Common Arguments Against God, Salvation, and Biblical Truth
The “I want nothing to do with organized religion” argument is based on the rules and corruption of human-created religion. This argument is valid.
God Himself stands apart from organized religion. Religion is many things, and they all involve humans making life difficult for other humans by imposing man-made, empty ritual and excessive rules to infringe upon the free-will of others. Religion is designed to exert control over the masses. Religion is people working toward gaining the approval of God or trying to impress Him with their works and self-righteousness.
Christianity and religion are polar opposites. In religion, we do all the “work.” In Christianity, God has already done everything for us, and simply invites us to believe in His Son’s finished work on the cross, accomplished on our behalf.
Grace is another factor no “faith” or “religion” has. Grace is what God freely does for us, apart from anything we can do, say, or add. Christianity is a relationship with God and stands separate from religion. If you dislike religion, rest assured that God dislikes it way more than you do.
Another argument: “A ‘god’ who is loving wouldn’t send people to hell. I won’t follow any ‘god’ who would do that.” This is an invalid argument born of ignorance.
God is true to His character, and one of His characteristics is perfect justice. He cannot go against the attributes of His character, so He must condemn humankind to hell for our disobedience. He has no choice. Spiritual death is the result of our sin, and God must condemn that sinful state, that sinful nature of ours.
But, He also had a way to satisfy His own perfect justice, and that was by sending His Son to pay the price, to satisfy His justice perfectly. With that done, God provides an escape from an eternity in the lake of fire. (See? He is a loving God after all!) He created the emergency exit from condemnation. Walk through it. That’s all He asks.
“Know Jesus, Know Peace. No Jesus, No Peace”
The mind, indeed the very soul, demands order amid the chaos of the world. Every single mind and soul has a God-shaped void permanently imprinted upon them… and here’s where things get interesting: When one does not fill this void with the only thing that will fill said void (God), the mind and soul frantically seek to fill this God-shaped void by any means necessary.
These facts are the reasons why many people are so miserable. Other than what God has freely provided, there is nothing else that will fully satisfy you; only temporary happiness can be found in the empty things of this world.
Maybe it’s why you’re miserable, or certainly not as happy and content as you could be or should be. It’s the insatiable longing inside us that itches to be fulfilled, that causes us to bounce from one thing to another, one person or relationship to another, one addiction to another, one religion to another, frantically searching for the happiness our mind and soul need to fill that God-shaped void within us.
Open your mind to the reality of God, and to the truth of His Word. A pure and honest love awaits you.
Have people abandoned you? God will never leave you.
Have others let you down? God won’t. He is perfectly faithful.
Have people hurt you and betrayed you and broken their promises? God never will. He heals the deepest wounds. He guards and defends you and keeps every promise.
Are you friendless and alone? God can’t wait to be your loyal, forever companion. He will be by your side, always.
Do you want someone you can vent to any time, anywhere, and for any reason, all without them judging you, gossiping about you, or looking down on you? That’ll be God, too. He is loyal and faithful and true.
He will never tire of you, never tell you to go away, and never tell you you’re getting on His nerves. You are precious to Him.
He’ll never say that you’re not good enough, or that you’ll never amount to anything, or that you’re worthless. You’re worth everything to Him.
God loves you – He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. No “deity” in religion offers that. None of them.
There’s so much more to life than the empty, unsatisfying things of this world.
Life can be wonderful, regardless of circumstance, with God in your life and His truths in your mind—His Word hidden in your heart so that you might live the complete and satisfying life you desire.
It’s all up to you: Keep wallowing in the never-ending, never-satisfying, empty misery of the world, or believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then seek God and get to know Him (He is knowable).
He loves you. He wants a relationship with you, personally. He will be your constant companion. He is a loyal, steadfast friend.
“Jesus Christ bore our sins (yours personally) in His body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24a). “For Christ has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but (made alive) by the spirit” (Peter 3:18). Christ died for you. He died in your place to save you from God’s wrath. Without Christ, you are lost—condemned in sin, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death (spiritual), but the gift of God (Christ on the cross) is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “The one who believes on Him (Christ) is not condemned; but the one that believes not is condemned already because (here is the reason) he has not believed in the name of the only begotten (uniquely-born) Son of God” (John 3:18). Because of Jesus Christ, salvation is available to everyone. “For God so loved the world, that HE GAVE His only begotten (uniquely-born) Son, that (here is the reason) whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31a). The common word in all of these verses is Believe. Whether or not you decide to trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, which paid for your sins, is up to you—believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Your decision determines your eternal destination. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son shall not see eternal life, because the wrath of God is still on him” (John 3:36). Eternal life (God’s own life) can be yours right now. In the privacy of your soul, you can decide to trust what Christ did on the cross for you to save you from condemnation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that (salvation) is not of yourselves, it (salvation) is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so no man can boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
We must realize that God is integrity, and God’s integrity accepts no human being other than Christ, and that’s because Christ came and paid our admission fee to Heaven through His finished work on the cross. God cannot accept even our most sincere heartfelt promises and good deeds, though He fervently desires that we all be saved. The very fact that God has provided salvation for man also tells us that there is no other way to be saved. None. And no, all roads do not lead to Heaven, nor do all roads lead to God. There is but one road and one “narrow way,” and that’s through Christ Jesus, Our Lord.
- The fact that Christ died for our sins, in our place, proves that only Jesus Christ was/is qualified.
- Christ is the one and only way of salvation.
- God came to man, provided salvation and offers salvation. We do not “invite Jesus” into our hearts. Why? Because sinful man does not invite a perfect God anywhere. He invites us.
- God came to man (the incarnation, meaning He became flesh and dwelt among us).
- God provided salvation (the cross).
- The Holy Spirit was sent by God to man.
- The Holy Spirit executes the Christian life by indwelling every believer.
- God gave His Holy Word (the Bible) so we can know Him personally.
God loves you, He really does, and He desires a personal relationship with you more than anything else. Yes, you.
The same character of God that provided salvation through His Son Jesus Christ also provides for the Christian life through His Holy Spirit. God gave mankind one more gift: God provided the Bible—tangible evidence.
Hold it. Read it. Learn it.
Live it. Love it. Keep it in your heart.
We pray these statements will challenge you by the Holy Spirit to locate in your Bible the Scripture references that support these proclamations. By doing so, the Holy Spirit will warm your heart with love and peace and joy, in the Lord.
A few things in closing
God offers restoration, even rescue, to any person who chooses God by faith in the cross-work of Christ—God offers mercy.
Reject religion.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
“Lord” = Christ’s deity. “Jesus” = Christ’s humanity. Christ = The Savior/The Messiah.Believe today and embark upon a wonderful journey, a journey down your own personal pathway with the Lord through Fields of Grace.