Many people deny the existence of God and they have the free will to do so. For those who don't believe that God exists, I have to ask you a very important question - and here it is...
What if God IS real and you don't believe?
You have to admit it's a fair question. I'm asking the question not to try to convince you one way or another that God exists, but more so to open your eyes to what the consequences are if it just so happens to turn out that God IS real and you do not believe that He is.
First, understand that there are different groups of people with varying beliefs about the existence of God. Christians believe without a doubt that God truly does exist as His Word declares. Atheists believe firmly that God does not exist. Agnostics believe that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists. And skeptics just have doubts about God's existence in general. Some people who don't believe that God is real want others to share their beliefs but aren't willing to listen to the other side.
Regardless of where you fall on the list, the question still remains: what if God IS real and you don't believe? Before we dive into answering the question, let's look at some of the possible reasons why people don't believe in God.
Why Do People Doubt God's Existence?
People love to challenge the existence of God for many reasons, but I think the biggest reason is this: if God exists, then I am accountable for my actions, which means I have to answer to Him for the things I do or don't do. People don't want to be held accountable to someone, they just want to live their lives the way they choose to do so. They want to be able to do things like lie, cheat or commit sexual immoralities without feeling guilty. If they acknowledge that God is indeed real, then they cannot do the things they want to do - without consequence... even though there are consequences, good or bad, to every one of our actions.
Another reason people don't believe in God stems from selfish ambitions and/or pride. In other words, if I acknowledge that God exists and has total control, then I become less significant and not as important in my own life. I can make my own choices and do things my own way which makes it easier for me to do my own thing rather than to obey God. Pride makes me believe that I am most important and I should get to do whatever I want to do. It leads to a total reliance on self - me, me, me.
Thirdly, people refuse to believe in God because they feel that IF God does exist, then why do so many bad things happen in the world? What's ironic about this train of thought is that if someone doesn't believe in God, why are they so quick to blame God first and foremost if He supposedly doesn't exist? You can't have it both ways. Either God doesn't exist and it's someone else's fault for all the bad things OR God does exist and He plays a part in it all. The truth is, people who think that God is responsible for the bad things - number one, don't know God, number two, don't know the Bible and/or number three, don't understand that we live in a fallen world where bad things are GOING TO HAPPEN.
It also could be that people don't believe in God simply because they were raised not to believe or have been taught or bought into theories that aim to dismiss the existence of God.
Finally, other reasons why people refuse to believe that God is real may include personal experiences. Perhaps they have had misfortune in their lives or been exposed to bad circumstances that caused their doubts and/or unbelief.
Honestly, the reasons for their beliefs aren't what's most important. The answer to the question "what if God IS real and you don't believe?" is what's most important.
Two Possibilities
I want to break down the two scenarios with a little commentary. The first scenario is: God ISN'T real and you don't believe at all. The second scenario is: God IS real and you believe that with all your heart.
Scenario Number One - God ISN'T Real
Let's start first with the claim that God is not real, (and if God is not real then the Bible is fiction and Jesus was just a teacher or prophet.) So, if God is not real, then what is the purpose for our existence? If God is not real, what is the meaning of life? If we aren't serving something greater, why even be here?
If there is no Creator and we all evolved as the Theory of Evolution insinuates, then objectively, there is no purpose and no goals for the human experience. That also means that there is no direction or plan for humans to contribute anything to the world. Evolution doesn't give us a basis for the meaning of life, but on the contrary, it does allude that humans are no more important than insects or plants.
Before I go on, I realize that there are those who may say that it is up to us individually to make our lives meaningful. We have to chose to live meaningful lives. But this thinking puts us in a predicament. Without guidance as to what gives life meaning, humans are forced to create their own ideas of what makes life meaningful. With that, another question arises: What makes life meaningful for those who believe God does not exist?
If the meaning of life is defined subjectively, we would find hundreds of answers as to what constitutes "living a meaningful life." One person may think that sitting home playing video games and binge watching tv is just as meaningful as being a nurse who has dedicated her life to care for others. Perhaps people who steal from others define that as living a meaningful life in the same way as the person who works two jobs to get the things they need and want. A serial killer may believe that the meaning of life is being entitled to take the lives of others. If the meaning of life is self-defined, the extremes would be too great and dependent on each person's ideals.
From a societal point of view, even those who don't believe in God can and do live meaningful lives. There is no argument to be made in this regard. However, people denying the existence of God aren't living meaningful lives because of their disbelief in God, they live life in spite of their beliefs. Their beliefs don't actually prove that God isn't real.
Even if you don't believe in God, the Bible, or Jesus Christ, yes, you can live a meaningful life, but it's based solely on what they believe meaningful is . But think about this for a minute... what is the end goal? What is it all for? Is life just ours to live and then die with nothing to look forward to? Seriously, what are you truly living for?
If God is not real, you will probably go through life trying to do the best you can with what you have. There's really no reason to have hope, because you cannot put your hope in man - man is fallible and corrupt. There's no benefit to loving your neighbor. Inner peace is hard to come by (especially in the world today) and anxiety, depression and fear are a constant battle for many. There is no promise of better things after you die - you're basically going to be buried or cremated and that's that. In time, you will be forgotten.
That brings us to....
Scenario Number Two - God IS Real
Now, I believe with all my heart that God does exist. I believe that the Bible is true and that God is the One who wrote it through spirit-filled men and prophets. I believe that Jesus Christ is God and came to earth to dwell among us, to give up His life to save ours and is alive right now in Heaven at the right hand of God. Those are my beliefs and I stand by them.
