kind of

anxiety that the apostleJohn wrote:

These things I havewritten to you whobelieve in the name of the Son of God, that youmay know that you haveeternal life (1 Jn. 5:13). John said that he knew

Jesus before His death onthe crossand after Herose from the dead. If

13

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it moreabundantly.

Jesus (Jn. 10:10)



John is telling us the truth,he heard Jesus say that all those who place theirtrust in Him will one daylive with Him forever (1 Jn. 1:1-3).

This is the discovery thatJohn embracedthat Jesuscame into the world to savethose who had wanderedaway from their Creator,and that all who believe inHim can find: The certainty of

forgiveness of sins. The certainty of a life

with purpose now. The certainty of life

forever with God.With all the uncertainty

in this life, how amazing itwould be if the Bible hasthe answers we need.

WHAT IF ITS TRUETHAT THECHURCH IS MORE THAN JUSTHYPOCRITES?

MMany young boys growing up in the 50s had twoheroes: Davy Crockett andZorro (both courtesy of theWonderful World OfDisney). If you rememberthe story of Zorro, part ofhis mystery was that hewore a mask and created afalse persona to cover hisactivities for the good ofothers. Most of the timeZorro was the somewhatdelicate, timid Don Diegoa front to cover his identityas the swashbuckling heroof the victims of wickedvillains. In order not toblow his cover, he wore amask when he was Zorro.

In the Bible there is a 14

Jesus said that allwho place theirtrust in Him willlive with Him

forever.



Greek word that means tohide behind a mask, but itis not a word that has nobleconnotations. It is the wordhupokrites, from which we get our English wordhypocrite. In ancient timesit spoke of actors whodisplayed changes ofemotion by changing themasks they held in front of their faces. What theyportrayed was ultimatelyunrelated to who theywerefor their real self was hidden by a mask.

The issue of maskedmen (and women) liesbehind one of the mostcommon reasons forrejecting Christ and thechurch. Weve all heard thecriticism, Church people

are hypocrites. Theypretend that theyrewonderful, kind, and lovingpeople, but they reallyarent. Those who claim to be followers of Christ areaccused of saying one thingand living another. Theirreligious declarations arethought by many to bemerely a false face, a maskto hide behind so othersdont see them as theyreally are: bigoted, narrow,mean, and self-centered.

Here are a few classicstatements about thissupposed hypocrisy: Every Stoic was a Stoic,

but in Christendomwhere is the Christian?(Ralph Waldo Emerson).

In truth there was onlyone Christian, and hedied on a cross(Friedrich Nietzsche).

Christianity might be agood thing if anyoneever tried it (GeorgeBernard Shaw).

An American T-shirt 15

Christianity might be a goodthing if anyone ever tried it.

George Bernard Shaw



says, Jesus, save mefrom Your followers.Are the charges true? Far

too often the answer is yes.The people of Christ all fallshort of their ideals. Theirwalk doesnt consistentlymatch their talk. And thisdoes have a profoundlydamaging impact on thosewho are watching andwondering if Jesus hasanything genuinely good to offer.

Its important, therefore,to look honestly at somemisconceptions about thechurchand try to set therecord straight.

WHAT THECHURCH IS NOT No one in the church isperfect. Notice the words ofone of the most influentialleaders of the early church.It was the apostle Paul whowrote:

Not that I have alreadyattained, or am alreadyperfected; but I press on,

that I may lay hold ofthat for which ChristJesus has also laid hold of me (Phil. 3:12). Pauls words remind

us that followers of Christare not attainers; they arebecomers. No one achievesperfection in this life. Atbest, people of the churchseek to keep growingspiritually while, as Paulwrote, being confident ofthis very thing, that He whohas begun a good work inyou will complete it untilthe day of Jesus Christ(Phil. 1:6).

Not everyone in the church is a believer.Observers of the churchneed to understand thedifference between the church as a socialinstitution and the church as the true body of Christ. People have allsorts of different motives forattaching themselves to thechurch without personallyaccepting the truth about

16



Jesus Christ for themselves.Some do so for family orbusiness reasons. Some use the church as a coverfor their sin, with nointention of embracing the forgiveness and life-changing love of Christ.

This was true evenamong Christs disciples:

Jesus answered them,Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? (Jn. 6:70). No one in the church is

as good as Christ. The bestexamples of the church still fall far short of thegoodness demonstrated byJesus. Once again we findsuch honest disclosure inthe apostle who wrote somuch of the NewTestament. In his letter tothe church at Rome, theapostle Paul admitted:

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but theevil I will not to do, that I practice (Rom. 7:19). The implication is clear.

