If given the chance to sit down and interview God, what would you say? What questions would you ask? What kind of demeanor do you expect God to have during your time with Him?
That's the scenario a journalist named Paul is faced with in "An Interview With God," a powerful film that features a series of interviews between the reporter and a man who claims to be the Almighty that has returned to Pure Flix.
Paul (played by actor Brendon Thwaites) and God (portrayed by David Strathairn) have a series of intriguing back-and-forths that capture some of the toughest, most complex — and universal — questions and curiosities that human beings most commonly face. Throughout the process, Paul finds himself bewildered, pressed and seeking.
Let's explore just some of the quotes between Paul and God that will get us all thinking deeper about life and matters of faith:
In the movie, God makes a fascinating proclamation about time. While human beings look at time in a vacuum, God proclaims that His timing is quite different.
There are countless moments in scripture that God reminds us that His timing is different than the human experience of time. For example, Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) says:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
While we sit and wait, sometimes in agony, in impatience or anxiousness, we have to remind ourselves that God's timing is perfect. He will never not answer our prayers before we are ready to receive His blessings, grace and answers.
While we may have many questions about why God waited to answer this prayer or that, we should remember that God, indeed, exists outside of time.
And, in what is a deeply fascinating proclamation, He reminds Paul, in the movie, that He "created time." This means that time, rather than a fixed element of existence, is a creation that behaves as God would see fit.
Christians are warned in Ephesians 6 that evil is very real — and that there's a spiritual battle unfolding. But scripture also proclaims that Christians have authority over darkness and shouldn't be fearful.
In "An Interview With God," God makes a statement about Satan that is quite interesting. He says that the devil is "overrated" and that, though he can yield power, that level of power is dependent on what we allow.
Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV) reads:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
This quote from God in the movie makes us reconsider, how much "power" do we give Satan in our lives? How much of our time and attention do we give him over God? Knowing this is how God thinks of Satan, what would you ask Him as a follow up to this quote?
Paul has many questions surrounding how free will and God's will can exist together. God makes a statement about "human law" that is worth exploring. He not only says the human experience depends on the existence of free will, but that His "will and free will are not contradictory or two versions of the same thing, bu they do fit perfectly together."
While free will (definition: the ability for individuals to make decisions of their own volition) is debated in theological circles, the character of God in this movie makes this proclamation — one that will certainly get viewers thinking about the ways in which the Lord has structured His creation.
Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says:
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
God allows humans to make their own choices. But He uses those choices to work perfectly within His plan for their lives. It's something we must remember when we face taking a leap of faith.
Speaking of faith, God also makes the statement that faith isn't the goal, it's the process. For Christians this can seem logical: heaven is the goal. As Paul says, "Salvation is the product."
In God's metaphor that He uses in the movie, faith is the "instructions" for how to obtain salvation. Paul quotes John 14:6 (NIV):
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
The only way for us to obtain salvation is through our faith, and the Bible which gives us the rules and guidelines to how to obtain that salvation. Our life is full of many seasons that contribute to our overall journey to be reunited with God in eternity.
For more of the powerful exchange between Paul and God, be sure to stream the movie right now on Pure Flix. Not a member? Get a free Pure Flix trial right now.