Although my heart longs to see others believe what I believe, I am not writing this to try to push my beliefs on anyone. Again, I am writing this article to pose the question:
What if God is real and you don't believe? The Bible states in Hebrews 9:27 - "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Again, we are looking at the scenario that God is real, so in this scenario the Bible is true and Jesus is the Son of God). I think we can all agree that the first part of this verse is true: everyone dies. You cannot escape death. None of us know when or how we are going to die, but there is no argument - we will all die someday. However, what happens after death is what's debated.
IF God is real, that means there's an afterlife. The Bible talks at length about it and that means that after death we will end up in one of two places: heaven or hell. (On a side note, the Bible does not talk about purgatory, limbo, reincarnation, moving to a higher conscience or simply that you stop existing upon death). With that being said, (remember, again, we are in scenario two - God is real) that means that you will be spending eternity somewhere. So upon your death, your spirit will move on to heaven if you believe in Jesus Christ, or hell, if you don't.
I hear people say things like "I'm going to party in hell with all the cool people." Or "I don't care if I go to hell." Honestly, no one should joke about hell. In fact, everyone should care about it. Let's look at the ways in which hell is described in scripture. Again, this scenario includes that the Bible is the Word of God, in His words. The Bible says that hell is a place:
That's a "furnace of fire [where] there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” - Matthew 13:50
Of "eternal punishment" - Matthew 25:46
Where "their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." -Mark 9:46
Where you have agonizing thirst that can never be satisfied. - Luke 16:22-24
Where there is "smoke of torment" and "no rest, day or night." - Revelation 14:11
Where you will be "tormented day and night forever and ever." - Revelation 20:10
Where people "shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone" - Revelation 21:8
Now, there are many other verses in the Bible that describe hell; but to be honest, if this small sampling isn't enough to prompt an unbeliever to at least stop and think about eternity for a minute, they may be too far gone.
You see, if God is real, that means hell is real. And if you're wrong about God, then you're wrong about hell. Our human minds have a hard time wrapping our heads around eternity. But try to imagine torment, pain, burning, unquenchable thirst, no rest and no peace - FOREVER AND EVER. All because you refused to believe in God and accept Jesus as your Savior (which is the only way to Heaven, by the way).
The truth is, eternity in hell is the main consequence of choosing not to believe, but there are other consequences, as well, that pertain to our lives on earth. Some of these consequences are: spending a lifetime searching for joy and peace. Having feelings of inadequacy or of being unloved. Always running around in circles trying to control every aspect of your life. Being fearful, full of anxiety and fighting depression could be issues for you. These things lead to a lifetime of monotony, mediocrity and disappointment.
When you know and understand that God IS real and that He loves you more than you can fathom, your desire to serve Him and spend eternity with Him increases as the days and years go by. You begin to realize that life is meaningful and full of hope even in the worst of times and that is because of Him.
So What? You Haven't Proven Anything
I may not have proven anything to anyone. My goal in writing this article was not to do that. My goal was simply to ask the question and get non-believers thinking.
Let me simplify it this way:
If God is real and you don't believe, you are missing out on the Heavenly Father's amazing love, grace and mercy. If God is real and you don't believe, you are missing out on everything that God had planned for you from the moment you were created. If God is real and you don't believe, you will never know real, pure joy and peace that surpasses all understanding - especially in times of trial. If God is real and you don't believe, you are risking eternity in heaven with Him. If God is real and you don't believe, you WILL spend eternity separated from God in the pit of hell.
However....
If God is not real and you don't believe in Him or even if you do believe and He ends us not being real, well, you've risked nothing. There is no risk at all to believe in God. BUT... if God is real, and you don't believe, you are risking eternity. There's a big difference here. Big risk versus no risk???
Jesus says in Mark 8:36: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" When you understand the impact of these words, and IF God is real and the Bible is true, those who refuse to believe that God is real are basically exchanging eternal life in heaven for the current corrupt and evil world we live in today only to end up in hell, suffering for all of eternity. To me, the choice is a no-brainer. The world is always, sooner or later, going to let you down in one way or another. But Jesus will never let you down. After all, He laid down His life to save yours. (Click here to read about how much Jesus loves you).
Again, God will never let you down and He is waiting patiently for you to receive His FREE gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
You cannot imagine the love that God has for you. Whether you believe He exists or not, He still loves you. If you deny Him and turn away from Him, He still loves you. You may have done terrible things in your past, God still loves you. There is nothing you can do that will change that. Romans 8:38-39 are two of my favorite verses:
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
God will meet you wherever you are. Why risk your eternity just to fill your life with short-lived satisfaction and pleasure while here on earth? If God is real and you don't believe, you better live it up now, because this WILL be the best life you ever live.
Friends, my heart's desire is that you at least consider the question: What if God is real and you don't believe? If you are not a believer, please ask God to show you He's real. Perhaps you've been wondering about it, and here you are reading this article?? God will make sure that you know He's there and that He loves you. I promise you, He will.
Unfortunately, tomorrow could be too late. (Click here to read Blog Post: "Eternity is a Breath Away: Where Will You Spend It?")
If you have any questions or need guidance or prayer, please click this link: contact me here. and send me a message. I would love to help you in any way I can.
By the way, the Bible does say quite a bit about heaven as well in Revelation 21:1–4 & 22-27, Revelation 22:1–5, John 14:2–4, Matthew 6:19–21, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 65:17–25. Trust me, it is a place we should all strive to enter in to.
Blessings,
Amy