On the inside at least,followers of Christ stillbattle with selfish desires,temptation, and their ownfailure to be what they want to be.

The church needs tohonestly say to the watchingworld, You are right. Thefollowers of Christ all fall far short of the example oftheir Lord. Yet, as weveseen, these patterns ofinconsistency are what theBible teaches us to expect.

17

The church needs to

honestly say to the watchingworld, You are

right.The followersof Christ all fall far short of the

example of their Lord.



WHAT THECHURCH ISA common bumper stickersays, Christians arentperfectjust forgiven. Thetrue church is made up ofpeople who have come tofaith in Jesus Christthosewho are believers. John1:12 says:

As many as received Him,to them He gave the rightto become children ofGod, to those who believein His name.True followers of

Christ are marked by what they believe aboutthemselves and their Savior.Throughout their lives, theyentrust themselves to Onewho has done for themwhat they could never do for themselves. Whilehaving every reason to wantto live with the attitudes ofChrist, they depend on Hiswillingness to qualify themfor acceptance with God.

Those who believe inChrist are on a journey of

personal growth that ismeant to last a lifetime. Atbest they live out their yearslearning from the Bible,from the Spirit of God wholives within them, and fromother spiritually maturepeople who have discoveredfor themselves what itmeans to rely on Christ.

We must continuallyremember that no livingfollower of Christ hasarrived. All are on theroad, healthy or unhealthy,and with more or less of a desire to experience thedifference that the Spirit of Christ wants to make in their lives.

Believers are people whohave found forgiveness andhope in a sinful world. Attheir best, the people of the church are not super-

18

Christians arentperfectjust

forgiven.



spiritual. They certainly arenot super-deserving. Theyare simply rescued people.When they are healthy, theylive with the attitude of theapostle Paul, who wrote:

Giving thanks to theFather who has qualifiedus to be partakers of theinheritance of the saints inlight. He has delivered usfrom the power of darknessand conveyed us into thekingdom of the Son of Hislove, in whom we haveredemption through Hisblood, the forgiveness ofsins (Col. 1:12-14).

At one time, followers of Christ had felt guilt; nowthey understand the joy ofbeing forgiven. Once theyfelt lost; now they know

theyve been found. Oncethey felt fear of death; nowthey know peace. Why?Not because of their efforts,but because they had beenrescued by Jesus Christ.

Believers are people whoare imperfect representativesof Christ. C. S. Lewis wrotethese helpful words:

Take the case of a sour old maid, who is a Christian, butcantankerous. On theother hand, take somepleasant and popularfellow, but who hasnever been to church.Who knows how muchmore cantankerous theold maid might be if she were not a Christian,and how much morelikeable the nice fellowmight be if he were aChristian. You cantjudge Christianity simply by comparing the product in these twopeople; you would alsoneed to know what kind

19

Believers arepeople who havefound forgiveness

and hope in asinful world.



of raw material Christwas working on in bothcases (God In The Dock,p.59).

WHAT THECHURCH ISOFFERING USThose who are wonderingwhether there is anythingfor them in the teachingsand offers of Christ mayfind bad experiences withchurch people a difficultobstacle to get over. Theymay also wonder whethertheyve been too bad to be

forgiven. But none of us canafford to let the personalfailures of others orourselves ruin our future.

The Founder of thechurch does not makeoffers based on what othershave or havent done, buton what He Himself hasdone for us.

The apostle Paulexplained what Jesus didfor us in these words:

He [God the Father]made Him who knew nosin [Christ] to be sin forus, that we might becomethe righteousness of Godin Him (2 Cor. 5:21).The Founder of the

church does not makeoffers based on what wehave or havent done forourselves, but on what HeHimself has done. As theBible says to those whohave already receivedChrist:

By grace you have beensaved through faith, andthat not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not ofworks, lest anyone shouldboast (Eph. 2:8-9).The Founder of the

20

None of us canafford to let thepersonal failures

of others orourselves ruin

our future.



church doesnt just promisehope beyond the grave, Heoffers new life now:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passedaway; behold, all thingshave become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

Trusting the Founder ofthe church opens the doorto an eternal life where noone will be disappointed:

For God so loved theworld that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshould not perish buthave everlasting life (Jn. 3:16).

