And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Heb. 11:6)
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good. (Ps 14:1)
This is another easy question, although I would say that it is probably harder than the first one, particularly because of the second half of the answer. We're only on the second question and we're already face-to-face with the harsh reality of sin. But we'll get to that.
So, since the catechism doesn't seem to answer the question I'm about to pose, I will pose it: why ought we to believe there is a God? I'm not talking about evidentiary proof, though I think it is abundant (not to mention a different question in the catechism); I'm talking about a different kind of why: why does it matter if we believe there is a God or not? I think a lot of Christians would answer, "Because you'll go to hell if you don't." Now, that is true. But it's an answer that simply brings up another question: why will you go to hell? The implicit question here is, "What gives God the right to send people to hell, especially over something like whether you think he exists or not?"
To answer this question, we have to remember that the world and humanity were here, God came along, and he imposed his will on both of them. That makes sense, right? Of course not! If that really were true, I would question very much if God had the right to rule or to judge. He certainly could; he is all-powerful, after all. But that wouldn't give him the right.
So how does it really happen in the Bible? "God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). God, remember, is the first and chiefest being. He was before anything else was. He caused everything else to come into being. Now, if that really is the case, it seems to me like he would have the right to do anything he pleases with everything he created. It's similar to what Paul says, "Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?" (Rom. 9:21). In context, Paul is talking about God creating and predestining man, but it follows that since he created everything else as well, he can do what he wants with it. The potter has every right to mold clay into a beautiful vase or a simple garbage can. God has every right to be king over all he created.
This may sound difficult to accept, but this, I believe, should make it easier: God is perfectly good, holy, righteous, and just, and he knows all things. He does not arbitrarily decide anything. Everything he does is for the ultimate good.
Now, if God has every right to be king, then it follows that we should want to please him, especially since "the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought" (2 Chron. 28:9). How do we do this? We do this by faith, as Hebrews 11:6 says and further adds, "Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." I particularly like the wording of the 1599 Geneva Bible, which says that we "must believe that God is." Do you hear that? God is. It harkens back to Exodus 3:14, where God says his name: "I AM." It's powerful.
But is it really that bad to think that God doesn't exist? It doesn't sound so bad, but look at how the Bible words it; those who say there is no God "are corrupt [and] they do abominable deeds" (Ps. 14:1). The implication is that those who deny God's existence are evil, and their denial either leads to such evil or is the result of it. Also, by denying God's existence, they deny his right to rule and his standard of good. This is because they want to excuse their evil actions by saying there is no such standard. No standard of good, no such thing as evil. They mock God: "[T]he enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name" (Ps 74:18). The foolish both deny God's existence and scoff in the face of the God they refuse to believe in. What sense does that make? They are also prideful and wicked: "In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, 'There is no God'" (Ps 10:4). In other words, this is not a well-meaning skepticism; this is outright rebellion against the rightful ruler of the world. To deny him is to actively and willingly scoff in his face. To not expect retribution in that case is foolishness. We must remember that God will answer the call of Psalm 74: "Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!" (v. 22).
So everyone ought to believe in God, and those who do not are willingly engaging in foolish sin. They are actively rebelling against the rightful Creator-king of all, the first and chiefest being. Now we know the reason why he will send them to hell: it will not be an arbitrary, wistful thing; it will be well-deserved justice from a perfect and righteous judge. Maybe that sounds harsh, but it is the reality that we must all be warned of.
I don't say this out of a spirit of hate, but of love. I was once glad to scoff in the face of God. I am in the process of repenting of such actions, but I still do so with my thoughts, words, and deeds, though a bit less gladly. He is still in the process of sanctifying my rebellious heart. But God has provided the Lamb, Jesus Christ, to cover my sins, to cover the sins of all who would turn to him in humble repentance and ask for his forgiveness. To say that you don't need forgiveness is to be full of pride and to depend on your own imperfect actions to get you in the good graces of a perfectly good God whose standard of goodness is perfection. Only Jesus fulfilled that perfect standard, and God is more than willing to exchange your sin for Jesus' righteousness if you would turn to him. I ask you, in the words of Jesus: "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).
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