Why do we believe there is a God?
Have you ever been asked why you believe in God? How did you respond? If you do not believe in God, why not?
We live in a universe where "laws of nature" exist. The existence of these laws suggests that an intelligent creator made the universe. The Bible argues this very point.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." (Psalms 19:1)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…." (Romans 1:18-20)
Someone once said, "Something is, something cannot come from nothing; therefore, something eternally was." This saying is true; something cannot come from nothing. Atheists and evolutionists cannot explain where matter for the "Big Bang," this planet, or even man came, though we can all agree that it had to come from somewhere.
The characteristics of the universe argue for an intelligent creator (Psalms 19:1; Romans 1:18-23). Consider the universe's design, the laws of nature (e.g., gravity and physics), the existence of life, its delicate balance, and the design of the human body and whole ecosystems. Consider also the nature of man, how he has a sense of morality, has always sought to worship a creator, has always created laws, has always appreciated beauty, and has always possessed the ability to reason rationally about what is good or evil. Do not these characteristics and designs suggest a designer? Which is the more reasonable belief, that all of this occurred by accident, or through the intelligent purpose of some greater being?
Did you know that the Bible describes scientific facts about some of these designs that man could not prove on his own until thousands of years after the Bible was written? In Isaiah 40:22, the Bible speaks about the "circle" of the earth even though most people in Western culture believed the world was flat as late as the 15th Century. Other such facts include: Space ("He [God] hangs the earth on nothing," Job 26:7); the cycle of water from rain to rivers to oceans and back to the clouds through evaporation (Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Job 36:27); and the existence of ocean currents (Psalm 8:6-8). Again, Western culture did not discover these facts until the 15th Century.
If this Creator or Designer does exist, then two possibilities also exist: The Creator has either spoken to us or He has left us to our own devices. If He has spoken to us, then we must seek out His message because if He has the power to create us, we must assume that He also has the power to punish us.
Fortunately, we have the Bible. The Bible claims to be the word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21) and it describes God as our Creator (Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 2:7; Psalms 33:6-9; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 11:3), who is eternal (1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 22:13; Exodus 3:13-14; John 8:58). Thus, He was here before the creation of the universe.
The Bible also describes God in many other ways that we will study in the weeks ahead in future articles. If we want to learn more about God and please Him, we must read and obey His word.
Of course, an atheist will always argue that the existence of God cannot be proven by scientific means. Perhaps this is true, but my faith will suffice for me.
As the writer of Hebrews says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). I have not seen God with my own eyes; therefore, by definition my belief in Him is faith. However, considering the wonders of the universe, and the perfection of the Bible, let me ask you this:
What takes greater faith, belief in God, or believing that everything that is created happened merely by chance and without the intelligent design of a creator?
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