how can i know there is a god can i know there i… · there is a god? i s it possible to prove the...

HOW CAN I KNOWTHERE IS A GOD?

IIs it possible to prove theexistence of God? Or is itultimately a matter of

personal faith? And if I dobelieve in Him, what evidencecan I give someone who says he does not believe? In thisbooklet, our staff takes a look athow the Bible approaches theissue of God’s existence. Ourprayer is that you will find ithelpful as you think about thisbasic and crucial question.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Darrell GulinScripture quotations are from the New King James Version, ©1979, 1980, 1982, ThomasNelson, Inc., PublishersCopyright ©1987, 2001 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTSToo Good To Be True?

2The Biblical Approach

4Four Revelations Of God

God Revealed ThroughCreation–6

God Revealed ThroughConscience–11

God Revealed ThroughCommunication–15

God Revealed ThroughChrist–19

Crossing The Bridge22

Why Some Don’t Believe24

Four Classical Arguments26

Believe It Or Not—Six Views

28“Now I Believe In God”

29How Can I Know

The God Who Is There?32

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

WWhat does a clearnight sky say toyou? Anything?

Nothing? What does it sayto the gifted 19-year-oldathlete lying in a pool ofblood—stabbed because he was in the wrong placeat the wrong time? What about the troubled,disillusioned wife trying towalk off her anger andsense of rejection under asilent early morning sky?What about the 45-year-old factory worker who has just been laid off forthe third time in as manyyears? What about theastronomer torn betweenrigid empiricism and aheart that tells him tobelieve in what he can’tsee?

Is God there behind the curtain of space, behindthe atom, behind the petalsand fragrance of a tropical

flower? Is God there, inspite of the advances ofscience and the failures ofpolitics? Is He there andcan He be seen through the tears of those who areabused, exploited, unloved,and empty?

These are basic humanquestions, and they cancome in as many forms asthe kind of people this earthsupports. They ask:• If God does exist, why

doesn’t He show us insome tangible way thatHe is there?

• In an age of scientificsophistication andexploration, how can webelieve in something wecan’t see?

• When I look at all thesuffering that people all over the world endure, how can I believe that a God would stand by whilepeople grovel under living conditions that are not fit for dogs?

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• Why would a good God let my friend—someone who lovedpeople and life—die at such a young age?

• If God is in control, whydo we have so manynatural catastrophes,such as earthquakes,floods, tornadoes, andhurricanes?

• I have never felt God’spresence. Everything Ihave accomplished I havedone by my own strength.I don’t need a crutchcalled God.

Such comments andquestions reflect some ofthe tension that exists

between the beauty of thestar-filled sky above and theearth below that is too oftena prison of horrors.

It is understandable thatdoubts would arise aboutan invisible God whorefuses to appear on theevening news to answer His critics and resolve thequestion of His existence.

For these reasons andothers, honest doubtersneed solid, believableevidence if they are toconsider seriously theprobability of God’sexistence. They need to see that those who believein God do so as a result ofsound reason and goodjudgment. They need tohave a clear grasp of thebiblical approach to God.They need to see that theexistence of God is not toogood to be true.

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“Honest doubtersneed solid,

believable evidenceif they are to

consider seriouslythe probability ofGod’s existence.”


THE BIBLICALAPPROACH

WWhen the writer of the first bookof the Bible

recorded the words, “In thebeginning God . . . ,” hewas not asking his readersto presuppose the existenceof God. They knew fromexperience who he wastalking about. Like theauthor himself, the peopleof Israel had seen evidencesof a miracle-working Beingwho had intervened in theirlives. Moses’ words aboutGod would have remindedthe people that Someonehad provided manna for them during theirwilderness wanderings. And the mention of Godwould have made themthink of the water that camefrom a rock when they werethirsty, of a pillar of fire thatled them when they neededguidance, and of the paththrough the Red Sea when

they were trapped by theEgyptians. Yes, Moseswrote the creation story foran audience who hadalready seen the Creator inaction.

But what about those ofus who have not had thatkind of close encounter?According to the Bible, Godhas also left us with anoverwhelming amount ofevidence for His existence.Both Old and NewTestaments describe anumber of converging linesof evidence that pointclearly to the existence ofan invisible God who,because of His eternalnature, is still with us.

These lines of evidenceinclude what theologianshave classified as generalrevelation and specialrevelation. In that light, let’sdefine our terms. When wespeak of revelation, we’retalking about God who, byHis Spirit, unveils ordiscloses Himself to us.

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According to the Bible, Godhas taken the initiative toreveal Himself to us—tomake His existence known.General revelation refers tothe general or universalevidence of the existence ofGod through (1) creationand (2) man’s conscience.Special revelation refers tothe special or supernaturalevidence of the existence ofGod through (3) specialacts of communication andultimately in (4) the personof Christ—the God-man.

