Of course there's a God!!! I know that in today's society there's this idea that important issues must be dealt with in an open, confusing and irresolute way, but society never solved anything anyway -- let's use common sense! If you're searching right now and haven't really figured this whole Christianity thing out yet, then obviously it's not going to mean too much to you if I just quote a bunch of verses from the Bible that say God exists. You'll want to have proof and a real reason to begin excepting what the Bible says in faith. Well, I'm afraid I can't give that to you. Only God can reveal God. But allow yourself to assume for a moment that there is a God who did descend to Earth in the person of Jesus Christ and paid the price that we couldn't pay to get us back into a right standing with Him. Wouldn't He, of course, have a few things to say about His existence; and more than that, wouldn't He bother to reveal Himself to you personally? With that being said, I'm going to use the Bible as my foundation in proving God's existence. Just hear me out and, if it makes sense, then maybe the Bible really is the inspired Word of God and not just a compilation of old legends!
In Romans 1:19-23, the Bible says, "For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes."
Wow! That's a lot to digest! Let's take it one point at a time. This passage first states that we instinctively know about God. Well, do you? Think about it, isn't it obvious that the awesome order of nature didn't just come out of nothing or by accident? It sounds so over-said, I know, but take a few moments to think about it. Something or someone had to create this big world! It is often retorted at this point by steadfast atheists, "Well where did God come from?" Well, the Bible tells us that God had no beginning. He always was and always will be. Obviously we can't understand this with our intellect in this world; the beauty part is, we don't have to! God doesn't reveal the understanding of this truth to us (not in this world anyway) because we don't need to understand it to fulfill our purpose in this life. You can't apply this same principle to the "Big Bang Theory" or the first cell that "evolved" because in doing so you give it a divine nature and therefore make it God. You're just shooting yourself in the foot!
The next point in this passage is that God has put the knowledge of Him in our hearts. This is closely related to the first point but slightly different. In our hearts there is understanding of our instincts. When they finally established a form of communication with Helen Keller, the gifted blind and deaf writer, they tried to explain the knowledge of God to her. Her response was, "I know!"
If you haven't had a chance, check out Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis you really should. The former link is to page where you can read the first chapter and even order a copy if you like. Lewis writes about a moral-standard that is common to all of us. We humans have such a huge since of indignity that stands as a testimony to this. We have a basic knowledge of right and wrong and when we do something we know instinctively is wrong, we feel trouble in our hearts -- our conscience convicts us. Furthermore, none of us can live up to the moral standard we each have instilled in us. Who can say, "I have never felt genuine guilt?" Everyone, at one time or another, falls short of our own moral expectations. I think no one would argue with me in saying that if there was some way for every person on Earth to remain true to his or her conscience, we would experience ultimate peace! If there is no God, then what in the world is this conscience?!
Thirdly, the passage speaks of how the invisible nature of God is evident in nature, or creation. I touched on this a bit earlier with the whole "where did we come from?" point, but there's even more to it. In everyday life it's easy to let so much of the beauty of nature pass us by, but the next time your outdoors during a sunset, or on top of a mountain in the fall (or any other season for that matter), or even just watching a nature show, take time to think about all of the order and flow that is the key survival agent in nature. This is the hand of God! "I was running and running without a chance to stop and chat at the sky. Then finally, I stopped for a breath in the evening and suddenly I was caught by the scenery, painting a picture of You." ~Sarah Masen
Obviously, we have no excuse!
Now many people will wonder, and rightly so, that if there is a God, then which religion or culture has the right knowledge of God and are all of the others really wrong? Well, the rest of this passage certainly illustrates, and it hasn't steered us wrong yet, that there is a correct way to worship God and a correct revelation about Him. Many different cultures and religions have their ideas about God, but according to this passage, most of them are wrong! Well, let's think about this. If there is a God, then obviously there are certain absolutes about Him. We can't get wrapped up in the new age way of thinking that just wants to say that every idea is right and everything's relevant, there is no right and wrong, blah, blah, blah. If that's your point of view then all I have to say to you is, "Where's your peace?!" You can only hide behind obscurity for so long before you lose your step. We need a solid ground to stand on! For God to exist is for Him to be something and in order for us know about God, we must know what that something is -- what He's like, how He feels about His creation,... If there's only one truth about God and so many different views, then obviously all but one are wrong.
Well, at this point, we know there is a God; but on realizing this, we have a huge problem. Who is this God? Which way is the right way to God? Once you've gotten to this point, you can't turn back or stay still. If we are to have any peace in our lives we need to know why we're here. Is this life all there is? And how does God feel about us? He surely couldn't be as a parent who abandons his child after bringing it into this world. We know this because it is evident through all we've just found out that we don't exist apart from God. Think about it, the whole order of nature, our conscience -- we wouldn't function without an active power source. Obviously God is involved with humanity. Well, let's get into this a bit more by clicking here.
There's even more great information on this whole topic in a booklet by Jim Thomas of the band Say So. Just click here to read it.
