How Do We Know?
Morality restricts our choices and morality convicts us. As individual human beings, we basically do not like having to answer to someone—we do not want to acknowledge a superior authority. Every statement of supposed truth requires faith—even the secular views of “make God what you want” and “there is no God,” require faith. Why? Because we humans are limited in knowledge so that we cannot prove God or even prove or disprove how we exist. Just remember to distinguish in your mind that whatever conclusions we reach about existence and God may also have opposing conclusions. If both the conclusion and the opposing conclusion are not provable, then there is no certainty. Does that mean uncertainty is truth or untruth? This depends on your faith, logic, and convictions. It is even possible that this conclusion is wrong. As fallible, finite beings, can we be certain of anything unprovable?
Determining God exists requires, at some point, faith. Determining God does not exist also requires faith. The question then arises: Who is correct? The next question is: What is truth? Or which answer is Truth? It amazes me how the truth and untruth can be so much alike while at the same time mutually exclusive.
Satan and Christ, if they exist, are mutually exclusive as truth (Christ), and untruth (Satan). We may agree on the exclusiveness of each, but we can totally disagree on which is truth and untruth. Contradiction is obvious. But what is truth? If we can prove truth, can we prove God?
When it comes to full knowledge of God, we find with our limited intellect that there will always be unanswered questions—each answer leads to more questions. The thought of total knowledge is easier thought than understood. When there are no more questions because all questions have been answered, have we arrived? When our questions are exhausted, our information must needs be completely exhausted. At the point of exhaustion, where are we?
The less information we have concerning actuality, the more faith is required. Faith covers or fills in our gaps in actual knowledge. The examination of evidence and knowledge by reason and faith about a belief enforces that belief. Unexamined faith is as useless as faith without the manifestation of works.
Even if there is overwhelming evidence that the Bible is God’s Word and God exists, no amount of evidence, no matter how great, can compel anyone to believe it. Belief requires assent of the mind—the will. Volition cannot be compelled based on evidence alone.
Volitional resistance to truth, or even untruth, is not necessarily based on evidence or the lack of it—it is not wanting to accept or believe.
If you could prove God, it still requires submission to proof or positive volition to the truth. When the will overrules intellect, proof has no value. Truth is not true or false because we want it, or don’t want it, to be. We can make truth what we want it to be but that does not make truth, truth. Truth cannot originate as false. Truth cannot originate with each individual. Truth must have an absolute source, and it does. Preference or volition is the greatest freedom we possess. Without volition there is no freedom.
Many people believe that accepting God is submission to authority, and they are not willing to change their lifestyle, friends, priorities, or morals.
The beauty of God’s wisdom is this: If you are not willing to accept the God of Christianity, then you are free to reject it. We are moral creatures because of volition and we have the privilege to choose our own destiny.
I believe that God remains quiet and unintrusive to ensure that our choices are truly free. He has placed us in this environment of life, filled with His evidence for His existence. If He were present with us and visible, the power and glory of His presence would nullify faith and be too compelling.
We are free to choose by the evidence, to believe it or not.