The other day, a specific interview caught my eye as I was reading the local news. It was about a well-known Kenyan music artist claiming they believed in God. That portion drew me in because the said celebrity, at least from how they portray themselves publicly, leads a life that goes against their supposed belief in God. The music they sing is anything but God-glorifying. It is music that celebrates the hedonistic pleasures of life. In their own words, their parents would never approve of the music they made. Despite knowing this, they still sing provocatively while producing lewd videos.
In short, this particular artist doesn’t lead a life where they deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24-28). They also don’t adorn themselves in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called (1 Peter 3:3-4; 5:5-6, 1 Timothy 2:9). Yet, they claim to not only believe in God but also trust that he is sovereign. This begs the question: how is believing in God and not being transformed possible (Romans 12:1-2)? Scripture answers this question with a resounding ‘No, it’s not possible’.
However, the other question that comes to mind and that I seek to address in this article is: Why exactly do people believe in God? We live in a country that claims to be over 80% Christian, yet church attendance across the nation is dwindling despite the command in Hebrews 10:24-25. How is that possible when so many people claim to believe in God? In this article, we will examine why people claim to believe in God and establish which reasons are biblical.
Brought Up In a Christian Home
Most people claim to believe in God mainly because they were raised in families where their parents were and still are avid believers. First, there is nothing inherently wrong with believing because your parents brought you up in the faith. Timothy, for example, is commended for the faith that was instilled in him by his mother and grandmother since his childhood (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15). Paul commands parents to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). One of the reasons that Israel adopted idolatry is because the generation that came before didn’t fulfil the command in Deuteronomy 6:5-9, to teach them God’s word (Judges 3:10).
These are a few examples of why being brought up in the faith is one of the most influential ways God draws people to himself. As Proverbs 22:6 reads, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.’
However, most people who talk of being brought up in a Christian family as their reason for believing in God will mostly have very inauthentic faith. They will mostly assume that so long as I was raised in a Christian family, I remain a Christian no matter how I live my life. Such people are usually misled to think that their faith is tied to their upbringing. It is one of the reasons the celebrity, in my example, gave for believing in God. However, the truth is that Christianity is not genetically transmitted, as we shall see.
God Attended to My Need
Most people come to believe in God because of the belief that he attended to their need. I have heard this a fair number of times. Testimonies abound of how people who were in challenging situations, but God helped them through it, which is what birthed their faith in God. Again, there is nothing wrong with such salvation stories, as God has used his providence to draw many to himself. Genesis 50:20-21 shows how God’s purposeful sovereignty can bring about belief in him. Joseph tells his brothers that their evil deeds against him were God’s means to bring about the provision of many. Scripture reminds us of how the rains and the fruitful seasons served and, to some extent, still serve as one of his witnesses (Acts 14:16-17; Romans 1:20).
Indeed, God’s use of providence to bring about gospel fruit isn’t unheard of. The problem comes when faith in God is tied to the abundance of his earthly gifts. There is a reason Jesus tells his disciples that they should rejoice more in God’s knowledge of them than in his gifts (Luke 9:25; 10:17-20). What happens to faith tied to the earthly gifts when they are taken away? The parable of the sower gives us an answer. Jesus explains that those who tie their faith to earthly gifts will have it rough. When suffering comes, and they are choked by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, they will fall away, and their faith will prove unfruitful (Matthew 13:20-22). From that, we see how temporal a faith rooted in earthly cares is. If you are among those whose belief is rooted in the needs he meets, please reevaluate yourself.
Fear of God’s Judgment
Another common reason people falsely place their faith in God is the fear of his coming judgment. To confirm how common this is, consider how prevalent the theme of God’s judgment is in many Kenyan circles this year. The floods that covered the country during the rainy season sparked this conversation. Kenyans thought the floods were happening because of God’s judgment. Some pastors have since taken advantage of the catastrophe to scare many into the faith. Without getting into the intricacies of whether the floods are a case of God’s judgment, it is clear why the situation would compel many to look to God for mercy.
Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with turning to God after coming to terms with the reality of his impending judgment. In the Old Testament, we see God using threats of his judgment to turn people back to Him. Nineveh is an excellent example of this (Jonah 3). Even in Jesus’ ministry, he never held back from speaking about God’s judgment (Matthew 7:21-23; 11:20-24; 12:36-37; 13:41-42). As the saying goes, ‘Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven.’
However, even though Christ spoke a lot about hell, he never encouraged anyone to tie their faith solely to God’s judgment. Yes, our God is a consuming fire. When he unleashes his wrath, he will not stop it until it accomplishes its purpose (Hebrew 12:29, Jeremiah 30:24). However, for those who are in Christ Jesus, we are told that there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1). We are told that we don’t and shouldn’t have a spirit of fear but of adoption as sons of God (Romans 8:14-17). However, this is only true if your faith in God isn’t tied solely to his righteous judgment. If it is, you are sadly not walking in the true and secure faith we are called to have in Christ.
True Belief in God
What, then, should be our reason for believing in God? What should our faith be rooted in? The answer: the person and work of Jesus Christ. Only in him do we have the fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11, John 15:11). However, as he told his disciples, we can only do much if we abide in him (John 15:1-11). The only way we get to know the Father is through him (John 14:1-14), for only he is the way, the truth and the life. We are only saved if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). The only reason we have peace with God is because Christ died for us while we were still sinners and thus reconciled us to him (Romans 5:1-11).
We are dead to sin and alive to God because we were united to Christ in his death. Since this is true, we are undoubtedly united to Christ in his life. Because of him, we are no longer enslaved to sin but are saved by grace through faith, God’s gift to us who believe. For in Christ, we who were once far off have been brought near. Being without sin, Christ chose to carry the burden of our sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (Romans 6:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-18, 2 Corinthians 5:21). He became a curse for us so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:10-14).
Is this the reason you believe in God? If so, praise God. If not, reach out to us or press the Receive Christ at the top right of our page for a gospel presentation. Believing in God for any other reason but the person and work of Christ is to believe amiss (Romans 3:23, Hebrews 3:12). Remember, only the gospel of Christ is God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16-17).