As we will see in thenext section, the biblicalapproach of general andspecial revelation gives usenough positive evidence ofGod’s existence to enableus to place our faith in itsvalidity. As we do that, webegin to see that apart froma knowledge of God’sexistence and presence wewould have no reasonableexplanation for life as weknow it. The revelation ofGod to us through His

Spirit gives us a rationalefor many of life’s mysteries.It solves the questions ofthe existence of matter inthe universe, of thepresence of life on thisplanet, of the distinctivenature of mankind asopposed to animals, and ofthe joy we gain from ourself-awareness.

So let’s look now at the Bible’s four-prongedapproach to letting us knowfor certain that there is aGod.

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“I believe in Godfor the same

reason I believe in the rising of

the sun. Not onlydo I see it in theworld around me,

but by it I see all things.”


FOURREVELATIONS OF GOD

TThe Bible does not ask us to accept theexistence of God

blindly. Instead, it shows us how God, by His Spirit,has revealed Himself tous—both in the past and in the present.

As we examine the four biblical lines ofevidence, test them withyour knowledge of nature, of the human heart, of theBible, and of Jesus Christ.See if you can agree that thebiblical record is complete inits revelation of God to you.

GOD REVEALED THROUGHCREATIONNo one can deny that ourcomplex universe is anastounding, majesticmarvel. The merecontemplation of itsvastness and grandeur

causes our heads to spin.Yet how did it get here? Can it be, as so manyscientists contend, that this all happened becauseof an enormous explosion?Or did it come about as theresult of the careful designof an infinite God?

Let’s look briefly at twoBible passages that speak ofGod’s revelation of Himselfthrough nature. First, let’sturn to the Old Testamentbook of Job. As you mayrecall, Job was severely

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tested by the devil. Likepeople today, he had great difficulty finding anacceptable answer to thequestion: How could a goodGod allow injustices suchas pain and suffering? Herewas a man who had beenidentified as one who trulyloved God, yet his richesand his children had beentaken away, and he wasafflicted with boils.

After a long period ofseeking answers to hisquestions about God, Jobfinally heard directly fromHim. Speaking to him out ofa whirlwind, God told Jobthat to see Him he shouldlook beyond his immediatedifficulties and observenature and the worldaround him (Job 38). Let’slook at some of the specificsof nature in this passageand see what conclusionthey lead us to make.• The wonder of the

world’s formation (vv.4-6).

• The wonder of theheavens (v.7).

• The wonder of theocean-land balance (v.8).

• The wonder of a newdawn (v.12).

• The wonder of the oceandepths (v.16).

• The wonder of the life-death cycle (v.17).

• The wonder of the originof light (v.19).

• The wonder of anelectrical storm (v.24).

• The wonder of the wind(v.24).

• The wonder of thehydrologic cycle (vv.25-30).

• The wonder of animalsnurturing their young(vv.39-41).In essence, God was

saying, “In your anguish,you are asking where I amwhile you suffer. Look againat the world around you,and you will see Me thereand be reminded of Mywisdom and power.” BruceDemarest, author of General

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Revelation, wrote, “Through the medium of amagnificent creation, Jobperceived the reality ofGod. Awestruck, abased,and filled with reverence atthe contemplation of God inHis works, Job opened hismouth and said, ‘I haveheard of You by the hearingof the ear, but now my eyesees You. Therefore I abhormyself, and repent in dustand ashes’ ” (Job 42:5-6).

Many of the Psalms alsotestify that nature gives usevidence of the existence of

God. Psalm 19:1-4, forexample, says that theeloquent voice of God canbe heard throughout allcreation. The psalmistwrote:

The heavens declare theglory of God; and thefirmament shows Hishandiwork. Day unto dayutters speech, and nightunto night revealsknowledge. There is nospeech nor languagewhere their voice is notheard. Their line hasgone out through all theearth, and their words tothe end of the world. Inthem He has set atabernacle for the sun. Day and night, the

psalmist said, the glory of God is made knownthrough “the heavens” and“the firmament.” And theirmessage is available to allwho will hear, for theirvoice goes out to all theearth and will be heard “to the end of the world.”

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“If a watch provesthe existence of a watchmaker

but the universedoes not prove the existence of a great Architect,then I consent tobe called a fool.”

–Voltaire


To provide a case inpoint to support thepsalmist’s contention, wecould go in many differentdirections. We could addressthe logical improbability that life began without anoutside stimulus, no matterhow much time scientistspostulate for such anoccurrence. We could speakof the intricate pattern of themovement of the bodies inthe universe—includingamazing pinpoint timing oftheir courses in relation toone another. We could talkabout the precise tilt of theearth, its exact distance fromthe sun, and its accuratejourney through our solarsystem—all prerequisites forthe temperate climate weenjoy.

