I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND IN THE MINISTRY WHO IS GOING THROUGH SOME TRYING TIMES (yes, even ministers get bummed out on life!). He confessed to me a few weeks ago that he is becoming more of a DEIST in his theology based on some negative events in his life. He's not comfortable confessing deism, for he really does believe that God is very active in his life and in the world, but, in view of some tough times, he wonders how much God really cares about his life.

 

Deism was a philosophy/theology of the early founders of our nation. On July 4 we will remember that leaders like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were considered to be deists. They may not have fully embraced this theological position, for many of them held strong beliefs in Jesus Christ too, but as they reflected on the world, they saw God standing on the sidelines, without much involvement in their lives.

 

Deism would teach that God is indifferent to the world and our plight in it. God set the world into motion, and just let it go off on its own. God rarely if ever intervenes in human history - he just sits on the orb of the earth and watches it all play out. God is apathetic, without compassion, and indifferent to the things that impact us. He doesn't care.

This is a pretty scary view of God. What hope do we have if God is indifferent toward our lives? What benefit would prayer have if God doesn't care to do anything for us?

 

Yet, I believe that some of you reading this article right now are deists - not necessarily in an objective way, but when it comes to your day to day experience, you don't see God doing much and, therefore, you don't have a great sense of enthusiasm for the things of God. Am I right? I know - I’ve been there too at times in my life.

 

Objectively we know that deism cannot be true. The world is being meticulously controlled by God - this is why the planets stay in their orbits, and our bodies function so marvelously well. Objectively we know that the Bible says "God is love." Love is an active principle, not passive. The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. God cannot be both love and indifferent - that is a contradiction of the first order. Furthermore, Peter says, "Cast all your cares on him because He cares for you." God cares - that certainly discounts deism.

 

Finally, in the Christian gospel, we know that God is active because of what we believe about Jesus of Nazareth. We find in Him the active love of God. We find in Him the embodiment of God, the incarnation of God. Jesus died on a cross "for us." That hardly sounds like indifference to me. And, better yet, Jesus rose from the grave (the best supported historical event in all history) and is alive today through the presence of the Holy Spirit. All this is true. We look at these facts and say, "Amen!"

But when it comes to our experience, what do we make of this objective truth about God? It is amazing, but most people experientially live as though God is indifferent toward them and this world. "Where is God? I don’t see Him!" Most people go through the daily routines each week, not really recognizing any work of God in their lives, wondering where God is, oblivious to God's work in the world, and believing God doesn’t care.

 

Perhaps, however, the reason most people consider God to be indifferent, is because they want Him that way. If God doesn’t care about us, then why should we care about Him? Right? I’ve had people say to me, "God leaves me alone, and I reciprocate by leaving Him alone too. It's a mutual agreement."

But if God is NOT indifferent toward us, if He takes an active role in our lives, if He sent His Son for us, if He wishes to do miracles in our lives, if He cares about our lifestyle, if He wants to bless us each day, if He cares about our love for Him, if He cares that we spend eternity with Him, If He will judge us one day, then being enthused and alive to God should be the most significant thing for our lives! Would you not agree?

 

Here's more - my sense is that many church people are deists, not fully recognizing God's active role in their lives. They feel no motivation to care about how they live toward God. If this were not true, every Sunday our churches would be filled to overflowing, weekday Bible Study groups would have waiting lists, conversations about God would be a regular feature of life, and life would be filled with greater joy. Too many church people live defeated, depressed, inconsistent, unhappy, and worldly lives. If they only realized that God cares! God is really serious about what we are doing with our lives!

Here's the good news: the believer in Jesus who knows that from the moment the alarm goes off in the morning, till bedtime calls, that God is alive in his or her heart, lives as a person with joy, enthusiasm for life, a desire to love others, purpose, and hope for the future. God cares - I know it, I feel it, I see it, I welcome it. Is this you? It can be you!

 

Ponder this - God is not indifferent to us, but if we are indifferent to Him, we do so at the peril of our lives, and the peril of our nation. Ω