Should a man believe in something that he cannot see? If not, then how can a blind man believe in anything at all? Numerous people refuse to believe in an object or an entity without seeing it first. But how can the eyes be trustworthy when they easily deceive? I am here to propose an idea: believing followed by seeing.
Okay, I'll say it: I am a Christian and I'm not ashamed of that! But am I here to make you become a Christian? No, only you can make that decision. Rather, I am here to explain to you why I believe in a three-part God, who cannot be seen.
You might be saying, "No one can prove that God exists." But I could just as easily say, "Prove to me that God doesn't exist." Neither of these statements provide proof, rather they claim to be right until proven wrong. So, in reality, this first statement is just a barrier that the non-believer uses to avoid dealing with his blindness. According to scripture, we, as people, are blinded by the spiritual darkness around us. Only when we accept Christ as our personal Savior and repent of our sins can we break through that darkness and truly see.
Satan and sin are the spiritual darkness, but God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is Light! 1 John 1:5 states: "Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him." When a person has not repented and does not have Jesus Christ in his heart, that person is without spiritual light. The darkness surrounds that person and he is blinded from God's Truth. This is discussed in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god [Satan] of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." (TEV)
When Jesus is invited into a person's heart, He becomes a light inside that person. Psalm 18:28 tells us, "O Lord, you give me light; you dispel my darkness." John 1:5 tells us that darkness can't exist in light, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out." With Christ, darkness around a person is lifted--and so is the spiritual blindness. Thus the title "Believe First, Then See".
Why is a person without Christ surrounded by spiritual darkness? It is because of the fall of mankind. In other words, it's because Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit; they committed original sin. When they ate this fruit, they gained the knowledge to discern between right and wrong. Before this act, they had no idea of what was right or what was wrong. God had made them without this knowledge, because it was unneeded at the time. Although Adam and Eve's transgression enabled them to discern good from evil, it had ironically placed them in spiritual darkness too. This spiritual darkness was a result of the spiritual chasm made between God and man.
In Romans 3:23 we learn, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (NIV) The death this verse speaks of is not only physical death, but also spiritual death. Any person who is spiritually dead cannot live with God. In John 3:5-6 we find, "'I am telling you the truth,' replied Jesus, 'that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit.'" This lack of spiritual life--resulting from the wages of sin--prevents a person from living with God after he is physically dead.
Now, here comes the good part! God didn't like the fact that mankind was forever separated from Him, so He decided to do something about it. He sent His only Son to come to earth and take the wages of our sins upon Himself. One would think that would be the end, but nothing could be further from the Truth!
Three days after Jesus suffered the wages of sin, He conquered Death. He rose from the dead! As a result of Jesus paying the price for our sins, we are freed from spiritual death and are forgiven by God! To accept this offer of forgiveness, one must repent of his or her sins--confess them to God and turn away from them--and claim Jesus as his or her personal savior. The result: not only forgiveness and eternal life, but also sight!
* Note - All scripture quotations are from the "Today's English Version" Bible unless otherwise specified.