For the sake of brevity,let’s examine only one tiny,vital part of our existence—the eye. Let’s see how itscomplexity implies theinvolvement of anintelligent designer and

defies the idea of randomdevelopment.

According to mostpeople who don’t believe inGod, we have achieved ourpresent physical conditionon the basis of evolution.They tell us that whatstarted as a single-celledsomething-or-other a fewhundred million years agohas finally worked its wayto humanhood. But let’sconsider this small organ ofthe body and see if it could

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“The statements of people who do not believe

do not outweighthe circumstantial

evidence thatsuggests the

universe was theintelligent design

of a creator.”–Russell DeLong


have logically taken thatevolutionary route. If itdidn’t, then could wereasonably deduce that itcame from the hands of aGrand Designer?

Here’s the case. If youwere to take away any partof the eye—the retina, forexample—the eye does notwork. Or subtract just thelens. No sight. The cornea?Blindness. For the eye tofunction, all parts must bepresent and functional.That in itself is a strongargument for design.

But let’s go in anotherdirection. Let’s take thatconcept back into theevolutionary chain.Somewhere along the way,a creature making its way tohumanity would have hadto begin having an eye. Buthow did it start? The eyecouldn’t have evolved,because there was nothingthat would have caused acreature to begin forming asightless eye. Since the

evolutionary theory sayschanges come aboutbecause of adaptation, what would have caused an eyeless thing to will auseless eye into its head?How would it know itwould ever need an eyethat could see?

An eye can either see orit can’t. And there is noreason for a creature todevelop a partial eye just soit could become a seeingeye later. So where did theeye begin? Randomly or bydesign? The mind-staggeringintricacy of the eye and theinterrelatedness of allnecessary parts attests to a

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“The universe is asource of theology.

The Scripturesassert that God

has revealedHimself in nature.”

–A. H. Strong


Designer and Creator whoknew what He was doing.(This illustration was takenfrom the book, The Truth:God Or Evolution? byMarshall and Sandra Hall,Baker Book House).

The Bible claims thatGod is the source of it all.The writer of Hebrews madesuch an assertion when hesaid:

By faith we understandthat the worlds wereframed by the word ofGod so that the thingswhich are seen were notmade of things which are visible (11:3). That is an amazing

statement. It claims thatGod spoke into existencethe worlds of our universe—using nothing we can seefor His raw materials.

While that seems hard to believe, it makes greatsense when compared withthe alternative. If indeedthe worlds were not madeby God out of nothing, then

the next-best solution isthat the worlds were madeby no one out of nothing.Compare the two ideas for reasonableness and see which conclusion youcome to.

GOD REVEALED THROUGHCONSCIENCE

Why are human rights soimportant to people all overthe world? How can onegroup such as AmnestyInternational decide what is

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proper treatment of peopleno matter who they are orwhere they live? Why dopeople all over the worldhave a standard moral code that is amazinglysimilar? Could this innateknowledge of right andwrong be an inborn witnessof the existence of God? If itis, then we should be ableto see a universal outgrowthof that God-consciousness.

One human activity thatseems to verify this conceptof universal knowledge of God is mankind’spreoccupation with religion.In every culture and inevery locale, peopleworship. Although theyoften do not know whatthey are worshiping, there is a good reason why theyat least make the attempt.Within every person is thefeeling that there is somekind of higher being overhim. Dr. Robert Ratray, a specialist in Africantraditional religions,

noticed the highlyspecialized nature of theknowledge of God thatcomes to people throughinner revelation apart fromScripture. Speaking of theAshanti people, who live in what is now Ghana,Africa, he said:

I am convinced that the conception, in theAshanti mind, of theSupreme Being hasnothing whatever to do with missionaryinfluence, contact with Christians, or even, I believe, withMohammedans . . . . In a sense, therefore, it is true that theSupreme Being, theconception of whom hasbeen innate in the mindsof the Ashanti, is theJehovah of the Israelites.We have seen thatmankind possesses aninner testimony to God’sexistence and to Hismoral nature.

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In Acts 17 we see abiblical example of man’spropensity to worship—something that testifies of God’s existence whilerevealing mankind’stendency to misread whatknowledge he has. WhenPaul arrived in Athens, henoticed that the city wasfull of idols. Picking up the narrative in verse 22,we read:

Then Paul stood in themidst of the Areopagusand said, “Men of Athens,I perceive that in allthings you are veryreligious; for as I waspassing through andconsidering the objects of your worship, I evenfound an altar with thisinscription: TO THE

UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore,the One whom youworship without knowing,Him I proclaim to you”(vv.22-23).Paul then took the

opportunity to introduce

these idol-worshipers to the one true God. Theinteresting thing to noticehere is that the Athenianshad such an innateknowledge of God thatalong with all their paganidols they also worshipedan “unknown” god just tomake sure no god wasmissed. They didn’t have tobe convinced of theexistence of God; they justhad to be directed to thetrue God.

