Does God Exist?

DOES GOD EXIST?

Most folks believe in God. However, can we Know - really know that God exists? And if so, How?

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)
These are days when few people seem satisfied. Everyone seems to be searching for something: For riches, power, health, adventure, fame, peace, conquests, or escape.

Disgracefully, even few Christians appear to understand that the lasting satisfaction or redirection of such longings must be found in the Lord, the One who made them and planned them to work in a specific, fulfilling way.

While the reality of the matter is that in an extreme sense "There is none who understands; There is none that who seeks after God" (Romans 3:11). For salvation without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Christian and undoubtedly the whole human race is charged over and over to look for God. Take note of the accompanying passages of encouragement.

 

EVIDENCE OF GOD'S EXISTENCE

We need to be aware, first of all, that we can’t prove God exists in the same way we can show the correct solution to a geometry problem or a scientific formula. For centuries, people have been thinking about how to know that God exists.

PROOF OF GOD

We should remember, too, that although we can’t prove God exists, neither can we show that He doesn't. Someone said: “It is easy for a person to say that God does not exist, but it is impossible for anybody to prove it. On the other hand, to the one who believes in God, there are many pieces of evidence of His existence.”

The point is this: God’s existence is ultimately a matter of faith: however there are many pieces of evidence or reasons to believe that God is real. Let’s look at some of those pieces of evidence from the two great sources we have that tell us about God—the things He has made (nature) and the words He has spoken (the Bible.)

1. EVIDENCE FOR GOD FROM NATURE

From the beginning of recorded history, one of the main reasons human beings have believed in God has been the marvelous things they saw all around them in nature. The psalmist wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [the sky] shows His handiwork. . . . There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1, 3).

Look up into the starry night sky. How many stars can you see, just by looking with your eyes? Scientists tell us there are about 5,000 to 6,000 stars bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. However, you can see only about half of those at any one time because the earth itself gets in the way. Myself I enjoy outdoors and always look in awe at God's creation. My particular time is sitting with a cup of coffee by a lake in the morning and watch the sun rise over the mountains. It is a spectacular sight to witness as the Psalmist said in 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (the sky) shows His handiwork..."

The night sky is impressive, but besides the stars which you can see, there are also millions of stars and galaxies you can’t see—all moving at incomprehensible speeds, perfectly balanced and perfectly synchronized in space. Who orchestrates this marvelous dance? Is it reasonable to think all this is taking place without any design or direction—just happening by chance? No wonder Isaiah says, “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things. . . . He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might” (Isaiah 40:26).

Moreover, what is true of the vastness of space is also true of the microscopic world. A single grain of sand is made up of billions of molecules, atoms, and electrons, whirling around each other like a tiny solar system. Physicists have unlocked many secrets of the atomic and subatomic world, but they still don’t know exactly how it all works. Moreover, they certainly can’t create that miniature world. However, someone did. The apostle Paul says that “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20).

Let’s look at one further evidence for God from the world of nature—your own body! Until something goes wrong, we often don’t think about the incredible way all the systems and organs of our bodies work together flawlessly. Nerves and muscles, bones and tissues, our heart and brain and lungs, eyes and ears—all these things and hundreds more—are seamlessly connected into a functioning, healthy human person. Thousands of years ago, the psalmist pondered the intricate way his body was put together and exclaimed to God, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well..” (Psalm 139:13- 14).

We could find evidence for the existence of God from the amazing world of nature, but the point is clear: Behind everything we see in the world around us we find two things. We find intelligence, and we find power. And those are attributes of God. For those who believe, it is just inconceivable that our complex, marvelous universe could have come into being without an infinitely wise, powerful God who designed and created it.

2. EVIDENCE FOR GOD FROM THE BIBLE

The Bible does not present formal arguments that God exists; it merely declares that He exists. The very first words of Scripture state grandly, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). Those opening chapters of the Bible go on to paint a picture of this self-existent, all-powerful God created the heavens and the earth. As the apostle, Paul says, “By Him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. . . . He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17).

In the Bible, God reveals Himself to us in a way that allows us to have a better understanding of Him than we could ever gain through nature alone. As convincing as they are, the evidence for God in nature can be misunderstood. In fact, that has often been the case. Throughout the ages, men and women have seen God in nature, but all too often they have confused the two. They have thought that nature was God and that God was nature. That’s why they began worshiping the sun and the seasons. That’s why they started imagining all kinds of deities that controlled rainfall and crops and sickness.

Without God revealing Himself to us more fully in the Bible, we would never be able to know Him as He wants us to. Job 11:7 asks, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” The answer, of course, is no. So God has revealed Himself to us in the Bible to give us a complete understanding of Himself than nature alone provides. Let’s look at some of the things the Bible tells us about God.

a). PROPHECY
Fulfilled prophecy tells us that there is a God who knows the future. God declares, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10). The Bible contains many prophecies that have been fulfilled exactly as predicted. Approximately over 2000 prophecies appear in the Bible, and most have been fulfilled to the letter - no errors. The remaining prophecies reach into the future and are being fulfilled as the days go by.

Another example is the fact that significant events in Jesus’ life on earth were foretold centuries before He was born. These include His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14); where He would be born (Micah 5:2); His death and resurrection (Luke 23:23; Psalm 16:10); and even how much money His betrayer would receive (Zechariah 11:12). History confirms these and many other Bible prophecies demonstrate there is a God who knows the future.

b). GOD REVEALED IN JESUS' LIFE
Jesus’ life on earth reveals His Father’s existence and tells us what God is like. Of all the ways in which God is revealed to us, the greatest and clearest is Jesus Himself. Jesus answered, “...Anyone who has seen me has sent the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?” (John 14:9).
Jesus came to show us what God is like.
When Jesus healed the sick, He was showing us what God is like.
When Jesus held the children on His lap, He was showing us what God is like.
When Jesus fed the hungry, encouraged the despondent, forgave sins, rebuked unrepentant sinners, and worked miracles—He was showing us what God is like.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was God in the beginning." (John 1:1-2).
"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30).

c). GOD'S LOVE
God is love. All that Jesus revealed to us about God can be summarized in one word—love. In fact, this is the word the Bible uses to describe God. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8). How do we know that God is love? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). God’s love for us is demonstrated in the amazing gift of Jesus who came to live for us and die for us on the cross. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13-14). Jesus calls you and me, His “friends!”

3. EVIDENCE FOR GOD IN YOUR HEART

The Bible says that it is foolish not to believe in God. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). Something deep in our hearts knows that there is a God who loves us and cares for us. When we deny that knowledge and refuse to believe in God, we are acting foolishly. The Bible says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). If we seek Him, will we find Him? Yes. God says, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)

THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF GOD
The most significant evidence that God exists is the transformed lives of the men and women who have searched for Him and have found Him and have invited Him into their hearts. This experience has convinced them beyond any doubt that God lives and that He lives in their lives each day. For those who have not yet asked God into their heart, God has a special invitation—and a unique promise: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." (Revelation 3:20).

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