Does God Exist? – Part 3

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Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.

It is very common to hear “you CAN NOT prove God exists”, therefore God must not exist, or at least you can’t expect someone to believe it based on your “proof”. Really?

Have you ever contemplated what you can and cannot “prove”? Remember, in this context, when people say you “can’t prove God exists” what they are saying is that you cannot produce something that will convince every person, even the most ardent atheist, to change their mind and be forced to agree with your conclusion. In reality, this can be accurately translated “I’m not going to believe you, no matter what proof you produce for God’s existence”.

How can I possibly make that sort of generalization? I thought you would never ask. Using this line of reasoning (“you can’t prove God exists”), you can easily demonstrate the bias and ignorance of the argument. I would say to this person, “okay, I can’t prove God exists. You can’t prove…”

• that the universe wasn’t created five minutes ago and that all our memories are just pre-programmed
• that every other person around us really has a mind, they may be aliens, or robots
• that the Atlantic ocean is not just an illusion that exists in our minds
• that the Holocaust and Hitler ever happened and its not a hoax
• that man ever went to the moon and the government isn’t cleverly fooling us

“That’s ridiculous!” some would say. Why is it, that only God, Jesus and the Bible require 100% mathematical, iron-clad, indisputable scientific proof that will convince every single person no matter how ignorant, hostile or biased; before it is accepted that you can “prove God exists” in the same way you can prove that Plato existed or the American Revolution occurred?

The obvious aggressive bias is further demonstrated when the very same people will accept Evolution and almost every other religion, scientific theory or historical account as unquestioned fact; despite the total lack of genuine supporting evidence. So its not a question of whether or not “you can prove God exists”; the evidence clearly and overwhelmingly says He does; it comes down to the predetermined answer to that question by a sinful and fallen human race.

The Bible says, God is Spirit, transcending human thought, outside the created order:

• John 4.24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
• Isaiah 55.8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
  so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
• Hebrews 1.10 He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

God exists outside of, and beyond our ability to “prove” it. If we even possessed the ability to “prove” it, He would not be transcendent and separate from His own creation.

The CREATOR must, by default, be a certain degree
“higher” and “separated” from His creation.

Man can no more “prove” (in the sense people expect) that God exists, than a house has the ability to “prove” its Builder exists. The Builder (creator of the house) must be a certain degree of intelligence above that which he has created. So God is transcendent of His creation and thus He Himself has to reveal His existence and nature to His finite creation… which He does without question. This fact does not diminish the persuasive evidence of God’s existence, it more fully confirms it.

More Evidence

Let’s look at some more fascinating evidence of God’s existence. Remember that evidence comes in many forms: scientific, historical, sociological, logical, philosophical, etc. The fact that God exists is the reasonable and most obvious answer to all of life’s big questions.

• Throughout history, in all cultures of the world, people have been convinced there is a God.
  • Can evolution or chance account for the fact that every culture has believed in God in some form? How would natural selection instill in man (and why not into animals, bugs or plants) a innate sense that God must exist?
  • Reasonable answer: because God does exist, He created us, and He instilled this innate knowledge into our beings.
    
    
• Mere time and chance don’t even begin to answer the complexities and issues of life. Time and chance can’t begin to answer:
  • The existence of life.
  • Where love, emotion, justice, morality, beauty and music came from.
  • How we began.
  • Where we are going.
  • Why do we exist.
  • Is there any meaning to life.
  • Reasonable answer: God exists and has the answer to all these questions.
    
    
• Morality, justice and loyalty cannot begin to be explained in biological or chemical terms. The very fact that we can reason, conceptualize and think abstractly transcends what electrical impulses or chemical reactions in the brain can produce. It is obvious to all that man is different than animals; that our ability to think and reason and judge set us apart from simple biological life forms. We have a mind, a personality; a part of us that makes us unique from every other person that has ever existed.
  • Reasonable answer: God created us with an eternal spirit that is separate from the physical body
    
    
• God has clearly revealed Himself in written form
  • The Bible’s authenticity and inspiration is undeniable (again, because of overwhelming EVIDENCE).
  • This same Bible reveals to us the character and nature of God.
  • The Bible gives us clear instructions on how we must respond to God.
  • Reasonable answer: God exists and had revealed Himself to us through a written document called the Bible.
    
    
• Laws are proof of God. Everything in our existence conforms to laws of physics and society.
  • Societies are governed by laws.
  • Businesses are governed by laws.
  • Every family, organization, country and group are governed by laws, written and unwritten.
  • Even “lawless” people can’t exist outside of the laws of physics.
  • What person doesn’t think that ANY law HAD to be created by, and enacted by source of higher authority and/or intelligence?
  • The laws of physics that govern the universe are specific, immutable and undeniable…. and yet there are those who believe they came into existence out of nothing.
  • Reasonable answer: God created those laws and instituted them outside of our control; which obviously they are.
    
    
• To NOT believe in God, you would have to believe:
  • This physical universe is eternal and self existing.
  • That life was created out of non-life.
  • The mind was created from NO mind.
  • That intelligence was created out of an absence of intelligence.
  • That morals were created with no need, conception or reason for morals.
  • That man’s conscience was “evolved” without an possible preconception of right and wrong or accountability.
  • That purpose, order and complexity appeared without any purpose, order or complexity being in existence before it.
  • Reasonable answer: God design, created and ordained all these things.
    
    
• The same person who states “you can’t prove God exists” cannot prove in the same manner that He DOESN”T exist. How can someone claim the only way they can believe in God is with “proof”, while choosing to NOT believe based on NO proof? He would have to be able to prove:
  • God does not exist.
  • All evidence for God’s existence is incorrect.
  • The Bible is not authentic.
  • All the prophecies of the Bible are not true.
  • That atheism is credible and reasonable.
  • Reasonable answer: God does exist. These things cannot begin to be ‘proven”.

Well, I could go on an on because the amount of evidence that “proves” God’s existence is so extensive that it simultaneously becomes humorous and sad to see people deny the fact. Over the next two days, I will give you ten easy to understand arguments for God’s existence that should give any Christian a reasonable foundation to persuade the SINCERE truth seeker and “defend the faith”.

Lord, give us understanding and wisdom to be able to persuasively give reason for the undeniable fact of Your existence. Let us then be disciplined and well trained in how to present the Good News of eternal life in Jesus Christ to those who need to hear. Help us today to be serious Christians, with serious faith and a serious hunger to know more about you. Amen.

1. What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?
2. What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?
3. What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?