In his letter to theRomans, Paul addressedthis question of a basicinborn knowledge in thehearts of all people. As hetalked of the Gentiles, hesaid they had “the lawwritten in their hearts, theirconscience also bearingwitness” (2:15). Paul impliedthat all people understand tosome degree what is rightand wrong because God hasgiven them this knowledge.Even people who have neverbeen schooled in the

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regulations of the OldTestament, specifically theTen Commandments, havean innate knowledge ofthese basic ideas. This,according to Paul, is a God-given knowledge. The universal presence of an awareness of properbehavior, then, is anevidence of God’s existence.

Romans 1:18-32 givesstrong evidence that everyperson possesses an innateknowledge of God. Forexample, consider thefollowing verses:• “The wrath of God is

revealed from heavenagainst all ungodlinessand unrighteousness ofmen, who suppress thetruth in unrighteousness”(v.18).

• “What may be known ofGod is manifest in them,for God has shown it tothem” (v.19).

• “Although they knewGod, they did not glorifyHim as God” (v.21).

• They “exchanged thetruth of God for the lie,and worshiped andserved the creaturerather than the Creator”(v.25).

• “They did not like toretain God in theirknowledge” (v.28).

• Although they knew “therighteous judgment ofGod,” they continued todo evil (v.32).Everyone has an inner

knowledge of God. Paulsaid that “what may beknown of God is manifestin them.” However, eventhough all humans have aninborn witness that Godexists, some will not admitit—they “suppress thetruth.”

As we conclude thissection, think for a momentabout the reaction of peoplethe world over when theyread about gross acts ofterrorism or human-rightsviolations. Those deeds arerepugnant to all people,

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regardless of their creed orbackground. But why? Is ita result of learned socialbehavior as we haveclimbed the evolutionaryladder? If so, then thismorality that we all possessis merely an advancedanimal trait. And so too areother distinct characteristicssuch as intellect,compassion, and evenscientific reasoning. Yetwhere are these beginningtraits in the primates? Whydoes only one being—thehuman—possess thesethings, even thoughevolutionary theory wouldsay that there are someanimals that have beenaround much longer? Andwhat would have causedthat first primate to begindeveloping morals,compassion, and the other distinctly humancharacteristics?

Wouldn’t it seem muchmore reasonable to believethat a moral species is the

way it is because it has amoral Creator—Someonewho implanted thoseshared characteristics in all people?

GOD REVEALED THROUGHCOMMUNICATION

Although God has revealedHis existence through thenatural world of creationand through an imprint onour innermost being, that’snot enough. We wouldnever know all we need to

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know about Him if Hehadn’t chosen to tell usspecifically about Himselfthrough other means. Wecan see the results of apartial revelation byobserving the rituals andidolatry of primitive tribes.These people have sensedthrough nature and throughconscience that there is abeing higher than they, butthey lack the knowledge ofwho that person really is.Therefore, they try toworship God withoutknowing Him. Their ritualsof sacrifice indicate theirawareness of a being whom they feel they mustsomehow appease. Theirinterest in evil spiritsdemonstrate their inbornknowledge of good and evil.What these people need tosee is that simply knowingDeity exists cannot satisfythe human heart. Peopleneed to know Godpersonally.

That’s why it is essential

that we look at a third wayGod chose to let us know ofHis existence. Throughoutthe thousands of years ittook for the events of theOld Testament and NewTestament to unfold and forthe men inspired by God to record those events, God communicated withmankind in special ways.

It is through this specialrevelation that we find outwhat God is like and whatHe expects from us.

The Bible makes it clearthat the trail of evidence for special revelation goesall the way back to the

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“We would neverknow all we need

to know about Godif He hadn’t

chosen to tell usspecifically aboutHimself throughother means.”


beginning. For instance,God spoke directly to Adamin the Garden of Eden. He met with Adam everyevening to converse withhim. God told him aboutthe one tree that wasforbidden to him. Then,when Adam and Evedisobeyed the command,He audibly pronounced His judgments on them.

God continued tocommunicate with variousmen after Adam and Evewere expelled from thegarden. Cain heard Hisvoice. And so did Enoch,Noah, Abraham, Isaac, andJacob. It was obvious tothese ancient men that Godexisted. They had heardfrom Him in a way thatmade His existenceundeniable.

