No, I am not writing a theological thesis this week with lots of big words. So, don’t stop reading. I will define a ‘de facto Deist’ and bring it to a practical application. These are just the best words for this thought. Deists are those who believe God created the universe, put natural laws and principles in place, then left it to operate on its own—like winding a watch. They profess that after creation, God has not, nor will He intervene in the affairs of the universe or man.
Think of all the results if this were true. Miracles would not be possible because a miracle is God overruling the normal laws of nature and performing some supernatural action. Prayer requests would be meaningless. If the laws of nature control everything and God does not interact with the created universe then prayer would accomplish nothing. We could not hear God through His still small voice because He does not say anything. We could not have a personal relationship with Him because He is not here. If we believe this about God, we would be better off studying science and physics than reading the Bible because only through utilizing the laws of nature can anything in life change. That is kind of scary to me.
We come to the second word, de facto. This is a term from Latin that means ‘actually’ or ‘in practice, but something not officially acknowledged’. In other words using this in reference to de facto Deist, it would mean: I tell myself I can know God and that He can intervene in my life, but I actually (de facto) live as if I were a Deist because I do not have an intimate relationship with God and am not positive He can really change the circumstances of my life or the problems of the world. I do not call myself a Deist, but practically, I live like a one.
In contrast, scripture assures us that God is always present in our individual lives and our world; I can ask Him to intervene in circumstances of my life and expect Him to respond. I can have a personal relationship with God through His Holy Spirit, and He can communicate to me in my inward being. This should be our belief plus our practice in daily life. However, too many people who would never call themselves a Deist, in practice, live their life this way.
It is easier to drift toward this mentality than we may think. Our brain tells us one thing, but our actions show something else. As a student and a teacher of the Bible, I have to guard against the scripture becoming purely academic. Jesus told the Jews, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me (John 5:39). This verse made me do a lot of thinking several years ago. Studying and knowing scripture does not bring eternal life. Rather, the Bible points us to Jesus, and through a relationship with Him, we have eternal life. I have learned the most important aspect of Christian living is my relationship with God. Christianity is more than reading a book and following its teaching. It is having an actual, knowable, and spiritual connection with Christ. Note also, a relationship is not one sided; it goes both ways between two people.
I have also caught myself asking God to intervene in some situation in my life or in the world, but realized I was only wishing and actually did not anticipate any change. Have you ever asked yourself if your individual prayer can really make a difference in the problems of our world? I have. This is when we must go back to such scriptures as, the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 5:16). In the next verse, James says that Elijah—one man—prayed and it did not rain on the nation for 3½ years and after that he prayed again and it rained. Scripture further tells us, for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, (1Pe 3:12) . . . we know that He hears us in whatever we ask (1Jn 5:15).
In contrast to the Deist’s belief that God as if a watchmaker created the universe, wound it up, and then left, He is ever present with us. He desires to have a two-way relationship with us and respond to our prayer requests. He may not always say, “Yes”, or answer immediately, but He will respond.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Do not allow yourself to live as a de facto Deist. If you are, realize God dwells within your heart. He wants to have a relationship with you and desires to answer your prayers.