The Reality of God
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1.20, 21
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1.20, 21
“Oh, God! Where are You?” is the cry of the discouraged and depressed as he is pushed deeper into himself longing for relief. We struggle, sometimes along with the world, as we long for the presence of God in our lives as He seems far away. We wonder how bad things can happen to seemingly good people and wonder if God is there – and, if He is, does He care?
At present, on Sunday nights, I am teaching a series on Apologetics* – How to Defend Your Faith. If all we have to live by is our “blind faith” then our stand will be flimsy and may topple over at the first wind of testing. When studied from a logical and rational position, our faith is laid upon firm foundations which can be seen clearly throughout history and recognized in Creation itself.
Consider, for a moment, some age-old arguments for the existence of God.
1. The Cosmological Argument – This is the argument of cause. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause. Because the universe began to exist, it must have a cause outside of itself. Considered logically, there must be an uncaused, eternal, and all-powerful first cause—which proponents identify as God.
2. The Argument of Fine-Tuning – This is the argument for the universe’s display of immense complexity, order, and purpose. The physical laws of the universe are incredibly fine-tuned to allow for life. The intricate design and balance of the universe imply the existence of an intelligent Designer which exhibits purpose in His design.
3. The Moral Argument – Objective moral values and duties exist. If objective moral laws exist, there must be a Moral Lawgiver. Without God, morality becomes merely a subjective human paradigm. In order to have an objective foundation for good and evil, there must be a God who is outside and above human feelings.
4. The Ontological Argument – This is a philosophical argument based purely on logic rather than physical observation. God is defined as “One in whom nothing greater can be conceived.” This argument requires a being that exists in reality must be greater than a being which exists only in the imagination. Therefore, since God is the greatest possible being, He must exist in reality.
5. The Experiential Argument – This is the personal, verifiable argument which show the many individuals throughout history and across cultures who have reported profound, transformative personal experiences that they have attributed to the divine. While these experiences are subjective, we may accept these personal experiences reported by eyewitnesses as being true. And, we continue believing them to be true until there is proof to the contrary.
While it is true that the “just shall live by faith,” (Hebrews 10.38) God has not left us to search in the dark. He has given us many infallible proofs (Acts 1.3) of the veracity of His Word. We trust by faith – a living, viable, and provable testimony to the existence of God and His participation in His creation.
*Apologetics is from the Greek word apologia indicating a defense of one’s faith. It in no sense suggests that we, as believers, compromise or apologize for our faith in Christ. We should be able to make a reasonable defense of what we believe.
At present, on Sunday nights, I am teaching a series on Apologetics* – How to Defend Your Faith. If all we have to live by is our “blind faith” then our stand will be flimsy and may topple over at the first wind of testing. When studied from a logical and rational position, our faith is laid upon firm foundations which can be seen clearly throughout history and recognized in Creation itself.
Consider, for a moment, some age-old arguments for the existence of God.
1. The Cosmological Argument – This is the argument of cause. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause. Because the universe began to exist, it must have a cause outside of itself. Considered logically, there must be an uncaused, eternal, and all-powerful first cause—which proponents identify as God.
2. The Argument of Fine-Tuning – This is the argument for the universe’s display of immense complexity, order, and purpose. The physical laws of the universe are incredibly fine-tuned to allow for life. The intricate design and balance of the universe imply the existence of an intelligent Designer which exhibits purpose in His design.
3. The Moral Argument – Objective moral values and duties exist. If objective moral laws exist, there must be a Moral Lawgiver. Without God, morality becomes merely a subjective human paradigm. In order to have an objective foundation for good and evil, there must be a God who is outside and above human feelings.
4. The Ontological Argument – This is a philosophical argument based purely on logic rather than physical observation. God is defined as “One in whom nothing greater can be conceived.” This argument requires a being that exists in reality must be greater than a being which exists only in the imagination. Therefore, since God is the greatest possible being, He must exist in reality.
5. The Experiential Argument – This is the personal, verifiable argument which show the many individuals throughout history and across cultures who have reported profound, transformative personal experiences that they have attributed to the divine. While these experiences are subjective, we may accept these personal experiences reported by eyewitnesses as being true. And, we continue believing them to be true until there is proof to the contrary.
While it is true that the “just shall live by faith,” (Hebrews 10.38) God has not left us to search in the dark. He has given us many infallible proofs (Acts 1.3) of the veracity of His Word. We trust by faith – a living, viable, and provable testimony to the existence of God and His participation in His creation.
*Apologetics is from the Greek word apologia indicating a defense of one’s faith. It in no sense suggests that we, as believers, compromise or apologize for our faith in Christ. We should be able to make a reasonable defense of what we believe.
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