God’s special revelationto mankind also took onanother form. In addition tospeaking audibly anddirectly to those mentionedabove and to others, He

communicated in a more indirect, yet equallyvaluable way. Through theinspiration of His Spirit, Hecaused certain men to writedown a series of documentswe now call the Bible.

For demonstration of theBible’s claims that Godspoke directly through itshuman authors, we canturn to some verses in theNew Testament. In 2 Peter1:21 the apostle said:

Prophecy never came by the will of man, butholy men of God spoke asthey were moved by theHoly Spirit.Here is the claim that the

Old Testament writers whospoke of things such asGod’s judgment, futureevents, the coming ofMessiah, and God’sdealings with Israel werenot speaking for themselves.They were spokesmen forthe Creator-God.

Another verse thatspeaks of special revelation

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is 2 Timothy 3:16, wherePaul said:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,and is profitable fordoctrine, for reproof, forcorrection, for instructionin righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,thoroughly equipped for every good work.Again the claim is made

that God specificallyrevealed Himself throughthe words of Scripture.

These verses in 2 Timothy indicate that by reading and obeyingGod’s Word, a person canbecome so familiar with themind of God that he can bethe kind of person Godwants His people to be.

But can we see anyevidence—other than whatthe Bible says about itself—that this book is differentfrom all other religiousbooks? Is it significantenough to be trusted as a

special communicationfrom God? A look at theuniqueness of the Biblesuggests that it is not aselection of randomscribblings by commonpeople. Instead, it is acarefully orchestratedcollection of documentsthat have been accuratelyand amazingly preservedfor thousands of years. Ithas the marks of somethingthat was miraculouslyconceived and safeguarded.

It is unique amongliterature for many reasons:• A single story is woven

throughout the books,although the men whowrote them had no wayof collaborating.

• The Old Testamentbooks predict, and theNew Testament booksproclaim, the coming ofa Messiah-King.

• When the Bible speaksof scientific matters(even those about whichthe authors could have

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no empirical evidence) itis accurate (Job 26:7-12,Isa. 40:22, 1 Cor. 15:39).

• The historical facts and names contained in the Bible are beingcontinually verified byhistorical studies andarchaeological findings.

• The documents fromwhich the Bible was translated werepreserved in miraculousways, giving us anaccurate record of whatthe biblical writersrecorded.

• The writings claim to beof divine origin (Jer. 1:2;Ezek. 1:1-3; Zeph. 1:1).It is not presumptuous,

then, to conclude thatthrough special means ofcommunication, God hasrevealed to us more thanjust His existence. He let usknow about His nature, Hiswill, and His love formankind. That’s why theBible is so important. It tellsus how we can find peace

with the Creator-God andhow we can live in a waythat pleases Him.

GOD REVEALED THROUGH CHRIST

Even if we knew about Godthrough nature, realizedthat He exists because wehave inner knowledge ofHim, and read about Himin the Bible, those factorsalone would not give us acomplete revelation of God.To know God as completelyas possible, we need to be

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able to see Him as Heinteracts with mankind. We need to see that He canfulfill the predictions of theOld Testament prophets.This can happen only when we see God as He is revealed in Christ.

Although we often thinkof it this way, the revelationof God through Christ didnot have its beginning in aBethlehem manger. In theBible, Jesus is identified asthe Creator of all things (Jn. 1:1-3). Therefore, He is more than an importantJewish baby lying in aJudean stable. He is theOne who originated all the evidences for God that can be found increation, conscience, and communication.

Also, as Jesus lived His33-year earthly life, Herevealed the personality and character of God toman. Jesus said that to look at Him was to see theFather (Jn. 14:9). In

addition, the apostle Johndeclared, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of theFather, He has declaredHim” (Jn. 1:18).

One passage indicatingthat God specificallyrevealed Himself tomankind through Christ is found at the beginning of Hebrews:

God, who at varioustimes and in differentways spoke in time pastto the fathers by theprophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2).The fourth way that God

has revealed Himself tomankind is through thecoming of Christ to earth.Jesus is the flesh-and-bloodproof that there is a God. Infact, Jesus’ coming into theworld as a member ofhumanity was the ultimaterevelation of God becauseJesus Christ is God.

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In Romans 9:5, Paulsaid, “Christ came, who isover all, the eternallyblessed God.” John, writingin his first letter, made thisclaim: “And we know thatthe Son of God has comeand has given us anunderstanding, that we mayknow Him who is true; andwe are in Him who is true,in His Son Jesus Christ.This is the true God andeternal life” (1 Jn. 5:20).And in Hebrews 1:8, theFather says to the Son,“Your throne, O God, isforever and ever.”