WHAT IF ITS TRUETHAT THECREATOR CARESFOR ME?

NNot too long ago the American public was introduced to a television program calledWho Wants To Marry AMultimillionaire? It turnedout to be a beauty pageantwith only one judge (theproposing groom who washiding behind a screen).The prize was marriage to a multimillionaire.

There were all thenormal trappings of apageant, complete with a host and a swimsuitcompetition. The pack ofcontestants was whittleddown from thousands to the50 who made the show, tothe 10 semifinalists, thenthe 5 finalists. It ended witha wedding right there onstage. (The prenuptialagreements were signed

21

The Founder of the church doesntjust promise hopebeyond the grave,

He offers new life now.



beforehand.) It was a trulybizarre evening of televisionviewing. In the midst of thecraziness, however, therewere two comments thatseemed especiallysignificant. One of thecontestants said, Its reallynot about the money. Andthe alleged multimillionairestated, We are all herebecause we have beenunlucky at love, and we arehoping something magicalwill happen.

If we take thosecomments at face value, the program symbolized the risks some people are willing to take for arelationship that offers to meet their needs withmoney, with romance, orwith notoriety.

At the very least, suchcultural indicators remindus of what we all arelooking for. We all long formeaningful relationshipsto give and receive love, to experience and share

intimacy, to care and to becared for. Yet too many gothrough life without everentering into a satisfying,significant relationship. Too many find their livesmarked by an emptinessthat fills them withprofound sadness.

But its not just the need for relationship thathounds us. Its the need fora meaningful relationshipwith our Creator.

French philosopher 22

French philosopherand mathematician

Blaise Pascaldeclared thatwithin every

human being, ourCreator has placed

a God-shapedvoid that only God

Himself can fill.



and mathematician BlaisePascal declared that withinevery human being, ourCreator has placed a God-shaped void that only GodHimself can fill.

The good news,according to the Bible, is this: Although wedesperately and passionatelydesire to have a relationshipwith God, He has alreadyworked out a plan to makesuch a relationship possible.As amazing as it may seem,the Bible assures us that our Creator desires arelationship with us as well.To understand how we canhave a personal relationshipwith this One who has apersonal interest in us,

consider the followingpoints:

WHO THE CREATOR ISIn Colossians 1:16-17, theapostle Paul wrote:

By Him all things werecreated that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible andinvisible, whether thrones or dominions orprincipalities or powers.All things were createdthrough Him and forHim. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.Who is this that created

all things? In verse 15 He isidentified as the image ofthe invisible God (the Godwe can see). In verse 13 thewriter is more specific. TheCreator is the Son of Hislove. According to theBible, Jesus Christ is notonly the Son of God, He is also the Creator of theuniverse! Lets consider

23

The Bible assures us that our

Creator desires a relationship

with us.



other Scriptures that say thesame thing: All things were made

through Him, and withoutHim nothing was madethat was made (Jn. 1:3).

He was in the world, and the world was madethrough Him (Jn. 1:10).

Yet for us there is oneGod, the Father, of whomare all things, and we forHim; and one Lord JesusChrist, through whom are all things, andthrough whom we live (1 Cor. 8:6).

[God] has in these lastdays spoken to us by His Son, whom He hasappointed heir of all

things, through whomalso He made the worlds(Heb. 1:2).The Bible is clear in

claiming that our Creatordid the unthinkable. Hecame to us in the person we know as Jesus Christ.

WHAT THE CREATOR DIDThe apostle John, in thefirst chapter of his gospel,wrote:

The Word became fleshand dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father, fullof grace and truth (v.14).Every December the

Western world celebratesthe birth of Gods Son intothe world. Most gift-givers,however, dont realize thesignificance of the eventbehind this holiday. Manyof the celebrants might noteven realize that, accordingto the original story, Jesuswas born into our world as

24

According to theBible, Jesus Christ is not only the Sonof God, He is also

the Creator of the universe.



the image of the invisibleGod (Col. 1:15).

The idea that God wasamong us is more importantthan any of us can absorb.If it is true, then we canonly scratch the surface ofthe thought that the littleone bundled up in thatcrude stable manger was infact our Creator. Yet this isthe claim of the Bible: God was in a human

body. The mostastounding miracle of all history is that Godbecame a man. This isthe amazing reality ofChristmas: God came in human flesh!

God lived among us.Jesus did not come to bean auditor in the class ofLife 101. He came tofully engage in life. Hewalked on ground HeHimself had created.

