Pascal’s Wager

2018-04-22

Centuries ago, there was a philosopher that reasoned for the existence of God in this way: We should live as God existed, because if we are right, and God exists, we have gained heaven and eternal life. If we are wrong, what do we have to lose?

I have not researched this beyond what I have written. From what I have seen, there is a lot missing in this reasoning. Here are some things I consider.

  1. It assumes that we please God by good works. If we do certain things and not others, does that make us more acceptable to God? Salvation is either by the grace of God, or by something we do (Romans 11:6). It cannot be both. We know that it is by grace. Good works are a result of a genuine faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).
  2. It assumes that we know what pleases God. What does God want from us? How does He reveal Himself to us? Without the Word of God, we do not know for sure.
  3. It assumes that faith is mere guesswork, not based on the certainty of God. The Bible tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). There is evidence of those things that we cannot see. We do not guess that there might be a God out there somewhere.
  4. It assumes that faith is just a choice, like flipping a coin. It fails to show that faith is by the hearing of the Word of God, and a supernatural transformation that ensues (Romans 10:17).
  5. It assumes that we cannot know God’s existence from reason. Romans 1:18-32 tells us otherwise.
  6. It is not enough to believe that God exists to be saved. We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (Acts 16:31). If we only believe that there is a God, “the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).

One good thing to consider is this: We must take spiritual things seriously. We know there is a Creator, and that He must be personal, since He created other personal beings. Should we not search these things out, since we are accountable to this personal Creator?

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:39)