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God Raises The Dead - Acts 26
God Raises The Dead - Acts 26
"Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" (Acts 26:8)
With the coming of the age of enlightenment, there was a shift in peoples thinking concerning the material world and God. More and more God has been pushed out of the whole picture and relegated to the realm of ‘faith’. In particular, God has been pushed out of science all together. We are constrained to look for and find ALL answers about our universe within the confines of our material world. Even when evidence points to answers beyond the capabilities of the known universe, we are told ‘you can’t go there’.
However, the really ‘big’ questions of life and existence don’t find their answers in a test-tube. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there life? Is there a purpose to existence? What happens to the spirit / mind of man when he dies? By excluding all thought of God in the answer to such questions, we are left simply with no answer.
If a man dies, will he live again? With God excluded from the discussion, the answer is a simple ‘NO’. However, the moment God is included in the discussion, the impossible becomes not only possible but also reasonable.
The unfortunate thing to me is that this mindset has been at the foundation of much unbelief. Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead BECAUSE we KNOW that dead people don’t come back to life. The bible, in particular the idea of prophecy concerning future events, can’t happen because NO ONE can predict the future. So, one by one, all questions have had God removed from the discussion. Yet, Paul’s question remains pertinent to the discussion!
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?”. Indeed, WHY?
God created life. God raised Jesus from the dead. God promised to raise us from the dead. God revealed His intentions in this matter.
Hugh DeLong