God showed Hisgoodness to us.Without seeing whatGod is like in human

flesh, we could neverrealize how desperatelywe need Him.

God didnt just come,check things out, and thenreturn to a better place. Helived here, placing Himselfunder the conditions,sufferings, and temptationswe all live with.

HOW THE CREATOR LOVESIn Revelation 1:5-6, theapostle John wrote:

To Him who loved us andwashed us from our sinsin His own blood, andhas made us kings andpriests to His God andFather, to Him be the

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The mostastounding miracle of all history

is that God became a man.



glory and dominionforever and ever. Amen.How has the Creator

displayed the depth of Hiscare and concern for us?Recording for us the visionhe had from Jesus Christ,John declared simply, Heloves us.

In another letter, thesame author wrote:

In this the love of Godwas manifested towardus, that God has sent His only begotten Soninto the world, that wemight live through Him.In this is love, not thatwe loved God, but thatHe loved us and sent HisSon to be the propitiation[full payment] for our sins(1 Jn. 4:9-10).From other Scriptures

we learn more of what thislove means. For example,consider the following:

He released us fromour sins by giving Hisown blood for us. This isthe message of Hebrews 2:9.

We see Jesus, who was made a little lowerthan the angels, for the suffering of deathcrowned with glory andhonor, so that He, by thegrace of God, might tastedeath for everyone. He removed the

barrier that prevented usfrom a relationship withour Creator. If we believewhat the Bible says, Godhas not abandoned us; wehave abandoned Him.

According to the Bible,the Creator of the universewent to the cross and diedfor our sins so that wecould be made right withGod.

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If we believe what the Biblesays, God has

not abandoned us; we have

abandoned Him.



In this the love of Godwas manifested towardus, that God has sent His only begotten Soninto the world, that wemight live through Him(1 Jn. 4:9). What a powerful

thoughtthe Creatorhanging on a cross, dyingfor people who were livingon death row under thesentence of eventualjudgment and death. Hegave His life so that otherscould live, not in their ownmerits but by the merits ofthe perfect One who died in their behalf.

He made us akingdom of priests. In the Old Testament, therewere three offices in theleadership of the kingdomof Israel: king, prophet, andpriest. Interestingly, theNew Testament not onlycalls Jesus our Creator, butour King, our Prophet, andour Priest. The implicationis that we do not need any

other mediator betweenGod and us except JesusChrist. Jesus said to him, I am

the way, the truth, andthe life. No one comes tothe Father except throughMe (Jn. 14:6).

Therefore, having beenjustified by faith, we havepeace with God throughour Lord Jesus Christ,through whom also wehave access by faith intothis grace in which westand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God(Rom. 5:1-2).

Seeing then that we havea great High Priest whohas passed through the

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We do not need any other

mediator between God and us except Jesus Christ.



heavens, Jesus the Son ofGod, let us hold fast ourconfession. For we do nothave a High Priest whocannot sympathize withour weaknesses, but wasin all points tempted aswe are, yet without sin.Let us therefore comeboldly to the throne ofgrace, that we may obtainmercy and find grace tohelp in time of need.(Heb. 4:14-16).

These thoughts are notfrom just any book. Theyare from the Bible. They tellus that our Creator Himselfdied for our sins to bring us back into the lostrelationship of Eden.Thats the essence of Jesuswords, The Son of Man

has come to seek and tosave that which was lost(Lk. 19:10). And He says to each of us, Follow Me(Lk. 9:23).

In his book The Call,author Os Guinness writes:

We cannot find Godwithout God. We cannotreach God without God.We cannot satisfy Godwithout Godwhich isanother way of sayingthat our seeking willalways fall short unlessGods grace initiates thesearch and unless Godscall draws us to Him andcompletes the search.

If the chasm is to be bridged, God mustbridge it. If we are todesire the highest good,the highest good mustcome down and draw usso that it may become areality we desire. Fromthis perspective there is no merit in eitherseeking or finding. All is grace. The secret of

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The Creator gave His life

so that others could live.



seeking is not in ourhuman ascent to God,but in Gods descent to us. We start oursearching, but we end up being discovered. We think we are lookingfor something; we realize we are found bySomeone. As in FrancisThompsons famouspicture, the hound ofheaven has tracked usdown (pp.13-14).After his conversion from

atheist to believer, C. S.Lewis looked back on hisjourney to faith in Christand discovered that Godclosed in on me. He wrote:

Amiable agnostics willtalk cheerfully aboutmans search for God. To me, as I then was,they might as well have talked about themouses search for thecat (Surprised By Joy,p.179).Yes, the seeking is real

but who seeks whom? The

Creator of the universe isseeking you! To be sure,thats an imposing thought.

