I Believe!

I haven't had many theological discussions lately. Last Sunday, I did.

My wife and I went to visit my mother in East Texas, and my aunt and her friend happened to be in town. During the course of conversation, these two (the aunt and her friend) decided to pull me into their discussion/argument over the accountability of the heathen who have never heard the gospel. Will God hold them accountable for their unbelief?

This is not a new subject. Christian theologians have wrestled with its implications for centuries, and have arrived at varying conclusions. I won't go into the details of the two stances presented to me. Nor will I tell you how artfully I dodged the subject, presenting them with "evidence" to support each of their theories, and then leaving them to their own conclusions.

What I will share here is how little I know these days. When I was in my twenties and thirties, pastoring a thriving congregation, seminary degree in hand, I knew so much. I had the answers. I felt I needed to have the answers. I was expected to know things.

Now, I am plowing through my forties like there is no tomorrow, and I realize how very little I know. I believe many things. Some of them are even things I believed back when. I believe there is valid evidence to support my beliefs. I believe in the God I believe in the very same way so-called "nonbelievers" believe in their conclusions about God.

I don't apologize for my shortcomings. I am not ashamed that I don't know the answer to questions like, "what about the heathen?" I am not ashamed that I am not sure where or exactly what heaven is. I am not ashamed to admit that I cannot quite figure out God's system of justice. I don't know why some children are born blind or crippled. I believe God has His reasons...but even if we knew them, we might not find them reasonable.

But, I believe. I believe in the God of the Bible. I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. I also believe that any Christian who believes he has all the answers is a fool...and a detriment to the cause of Christ in this world.

I believe I will stop there.