People who don’t believe in “God” are in a minority in our world. So, it is not hard to imagine that, as the prophet foretold thousands of years ago that, one day the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
The psalmist in Psalm 68 also tells us the same thing. He says:
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
Sadly, amongst those who profess to know and worship “God”, there are many to whom “God” is basically unknowable and unreachable, although of course, many try by often going to extreme measures.
Recently I went with some Bible College students who were visiting the worship centres of 2 major religions in order to understand better the beliefs of these groups. A key thing I heard was concerning their belief about Jesus. Although most acknowledged Jesus as a significant religious leader/prophet/guru, none believed in his deity, incarnation, death and resurrection as taught in the Bible.
One group quoted one of their gurus who said: “May the mouth burn by which it is said the Lord becomes incarnate. He neither comes nor departs from the earth.” (Guru Granth Sahib 1136)
Another group also completely rejects the doctrine of the incarnation of God in any form, as the concept is defined as shirk (meaning idolatry or polytheism). They believe “God is one” and “neither begets nor is begotten” (Tawhid 112:3)
Of this latter group, I have many friends who have changed their minds concerning Jesus and have become his followers, often despite persecution from their friends and families. They have read for themselves the good news of Jesus in the New Testament and God has opened their eyes to the truth. The truth being, as described by the Apostle John concerning Jesus (the Word):
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14)
One day, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, but it will be only beneficial to those who are willing to acknowledge the deity, incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus, because as John says later in one of his letters:
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12)
God’s desire is that all people everywhere from All the nations [he has] made will come and worship before [Him, and that] they will bring glory to [His] name.
Paul summarizes all the above beautifully when he writes:
[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Have you ever acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord? When you do, then you will discover, like the psalmist, that you can pray:
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you. Amen.
Tehilim (Psalms) - "songs of praise". 