Yes, the One who walkedthe dusty roads of Galileehealing the sick, raising the dead, and teachingkingdom truth was Godincarnate. When He spoke,it was God speaking. WhenHe acted, it was God inaction. The Bible identifiesitself as the written Word,and Christ is called theliving Word of God (Jn. 1:1-14). Consider

what it means that Christ isthe ultimate revelation ofGod. If you want to knowGod’s response to those indeep physical need, look to Jesus as He responded to the multitudes withcompassion. If you want to know God’s attitudeabout legalism and self-righteousness, look toChrist’s relationship to thePharisees. If you want toknow God’s feelings towardthe penitent, look to God’sSon as He forgave the trulychanged of heart. If youwant to know God’srelationship to those whobelieve in Him, look toJesus in His tender leadingof His disciples.

Therefore, if you want to know God, look to JesusChrist. It is only throughJesus’ coming in the fleshthat a way was opened forthose of us living on thisside of the Old Testament to become acquainted with God.

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CROSSING THE BRIDGE

EEach of us has a choice.We can look at theevidence for God’s

existence and believe that Heis there, or we can set asidethe evidence and decide thatthere is no God. Either way,we must cross a bridge offaith, because neitherargument can presentlaboratory verification. Thekey question is this: In amatter that is so basic to ourwell-being and in a questionthat demands an answer,which position can we mosthonestly choose? Let’s lookat the options that can guideus as we cross the bridge.

OPTION ONE: GODDOES EXIST• The natural world reflects

a designer and maker asmuch as a wristwatch ora dictionary.

• Human conscience existsas an inner voice that

allows the person whobelieves in God to followhis best judgment andhighest instincts.

• The Old and NewTestament Scripturesclaim to speak in behalfof God in a manner thatis consistent with theevidence of God in bothcreation and conscience.

• Christ is the ultimateevidence of God in thatHe is claimed to be theCreator (Jn. 1:3), thesource of our conscience(v.9), and the focus ofScripture (5:39).

OPTION TWO: GODDOES NOT EXIST• Our complex and

orderly world came about with no personalimpetus, cause, orsource. Everything justhappened.

• The laws that govern ouruniverse have developedwithout guidance ordirection.

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• Great and almost magicalleaps were taken alongthe evolutionary way,allowing nonplants tocross the chasm tobecome plants, andnonanimals to becomeanimals. Withoutguidance, these beingsdeveloped brains wherenonbrains had been and sensory organswhere nothing like them had been.

• Randomness accounts for the delicate, uniquecomposition of our planetthat makes possible ourexistence on this oasis oflife in the desert of ahostile universe.

• Man is without a spirit.His existence ends atdeath, just as it does fordogs and cats.

• Any morality that manpossesses is contrivedand societal in origin.Therefore, no one can beexpected to make valuejudgments for others.

• The Bible is an incrediblecoincidence—eventhough it was written by40 diverse men who livedover a span of 1,600years, kept separaterecords, recorded eventsindependently, and told a remarkably singularstory.

• There is no master planfor mankind. Ourexistence is an accident,our work on earth isfruitless, and ourrelationships with oneanother are ultimatelymeaningless. Like a packof wild animals, we haveno other purpose onearth but survival.

• Christ wasn’t telling thetruth when He said Hecame from heaven torescue us from eternaldeath and bring us toGod.Upon which option are

you willing to stake youreternal destiny? Whichbridge will you cross?

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WHY SOMEDON’T BELIEVE

TThe Bible stops short ofdiplomacy when itcomes to the issue of

why some don’t believe inthe existence of God. Psalm14:1 doesn’t hold anythingback when it says, “The foolhas said in his heart. ‘Thereis no God.’”

That is not as insulting asit may seem. This verse isn’treferring to the intellectuallimitation of those who don’tbelieve. The Hebrew wordtranslated “fool” here refersto one who is evil, wicked,morally deficient. Thisdefinition is supported bythe context, because verse 1continues by describingfools in the following way:“They are corrupt, they have done abominableworks, there is none whodoes good.” In other words,some people deny theexistence of God because oftheir wicked lifestyle.

In Psalm 10:13 thequestion is asked, “Why dothe wicked renounce God?”The answer? “He has said inhis heart, ‘You will notrequire an account.’”Because he doesn’t want toface judgment for sin, hedenies God. The apostleJohn put it this way:

Men loved darkness ratherthan light, because theirdeeds were evil. Foreveryone practicing evilhates the light and doesnot come to the light, lesthis deeds should beexposed (Jn. 3:19-20).The person who is

determined to live in agodless manner will beinclined to see a godlessuniverse.

