Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

As the verse cited in the question indicates, those who would draw near to God must believe that He exists. Since God is a spiritual Being, He is not currently visible to our senses today. Therefore, that belief requires faith -- not blind faith, but faith based on evidence such as nature (Romans 1:20); conscience (Romans 2:14-15); the record of God's dealings with humanity as recorded in the Bible; and (most fully) through His incarnation in the person of Jesus, as documented in the gospels.

As the Bible makes clear, humanity is separated from God because of sin, and Jesus' atoning death and resurrection is the only means by which God has made forgiveness of sin and the attainment of eternal life possible. Because Jesus is no longer present on earth, salvation and eternal life can now be gained only by faith in what was written about Him in the Bible. (As Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.")

But, again, that faith is not groundless or unreasonable, since it is based on the fulfillment of recorded prophecy extending back over thousands of years, and on the testimony of multiple witnesses who knew Jesus personally and saw Him after He rose from the dead (as recorded in the gospels, and as mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-9).

October 17 2016 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report