Five Proofs Of The Existence Of God

Feature 1 – September 2010 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Five Proofs Of The Existence Of God

You may not have seen the ads on the city buses in England, Europe and North America that say “There’s probably no God.” This is a strange statement to be so widely proclaimed by atheists and secularists, because it suggests “probable” doubt, even in the minds of the avowed non-believer. The wording “There’s probably no God” can be otherwise stated as “There’s possibly a God.” This, then, is the question that every person must answer: “Is there a God?”

If there is no God, there is no way to get an answer to this question! Something that doesn’t exist cannot prove its non-existence. To have it try to prove its non-existence might only prove that it exists. As an example of this principle, let’s make up a word, and say that there is no such thing as a “smootle.” 1 How can we make such an statement? To be able to say that a “smootle” does not exist, we have to be able to describe what it might be. Then, we’d have to search the world to see if such a thing might actually not exist. But if we’d incorrectly described a “smootle” we’d have been misleading those who were seeking to verify what it is that doesn’t exist. Therefore, we'd also have to describe what it isn’t, and that would be impossible. Even after exhaustive research, the best we’d be able to say is “There’s probably no such thing as a smootle!”

But can we prove there is a God? While every Christian should be able to do so (1 Pet. 3:15), it’s a shame to discover that many cannot. So how can we help them? Let’s look at five proofs.

1. HEAVEN AND EARTH
For every reaction, there must first have been an action. How did the heavens and earth originate? While atheistic evolutionists suggest that chaos slowly evolved into that which now exists, they have no explanation as to what started the chaotic cosmos in the first place. The Christian has a better understanding of the law of causality, as the Bible clearly states: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). And in addressing the activities of the Genesis Creator, the psalmist notes: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies declare the work of His hands” (Ps. 19:1 NIV). The law of cause and effect mandates a cause for all that has been created.

In an honest scientific examination of all things small (infinitesimal) and large (immeasurable), the only feasible conclusion is that there is a Creator God. And this knowledge invokes a personal responsibility: “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 men are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Without excuse of what? Of acknowledging God!

2. HISTORY
When the Israelites left Egypt, where they had been introduced to many false gods (Rom. 1:21-28), it was important that they be taught the truth about the one true God. That may be why God had Moses start his first writing with this simple truth: “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1). The history of His work in creation and His dealings with their ancestors, as recorded in Genesis, was accentuated by the revelation of Himself as they left Egypt. They marveled at the display of God’s power in the plagues in Egypt, the miracles at the Red Sea and His provision for them in the wilderness.

They saw His presence in the cloud and in the pillar of fire that led them (Ex. 13:21-22). Every Israelite believed in a real and living God after experiencing the awe of His presence on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:9-19; 20:18-21). Even today the Jews continue to claim their special position as His chosen people (Dt. 7:6-8). As they did then, they still say today, “We are Abraham’s seed” (Jn. 8:33); and they claim, as God had promised, that the land of Israel is their possession. These millions of people have believed for over 4,000 years that there is a God!

As we read the history of every culture throughout history, we see that there was a belief in a god. Unfortunately the true God has been replaced in many civilizations and cultures by that which is false; but the underlying belief in a supreme being is yet evident. Why? Because God “has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Eccl. 3:11). This may be the reason why those who refuse to believe in “the Almighty” (Ex. 6:3) seek to make themselves “gods.” They fight rigorously against a theology because they do not want to be responsible to Him. Does this not indicate that there is, in fact, a living God?

3. BIBLICAL PROOF
The first and last verses of the Bible say there is a God. From the first words, “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1), to the last verse, “Yes, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:20), His existence from the prehistoric past into the eternal future is evident. Remembering that the Bible is a sure testament (2 Tim. 3:16), it is worth seeing how often the terms “says the Lord” (879 times), “the Lord said” (220 times), “God said” (46 times) and “God spoke” (13 times) are recorded, as well as many other references to the actions of a personal God. He even pointed out the many names by which He may be known. God reveals Himself to those who look for Him by faith in the Scriptures (Heb. 11:6).