The key word, then, isnot doubt, it is denial. Anillustration of this is in John5, where Jesus healed a manon the Sabbath. When thePharisees heard of this, theywere incensed and “soughtto kill Him” (v.16). Then

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things got worse when Jesus referred to God as “My Father,” which thePharisees knew was a claim to equality with God.Addressing the angryofficials, Jesus gave themseveral reasons why theyshould believe that He wasGod.

But they would notbelieve. In their refusal tobelieve, we can see a patternthat is repeated in thosewho refuse to believe thatGod exists. Here’s whatJesus said about theirunwillingness to believedespite the clear evidence:• “You are not willing to

come to Me” (v.40).• “You do not receive Me”

(v.43).• “You do not believe ”

(v.47).The essence of unbelief,

Jesus was saying, is denial. It is not a matter of knowledge or evidence—the Pharisees had plenty ofthat. It is a matter of the

will. They saw with theireyes and heard with theirears the marvelous works ofJesus. They knew the OldTestament prophecies aboutthe Messiah. But they weredetermined to deny Jesus’deity.

So it is with many whorefuse to believe in God.They consciously andwillfully deny that theevidence is convincing. Theybecome rebels against whatthey know and observe.

Notice the words of theapostle John concerningthose who choose not tobelieve:

Who is a liar but he whodenies that Jesus is theChrist? He is antichristwho denies the Father andthe Son (1 Jn. 2:22).Those are strong words,

but they describe in clearterms the problem of thosewho willfully decide thatGod’s revelation of Himselfis not enough to convincethem of His existence.

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FOUR CLASSICALARGUMENTS

SScholars have longsearched for an open-and-shut

argument for God’sexistence. Yet argumentsalone cannot convinceanyone, because there will always be skeptics who demand empiricalevidence—evidence that is not available.

Through the centuriesthough, intelligent attemptshave been made to formarguments to prove thatGod is the Creator andSustainer of this world.Here are four attempts ofthinking people to proveGod’s existence.

ARGUMENT FROMBEINGClassical name:Ontological argument Originated by:Anselm and Descartes

Main tenet:Anyone who would evenconsider that God exists is,in a sense, admitting thatthere is a God. Here is thelogic of that statement:God, by definition, is thegreatest being that can beconceived. If He did notexist, He could not be thegreatest conceivable being.Therefore, such a beingexists. Stated another way,the fact that we have in usthe idea of God demandsthat God is its cause.

ARGUMENT FROMFIRST CAUSEClassical name:Cosmological argument Originated by:Plato and AristotleMain tenet:Our world—complex, finite, subject to change,and intelligible—must havehad an adequate firstcause. Scientists generallyagree that our world had a beginning. And that

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beginning had to becontingent on a thing that was not contingent on anything else for itsexistence. Therefore, thatnoncontingent entity had to be infinite, eternal,everlasting, and self-existing. It had to be God.

ARGUMENT FROMDESIGNClassical name:Teleological argument Originated by:Aquinas and PaleyMain tenet:The purpose and design of the world point to the existence of God.Physicists marvel at theunbelievable complexity ofeverything they study. Yetit all fits together in anintricate, workable system.Consider the fragilebalance of heat and cold,the delicate mix of oxygenand other gases, the thincurtain that shields us from ultraviolet rays, the

complicated relationship ofthe parts of the ecologicalsystem to one another.They point to intelligentdesign.

ARGUMENT FROMMANClassical name:Anthropological argumentOriginated by:Various thinkersMain tenet:This reasoning is based onthe nature of the humanpersonality. When weworship, we are able tothink abstractly and toproject ourselves mentallyinto the world beyond. Weare able to make toughmoral decisions that lead toheroic self-sacrificing deedsthat could not come frominstinct. We admire art,music, and architecture.These unusual qualities ofman must be the product of an intelligent, moral,personal Creator.

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BELIEVE IT ORNOT—SIX VIEWS

TThroughout the years, mankind hasstruggled to put

together his beliefs aboutGod. Here are six of themajor viewpoints that hehas come up with:

VIEW ONE:AGNOSTICISM

Basic Tenet: It’s notpossible to know whetherGod exists. We cannotknow how the world began.

Advocates: ThomasHuxley and WilliamSpencer.

They say: “I don’t knowif there’s a God or not.”

VIEW TWO:ATHEISM

Basic Tenet: There is no need for a God. Thegods of the Greeks and the

God of the Bible are thesame.

Advocates: MadalynMurray O’Hair andBertrand Russell.

They say: “I know thereis no God.”

VIEW THREE:DEISM

Basic Tenet: God set theuniverse in motion and leftit to its own results. God nolonger interacts with man.

Advocates: BenjaminFranklin and ThomasJefferson.

They say: “The world islike a clock that Godwound up once and it isnow winding down.”