The great Christianprime minister of theNetherlands, AbrahamKuyper, declared,

There is not one squareinch of the entirecreation about whichJesus Christ does not cryout, This is Mine! Thisbelongs to Me! Why? Because He is the

Creator, and He is merelyclaiming that which HeHimself has made.

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The Creator of the universe is seeking you!



IF ITS TRUE,WHAT DOES ITMEAN FOR YOU?

SSomeone once said, Life is like a wild goose chasewithoutthe goose. The search for atruly loving relationship canbe like that. In the midst ofthe search, however, a bookas trustworthy as the Bibleassures us that the Creatorof the universe cared somuch for us that He cameseeking after each of us.

In a world of loneliness,despair, and rejection, theBible offers hope andencouragement. In the

words given to a blindbeggar named Bartimaeus:Cheer up! . . . Hes callingyou (Mk. 10:49 NIV). Yes,the Creator cares for you!With that awesome truth inmind, consider the words ofastronaut Guy Gardner,who said this about whathe learned when he saw themarvels of the createduniverse in outer space:

Its very hard to thinkthis must have happenedby chance. . . . Yourealize at the same timethat there had to be aMaster Designer, aCreator of this planet.And to me that makeslife all the more special.Because that tells methat instead of me beingsomething that just camealong in the course oftime to live and die, thatinstead of a meaninglessexistence, I haveSomeonewho cares for mewho has mademe and cares about me.

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In a world ofloneliness, despair,

and rejection,the Bible offers

hope andencouragement.



Someone I can go towith my troubles, andmy cares, and my joys.What if its true? If Jesus

is who He claimed to be, ifthe Bible has answers toour most importantquestions, if the church ismore than hypocrites, and ifthe Creator really does carefor us, then everything nowdepends on our willingnessto trust Him. If Jesus is Godin the flesh, then apart fromHim we will never knowreal joy, real meaning, orreal peace in life. He is ourCreator and He seeks apersonal relationship withus. Have you responded toHis sacrificial love withfaith and accepted Hisinvitation to everlasting life,forgiveness, and peace?

Carefully consider whatthe Bible says:

For God so loved theworld that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshould not perish but

have everlasting life. For God did not send HisSon into the world tocondemn the world, butthat the world throughHim might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but hewho does not believe iscondemned already,because he has notbelieved in the name ofthe only begotten Son ofGod (Jn. 3:16-18).If you have any

questions we can answer,or if you would likeadditional material to helpyou in your walk of faith,please write to us.

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The general contents of thisbooklet were originally preparedas a series of messages for theWhat If Its True? areawideoutreach developed by PastorKeith Dornbos, Holland, MI.



ADDITIONALRESOURCES

HHeres a list of books and Discovery Series booklets that will supplement andenhance the conceptsdiscussed in this booklet:

BOOKS The Call by Os Guinness

(Word Publishing, 1998) Following Christ by

Joseph Stowell(Zondervan, 1998)

Christ Among Other Godsby Erwin W. Lutzer(Moody Press, 1997)

What Angels Wish TheyKnew by Alistair Begg(Moody Press, 1999)

The New Evidence ThatDemands A Verdict byJosh McDowell (Nelson,1999)

Jesus: Lord And Savior byF. F. Bruce (InterVarsityPress, 1986)

The Empty Cross Of Jesusby Michael Green

(InterVarsity Press, 1984) How You Can Be Sure

That You Will SpendEternity With God byErwin Lutzer (MoodyPress, 1996)

Unriddling Our Times byOs Guinness (Baker BookHouse, 1999)

Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Harper, 2001)

First Love by JohnMacArthur, Jr. (VictorBooks, 1995)

The Only Way ToHappiness by JohnMacArthur, Jr. (MoodyPress, 1998)

RBC BOOKLETS Who Is This Man Who

Says Hes God? (Q0205) Can I Really Trust The

Bible? (Q0402) The Church We Need

(Q0904) What Is A Personal

Relationship With God?(Q0103)

How Can I Know There IsA God? (Q0101)

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My What if Its True Examining Four Important Spiritual Questions

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