Then there is a beauty in the order and coherency of the 66 books of the Holy Bible that show it to be the revelation of the Living God. It claims that it is “the Word of God” (Heb. 4:12), that it was written by holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21), and it will never pass away (Mt. 24:35). No other book dares to make that claim! The most attacked book in history has withstood the onslaught of atheists who have attempted to destroy it over the centuries.

4. CHANGED LIVES
The Word of God changes its readers (Ps.19:7-11), and shows them the way of eternal life (Jn. 5:39). No other book has had so much influence. Moses prophesied that the Lord Jesus would speak the words of God (recorded in the Gospels) and that these utterances would demand a response (Dt. 18:18-19). The Bible proves that there is a personal God who speaks to us. How do we respond?

While it is impossible to see the fullness of God’s glory (1 Tim. 6:16), the Bible tells us of those who have seen God and who have heard His voice. Some of them are: Adam (Gen. 3:8-9), Noah (Gen. 6:13), Abraham (Gen.18:1) Isaac (Gen. 26:2), Jacob (Gen. 32:30) and Moses (Ex. 33:11). And the truth of God’s existence changed many others, such as Ruth (Ruth 1:16), the Queen of Sheba (1 Ki. 10:1-9), Naaman (2 Ki. 5:17) and the people of Nineveh (Jon. 3:5).

In the New Testament, God was revealed in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many did not recognize Him but there were those who did (Jn. 1:1-14), such as John the Baptist (Jn. 1:32-34), the disciples (1 Jn. 1:1-3), Stephen (Acts 7:55-56) and Saul (Acts 22:6-7). In every case, those who came to know the only true God were changed for eternity. From the greedy tax collector, Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:2-10), to the doubting disciple, Thomas (Jn. 20:28), and from the earthly brothers of the Lord Jesus (Jn. 7:5), to Saul the persecutor (Acts 9:4), lives were changed. And this continues in every country around the world today.

There is no possible way that those who turned from their sinful lifestyles could have done so by their own will, but only by the strength of their new life in Christ (1 Cor. 6:9-11). How many people during the past 2,000 years have given their lives for Him in whom they had believed? There have been more souls martyred for the Lord Jesus Christ in the 20th century than in all the centuries before it combined.3 In a very special way, these millions of changed lives prove the existence of a living and personal God.

5. TESTIMONY OF CHRIST
That Jesus Christ was a real historical figure cannot be disputed. Even the calendar divides history into BC and AD, referring to the time before or since Christ. But it is very important to realize that He made an extremely serious claim about Himself – that He was God (Lk. 22:70; Jn. 8:58). Such a claim could be only one of three things: the ludicrous statement of an insane person, an outright lie, or an indisputable truth. The Jewish nation understood this claim and rejected Him (Jn. 5:18; 10:30-33). But there were many others during His lifetime and after His resurrection and ascension who did believe His claim. Some of them mentioned in the Bible were: the disciples (Mt. 14:33; 16:15-17), the Roman centurion at the cross (Mt. 27:54), the man possessed by demons (Lk. 8:28) and doubting Thomas (Jn. 20:28). Some believed that He was truly God because they witnessed things only God could do. Others, like Thomas, His own brothers, Paul and many more believed He was God because He was the first one to rise from the dead, never to die again (Col. 1:18).

The Resurrection is the irrefutable proof that Jesus Christ was, and is, truly God. While this miracle has been widely attacked right from the beginning (Mt. 28:11-15), an objective examination of the facts has caused many skeptics to accept the Resurrection as an historical fact and proof that Jesus is truly God.

USING THE EVIDENCE
Think again of the bus advertisements that erroneously suggest that “There’s probably no God.” If you know people who think this way, we hope that this article will help you to change their minds. There is much more evidence to prove that God exists than that He doesn’t. And once they accept that God exists, they are on their way to the faith that saves (Rom. 10:8-10). Why? Because the Bible says: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed by God’s command ... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone that comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Heb. 11:3,6).

END NOTES
1. “Smootle” is a made-up word invented for this article.
2. See my article, “What does The Bible Say About Itself?” (G&T, May ’10).
3. This information is available from “Voice of the Martyrs” at www.persecution.com.
4. See Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ” and “The Case for Easter” and Josh McDowell’s “Evidence for Christianity”.

By Hank Blok