They say we have a “God-sized” hole in our hearts, and they may be right. Even those who don’t want to believe in God can’t help themselves.
Recently, British philosopher and atheist Sir Anthony Flew changed his mind, adopting a “willing suspension of disbelief.” He said, in light of modern scientific discoveries, it takes more effort to believe in the Big Bang than in a cosmic designer.
Our trouble is we want to understand something before we believe in it. We want evidence and the more the better. But that’s not the way God works. He asks us to believe, and the evidence will follow.
Maybe that’s why Jesus says only a few will find the narrow road that leads to life. Essentially, we think something as important as salvation should be hard. It ought to cost us something. Salvation, we think, is just too good to be true. But let’s examine the evidence.
God’s love is free
“There ain't no free lunches in this country,” Lee Iacocca is quoted as saying. In other words, nothing in this world is free. Yet the Bible tells us there is one thing that’s free: God’s love.
• “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Exodus 34:6).
• “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love” (Psalm 48:9).
• “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love” (1 John 4:16).
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More specifically, since God is love and God is omnipresent, his love is everywhere. It’s like radio waves. We can’t access them without the right equipment, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. All we have to do is turn on our radio or television, and we’re tuned in. God’s love is all around us, but without Jesus, we can’t see it or receive it. Additionally, when we become aware of it, it doesn’t make sense.
In truth, there’s nothing we can do to make God love us. He already does. All we can do it look to Jesus and begin to grasp “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18).
Faith, not works, earns God’s blessing
Much of God’s work seems to hinge on faith. Before healing two blind men, Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Then, as if to make sure they understood, he told them, “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:28-29). Later, when Jesus’ disciples asked him why they weren’t able to heal an epileptic boy, Jesus answered, “Because you have so little faith” (Matthew 17:20).
Salvation, the greatest of God’s miracles, is no different. Without faith, it isn’t complete. Jesus did the work of reconciliation. Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned.” Romans 6:23 adds, “The wages of sin is death.” Our sin has earned a death penalty, but Jesus, who was sinless, took our sins upon himself and paid the penalty for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And indeed his work is finished. The rest of the “work” belongs to us. Yet our work shouldn’t be hard. All we have to do is believe. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Come as you are
It is difficult for us to believe God could accept us just as we are. We tend to think we should improve ourselves or do some great work before we can enter God’s presence. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
We don’t have to “clean up” for God. That’s what Jesus did for us on the cross. Since Jesus is clean, if we accept Jesus’ gift, we too are pronounced clean. Salvation is the great eternal swap mart. Jesus trades his purity for our filth, his obedience for our rebellion, his life for our death.
All we have to do is believe. Yet believing is like moving a mountain when the gift seems so unbelievable. Salvation seems too good to be true. If a telemarketer offered it, we’d likely hang up on him. But God is no telemarketer. If his offer is too good, it’s because he is.
Believing is hard because nothing in this world prepares us for such generosity, such grace. That’s why there’s so much blessing in believing.
Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Salvation really is free. It is offered by a perfect God who loves us so unconditionally he would prefer to clean us up himself than spend eternity without us.
Perhaps it’s time we examine our beliefs. Perhaps we should willingly suspend our disbelief and take God at his word. Don’t try to understand. Just believe. After all, if the greatest minds on earth can’t resist God’s logic, who are we to argue?
Discussion questions
• Do you honestly believe you don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love?
• If God’s love is free, do we still need to do God’s work?
• How is God able to love us before we love him? Are we capable of such love?
• How does it make you feel to know God loves you so much?
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