VIEW FOUR:PANTHEISM

Basic Tenet: We are allpart of God. Everything thatexists has God in it.

Advocates: Spinoza andGoethe.

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They say: A pantheistwould look at a tree andsay, “That tree is God.”

VIEW FIVE:PANENTHEISM

Basic Tenet: Godpermeates the universe. Allthings exist in Him.

Advocates: Paul Tillichand people in the New AgeMovement.

They say: A panentheistwould look at a tree andsay, “God is in that tree.”

VIEW SIX:THEISM

Basic Tenet: There is one God. He created theuniverse, and we can knowHim.

Advocates: Christiansand Jews.

They say: “God is there and He is not silent”(Francis Schaeffer).

“NOW I BELIEVEIN GOD”Craig James Woods is arespected TV meteorologistwhose professionalism andaccurate weather forecastshave earned him greatrespect. Here he tells of hisjourney from atheism tofaith.

Iused to be an atheist. I had decided that there was no God.

It seemed to me that theonly universal force at work in the world was gravity—nothing more personal orcaring than that.

I had always been toldthat mankind was createdin the image of God. Butfrom what I had observedabout people and the waythey treated one another,this was certainly not animage I liked. Besides, the widespread sufferingendured by mankind—caused by floods,

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earthquakes, disease, fire,and other catastrophes—caused me to conclude thatif there was a God, Hecertainly didn’t care forpeople any more than I did.

It seemed far morereasonable to believe in noGod than in One who iscruel and capricious.

Bringing my beliefs withme, and all my argumentsto support them, I arrivedin Grand Rapids in 1972. I was ready to work hard toachieve all the goals I hadset for myself. I wanted agood-looking family, a nicehome, a great job, and adecent income. By the ageof 25, I had just aboutreached all those goals. Butto my deep disappointment,I was not being fulfilled. Infact, I began to have strongfeelings of dissatisfactionand restlessness. I becamebored with life.

It was about then that Ibegan to meet (or notice forthe first time) people whowere different. They had aninner peace about themthat I did not have andcould not will to have. Thismade me very angry. Andwhen these people told methat their peace came froma living God within them, Ibecame even more angry.

I had always been able 30

“The widespreadsuffering endured

by mankind—caused by floods,

earthquakes,disease, fire, and other

catastrophes—caused me to

conclude that ifthere was a God,He certainly didn’tcare for people anymore than I did.”


to dismiss talk about aliving God as foolishness.But the reality of somethingdifferent in these people’s

lives was too strong todeny. Then I noticed achange in my wife Marciethat was even moreimpossible to deny. Muchof her bitterness, anxiety,and resentment had beenreplaced overnight by thatsame spirit of peace andassurance my friends haddisplayed.

Three weeks later,Marcie got up the courage

to tell me that she hadcommitted her life to JesusChrist. I could fight Him nolonger. I too turned my lifeover to this living God whowas making Himself knownto me through my changedwife and my friends.

Now I know there is aGod. He has revealedHimself in the Bible, whichI had never believed. Hehas revealed Himself in thedesign of the natural world,which I now see from adifferent perspective. AndHe has revealed Himself inthe lives of people, whichwas the key that opened myheart.

He is ready and willingto reveal Himself to youtoo, if you will ask Him tomake Himself known.

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“I had always beenable to dismiss talkabout a living God

as foolishness. But the reality of

something differentin these people’s

lives was too strongto deny.”


HOW CAN IKNOW THE GODWHO IS THERE?

WWhether or notGod exists is an important

question. But actuallyknowing this God is evenmore important. J. I. Packerwrote, “What were wemade for? To know God.What aim should we havein life? To know God. Whatis the eternal life that Jesusgives? To know God. Whatis the best thing in life? Toknow God. What in mangives God most pleasure?Knowledge of Himself.”

But who can provide theintroduction? Look at whatJesus said to His disciples:

“Let not your heart betroubled; you believe inGod, believe also in Me.In My Father’s house aremany mansions; if it werenot so, I would have toldyou. I go to prepare aplace for you. And if I go

and prepare a place foryou, I will come againand receive you to Myself;that where I am, thereyou may be also. Andwhere I go you know, and the way you know.”Thomas said to Him,‘Lord, we do not knowwhere You are going, and how can we knowthe way?’ Jesus said tohim, ‘I am the way, thetruth, and the life. No one comes to the Fatherexcept through Me. If you had known Me,you would have knownMy Father also’ ” (Jn. 14:1-7).We invite you to

acknowledge your sin andneed of a Savior. Realizethat Christ died for you.And believe John, whowrote, “But as many asreceived Him, to them Hegave the right to becomechildren of God, even tothose who believe in Hisname” (Jn. 1:12).

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