Theology School

The existence of God cannot be proved or disproved. The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists: “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 God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith. Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

That does not mean, however, that there is no evidence of God’s existence. The Bible states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1–4). The thousands of stars, the vastness of the universe, the wonders of nature, and the beauty of a sunset—all of these things point to a Creator God. If these are not enough, there is also evidence of God in our own hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Deep within us is the recognition that there is something beyond this life and someone beyond this world.

We can deny this knowledge intellectually, but God’s presence is still obvious in us and all around us. Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all civilisations, and on all continents believe in the existence of some kind of God, there must be something (or someone) causing this belief.

In addition to the biblical arguments for God’s existence, there are logical arguments.

1. There is the ontological argument. The most popular form of the ontological argument uses the concept of God to prove God’s existence. It begins with the definition of God as “a being than which no greater can be conceived.” It is then argued that to exist is greater than to not exist, and therefore, the greatest conceivable being must exist. If God did not exist, then God would not be the greatest conceivable being, and that would contradict the very definition of God.

2. The teleological argument. The teleological argument states that since the universe displays such an amazing design, there must have been a divine Designer. For example, if the earth were significantly closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living thing on earth would die. The odds of a single protein molecule forming by chance are 1 in 10(that is, a 1 followed by 243 zeros). A single cell is comprised of millions of protein molecules.

3. The logical argument for God’s existence is called the cosmological argument. Every effect must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “uncaused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “uncaused” cause is God.

4. The moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality are rejected almost universally. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?

Despite all of this, the Bible tells us that people will reject the clear and undeniable knowledge of God. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God: “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” (Romans 1:20).

People claim to reject God’s existence because it is “not scientific” or because “there is no proof.” The true reason is that once they admit there is a God, they also must realise that they are responsible to God and in need of forgiveness from Him (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

If God exists, then we are accountable to Him for our actions. If God does not exist, then we can do whatever we want, without having to worry about God judging us. That is why many of those who deny the existence of God cling strongly to the theory of naturalistic evolution—it gives them an alternative to believing in a Creator God.

God exists, and ultimately, everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.