Hiding From God Adam literally tried to hide

“Hiding From God”

• Adam literally tried to hide in the garden (Genesis 3: 8). • Years later God revealed through Paul that many of the Gentile nations had dodged the existence of the True God by reasoning Him out of their minds (Romans 1: 21 -23). • But God said that theories they had developed to avoid Him were "futile speculations" (1: 21). • In this lesson we want to examine some of theories that people are attempting to hide behind, so as to avoid a confrontation with God and their own consciences. “Sinful Census”

"The Bible Doesn’t Try To Prove The Existence Of God" • The Old Testament was written for the benefit of the nation of Israel and future generations of believers (Romans 15: 4). • The New Testament was written to individual Christians and congregations in a geographical area. The Bible exists, therefore someone wrote it. • "When Charles Spurgeon was asked by a feverish young man, 'Dr. Spurgeon, how can I defend the Bible? ', he replied: 'How would you defend a lion? Let it out of its cage and it will defend itself!'" (The “Sinful Census” Bible: The Living Word of Revelation p. 202).

"The Bible Doesn’t Try To Prove The Existence Of God" • Only two choices exist: Either the Bible, including the New Testament, which contains the character of Jesus Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, and the highest moral and ethical standard known to man. . . is the product of the minds of deceived or dishonest men… • Or its message and contents originated in the mind of God (2 Peter 1: 20 -21; 1 Cor. 2: 9 -13; 2 Timothy 3: 16). “Sinful Census”

• "Only God could tell us what a true man should be like…intelligence must not stifle piety, and prayer must not be a substitute for work, and zeal must not be irrational fanaticism. In Christ we have the perfect blend of personality traits. . . His zeal never degenerated into passion, nor his benevolence into weakness, nor his tenderness into sentimentality. His unworldliness was free from indifference and unsociability or undue familiarity; He combined childlike innocence with manly strength, absorbing devotion to God with untiring interest in the welfare of man, tender love to the sinner with uncompromising severity against sin, commanding dignity with winning humility, fearless courage with wise caution, unyielding firmness with sweet gentleness!" (Know Why You Believe. Paul Little p. 45). “Sinful Census”

"Scientific Advances Have Made Faith In God Out-of-Date" • To the contrary many true scientific advances have only testified to the accuracy of the Bible. • Advances in science have disproved theory of Spontaneous Generation and have supported the Biblical view that life can only come from preexisting life (Genesis 1: 12, 24), as well as giving us the Laws of Thermodynamics (Genesis 2: 1; Hebrews 1: 10 -12), and has revealed how much influence the mind has over the actions of the body (Mark 7: 2023). • Scientific advances have made belief“Sinful in God Census” more

"Religious belief is the method primitive society uses to cope with what it can’t explain" • But even the most advanced societies believe in God. • The accomplishments of David and Solomon: Deuteronomy 4: 6; 1 Kings 4: 21 -34 • Deuteronomy 4: 6 – 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. “Sinful Census”

"Belief in God is a form of wish fulfillment" • This argument is explained as, "We wish for Someone greater than we, who can help us cope with the complexities and barbarities of society. Hence we 'invent' God to meet this inner compulsion" (Atheist Dodges of Theistic Evidences. Roland H. Worth Jr. , The Preceptor, March 1982 p. 22). “Sinful Census”

• This argument doesn't explain the following: – "If man invented God, if God is the invention of man's selfish desires, they why did man invent a God that is so against the desires of most people? " – That is, a God that condemns all forms of selfishness (Galatians 5: 19 -21). – A God that demands that we place Him first (Matthew 6: 33; 10: 37), and others second (Phil. 2: 1 -5). “Sinful Census”

– Why is the God of man's "wishes" so against the "wishes" of most people? – And why is it that the Bible doesn't let anyone off the hook, young as well as old have responsibilities (Ecc. 12: 1; Ephesians 6: 1 -4; Titus 2: 3 -6), the rich as well as the poor (1 Timothy 6: 17 ff), the slave as well as his master (Colossians 3: 22 -4: 2), the man as well as the woman (Colossians 3: 18 -19). – Finally, couldn't atheism be a "wish fulfillment"? Don't many people "wish" that God doesn't exist, and hope that they will escape any form of judgment beyond this life (Psalm 14: 1)? “Sinful Census”

"Religious Faith is for Weak People" • "The rest of the usually uncompleted statement goes something like this: 'Oh, it's not a bad thing for you to believe in God. Of course, only weak people believe in God. It's really too bad you are a weak person'. . if all who are theists are automatically weak people, then what need is there to seriously examine their case? " (Worth p. 23). • Everyone has a weakness (Romans 3: 23; 5: 6 -8). “Sinful Census”

• What is true weakness? • On the one hand we have the self proclaimed sufficient person who argues that they don't need anyone and their goal in life is to avoid things they don't want to do (Luke 12: 16 -21; 16: 19; 2 Timothy 3: 1 -4). • On the other hand we have the Christian, one who has acknowledged that mere human wisdom fails to have the right answers for how to live (Jeremiah 10: 23). “Sinful Census”

"We can’t give 100% proof that God exists" • "Brace yourself for a mind-boggler: Can you prove 100% that you exist? You may cite Descartes, 'I think; therefore I am'. But are you really thinking or is that too an illusion? In the final analysis there is no way that you can provide 100% proof for anything. " (Worth p. 25) “Sinful Census”

• "The analogy to a scientific experiment is useful: At some point sufficient evidence is available for us to take a definitive stand. After a reasonable number of efforts, the scientist has legitimate grounds for expecting the result of his experiment to remain the same indefinitely whenever the same exact procedures are duplicated. You see, at some point we reach the stage where the unbeliever crosses the line from claiming a lack of evidence to obstinate blindness and the refusal to accept the evidence" (Worth p. 25). • God proclaims that plenty of evidence exists (Romans 1: 20; 10: 16 -21; Acts 14: 17; “Sinful 17: 27; 1 Census” Peter

"The molding influence of Society is responsible for our faith in God" • But many became Christians in the first century, despite the fact that society at that time persecuted such belief! (Acts 14: 22; 1 Tim. 3: 12) • History, the Bible, and the events of today are full of examples that contradict the argument that says, "we have no choice to believe because of the inescapable coercion of our society" (Romans 11: 34; 1 Corinthians 6: 9 -11; The 11 th Chapter of Hebrews). “Sinful Census”

Conclusion • Many of us here right now have refused to conform to the present beliefs and values which are held by the majority in our society. Romans 12: 1 -2 beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. • 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. • 1 I “Sinful Census”

“Sinful Census”