The Proof of God’s Existence
by Dave Brown
Generally scholars and philosophers who are concerned with the existence of God claim that they can neither prove nor disprove God’s existence. If God’s existence could be proven mathematically it would probably be quite complex so that only a few scholars would be able to understand it. Does it seem reasonable to you that God would place your faith in their hands?
Other than the observation of God’s creation, the only thing that we know about God is what He has revealed about Himself. The creation does not tell us about spiritual things, but God’s word does. Knowledge of spiritual truth is as close as the nearest bible, which makes it clear …
Psalms 14:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.”
Thus, the evidence supporting the existence of God must be fairly obvious and not something that requires an advanced degree to “prove.” The problem is one of definition. God cannot be defined in terms of any naturally observed creature. The bible definition of God is given in the very first verse Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
This defines God to be the Creator, thus necessarily implying that He is Eternal, All Powerful, and the First Cause of all that we see and know.
Science gives us an obvious truism -- for every effect there is a cause. Generally the evolutionists will cite the “big bang” as the event that placed evolution in motion. But they cannot answer the question of “What caused the big bang?” Their circular reasoning is that it just had to have happened because there is no other natural explanation. But they have no natural explanation for the big bang … there is no way that things just suddenly blow up. There had to be some cause of it. There is no alternative to the first cause being the God as defined in the bible; the conclusion is one of logical deduction.
The bible states that God was not only the first cause, but the total cause of all of creation, and also the one that maintains things in their current state. Colossians 1:16-17: “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things subsist.”
The atheist will try to turn the tables by asking “what caused/created God?” But the very definition of God is that He alone needs no previous cause. By definition, He is the first cause and thus would have no need to be created Himself.
Scholars refuse to come to this conclusion because they reason under the uniformity assumption that all things can be explained by observable natural processes that have always been and always will be. This excludes God from consideration since the creation was not a natural event—it was supernatural and miraculous.
True, it is difficult for us to conceive of an Eternal Being. But there are many things that we as creatures cannot understand. It is difficult for us to conceive of a universe/space without end. And yet, it must be. And a First Cause must also be. God, and not the scholars, has revealed Himself exactly as He is when he said that His name was "I AM" (Exodus 3:14).
Recognizing our own limitations, in our humility we must confess our inability to reason this out by natural processes. This and all other spiritual truths are only revealed by God. But in recognition of a Higher Power that had to have been the first cause, we bow ourselves before the Creator and accept the revelation that He has provided for us. It is humility that is the key to wisdom, for our pride prevents us from recognizing our needs and accepting His revelation. As Psalm 14:1 states so well, it is the fool who refuses to humble himself to the inescapable reality of God’s existence.
The Bible repeatedly warns against pride, and for good reason. It is a common problem, and it will be the very reason why many people lose their soul. The following is a short summary of New Testament teaching on the subject of pride.
Pride is a sin.
Pride is listed among the evil things that come from the heart and defile a man (Mark 7:21-23).
Pride is listed among those things of which God says, “those who practice such things are worthy of death” (Romans 1:28-32).
Selfish ambition is listed among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).
The proud, the haughty, and lovers of self are listed among the kind of people from whom Timothy was to turn away (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
The pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world (1 John 2:15-17; James 3:14-16).
Proud people will be punished.
Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, will come to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth (Romans 2:8-9).
Those who are puffed up with pride will fall into the same condemnation as the devil (1 Timothy 3:6).
Humble people will be rewarded.
He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14; 1 Peter 5:6).
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
Pride leads to other sins.
Wherever you find pride, you will find many other evil things (James 3:14-16), including envy and strife (Galatians 5:26).
Pride is often associated with those who teach false doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-5).
The proper attitude
Rather than seeking honor or praise from others, we should seek the honor or praise that comes from God (John 8:50, 54; Romans 2:7; 1 Peter 1:6-7; John 12:42-43; 1 Thessalonians 2:6; Romans 2:29).
Instead of esteeming ourselves too highly, we should esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3; Romans 12:10).
We should never boast in our salvation, because without the grace of God, we would be hopelessly lost (Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Corinthians 15:10).
If we’re going to boast about anything, let it be the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14).
We should learn to “rejoice” in infirmities, because they can keep us from being exalted above measure; they can make us depend even more on the power of God (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Those who are rich should not become haughty, because everything they have comes from God (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Or, to put it in the words of James 1:17: “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”
“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).