​I have not posted in a while because I have been working on Jeanette’s Birthday Present.  She wanted a porch on the front of our house.  We’ve had houses in the past with front porches and enjoyed them.  We now have another one.  So, now let me finish the thread of thought I started. 
 
In a perfect world we wouldn’t have to deal with failure, right?  Well, apparently, we still would because we had a perfect world and Adam still chose to break faith with God.  That was the risk God took by creating Adam in His own image.  The freedom to make choices means having the freedom to make bad choices.  The Creator knew that and being the sovereign and omnipotent God that He is, He took final responsibility for Adam’s bad choice.  In Genesis 3:15 God informed Satan, the one behind the temptation of Eve, that He (God) would provide a solution to the problem of sin and death.   
 
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  Genesis 3:15.  He promised to send a redeemer to restore what was lost. 
 
While there is not a lot of detail in that statement, the Lord did flesh out the plan in the rest of the Biblical revelation.  We find out in Genesis 3:21 that God conducted the first substitutionary sacrifice for sin that same day.  In Genesis 4 it is revealed He also provided them with a detailed order of worship based on animal sacrifice.  Later in Genesis we read about the Lord calling Abram who later became Abraham the father of nations.  Then Jacob who became the father of Israel.  All of that to ensure we would be able to locate and recognize the promised redeemer. 
 
While so many religions are focused on seeking a god they can understand or even control.  None are seeking the God Who Is.  But He has been seeking us.  Through Jesus Christ He removed our guilt and liability for sin.  He now offers a free exchange of life everlasting for simply believing He is and He rewards those who seek Him and not another.   

In my last post I gave a very brief detailed set of ideas I believe explain why the Bible says there are none who seek after God.  You may disagree with me but that is way I understand the matter.  You may not find my reasons convincing.  You won’t be the first.  And honestly, I won’t lose sleep over it.  It is not that I don’t care, I do.  I just don’t see much value in debating.  I’d rather challenge you to come up with convincing alternatives. 
 
I believe that the Triune God of the Bible is real.  He is one being who exists as 3 persons living in an eternal perfect relationship of fellowship, love and respect.  I also believe being 3 in 1 is part of the rationale for the Creation.   God wanted to express Himself in a way that allowed for sharing the experience of His life with others.   I can’t prove that.  It just seems like a logical step for an omnipotent and omniscient God to take.  Thus, the first thing God reveals about Himself in the Bible is His Creation. 
 
And within the Creation account we find the origins of the Human Race.  The different animal species were all created genetically independent of each other.  They share a common genetic design because of a common creator but are not genetically connected.   He did not do that with the Humans.  We all descend from a pair of common ancestors.  Adam and Eve were made in the image of God.  We don’t know exactly what that means, but we have hints.  It included a creative mindset, the ability to make independent choices rather than just following preprogramed instinctive reactions. 
 
That last one is what led us into sin.  Adam, confronted with a choice between believing his wife or God went with Eve.  And sin brought death with it.  That changed everything except God’s creative purpose.  According to Genesis 1:26-28 He charged Adam and his descendants with partnering with Him in ruling over the earth.   This is the first mention of the Kingdom of God.  Sin didn’t change God’s intention, but it did alter the path He would follow in achieving His vision of a universe in which we Humans would share management responsibilities with the Creator.  

We call the Bible God’s Word because we believe it to be His revelation of truth to the world.  Jesus Christ made that claim concerning the Old Testament (O.T.) and quoted is as such frequently.  He also told His disciples they would be assisted by the Holy Spirit in recording His teachings in what we call the New Testament (N.T.).  But the Bible contains many statements that are hard to believe.  One of those is
Romans 3:11 – “There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.”  Can that really be true in a world filled with so many different religions?  We all know there are atheists who deny the existence of God.  But how can the Bible assert that no one seeks God when the majority of people do hold to some concept of a divine being or beings.    
 
 Well, the existence of all those religions kind of proves what Romans 3:11 says.  The truth is many people are looking for a god, any god as long as it is not the God who actually is.  The Creator God who has revealed Himself to the world scares people.  I recently saw a video posted on face book by a pastor who said we should stop talking about the things in the Bible that scare people.  Folks don’t like being told there are things they shouldn’t do.  They don’t like the idea God might hold them accountable for what they do.  He actually gave a list of specific topics in the Bible we need to avoid.  Why? Because those things are what make people stay away from Church. 
 
 Even people who have had direct encounters with the God who created us have tried to reinvent Him.  In Exodus 32 the Bible records the story of the Israelis having their High Priest make them an idol. A golden calf which Aaron then named YAHWAH, the name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush.  They found the real God, the one who got them out of slavery in Egypt, a little too scary.  They wanted a god they could manage.
 
However, running from the truth will not change reality.  There can only be 1 infinite all powerful God.   He by definition must be separate from and independent of the space and time creation in which we live.  God also has to be the source of the immaterial elements of reality.  And the only God who fits that description is the God of the Bible.  More on this in the next post.   

Another fact I fear many Believers overlook about the gift of everlasting life is found in Romans 5:1. 
 
 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
 
Notice how the Holy Spirit had the Apostle Paul phrase this statement.  We, meaning everyone who has believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life, having believed in Him now have peace with God.  Just like everlasting life is not an earned reward, neither is being at peace with God.  That is really good news.  Not only can we be assured of our deliverance from the penalty of our sin but we also can rest in the knowledge that we are currently accepted by God.  Peace with God is a matter of faith not effort. 
 
Why?  Because believing what God has said pleases Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Believing God means you have some understanding of who He is.  He is eternally holy, loving, merciful and righteous.  He is perfect in every aspect of His being and existence.  He is completely trustworthy.  Doubting the truth of His promises is really denying all of what I just listed is true.  Doubt is unbelief.  And God is not pleased with it.  He still keeps His promises, He will never reject anyone who has believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.  He understands we can be swayed by bad teaching. 
 
The counter to bad teaching no matter how persuasive is true knowledge of God.  You get that by reading your Bible.  Here is my challenge to you.  Make time every day to read 4 chapters in the Bible.  Just 4 chapters a day will have you through the entire Bible in less that 10 months.  And you will know more about God than when you started.  Knowledge of God’s word in powerful.  Then do it again.