Much is determined and established by the being, power, and existence of God. Everything that we have, hold, know and hope for is dependent upon Him. We are given no defense for God’s existence in the Bible, but are told in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God.” God revealed Himself as אֱלֹהִים (’elohiym), the true God. After that initial introduction, the Lord God Almighty is self-revealed openly in such a way that we may know Him and that He exists.
During the next weeks, we will discover much about the nature, character, and being of the Lord God Almighty. At times, our discovery will terrify us as we stand before the most holy God and behold His judgment and wrath, and at times we will rejoice in His tender mercy, love and care. The approach to the Lord God Almighty must not be taken lightly for God is indeed holy and almighty.
There are two ways people may know that God exists.
- First, people have an inner sense that there must be a God. We have an innate need because of our own weaknesses and finite nature for someone with wisdom, knowledge, and power Who can guide us through life and its changing circumstances.
- Second, the Bible and all creation presents evidence of God’s existence. Follow through the Bible and behold the God of creation, the God of the Patriarchs, the God of Israel and the God of the church. See Him at the Exodus from Egypt’s bondage and watch Him deliver His people from many disasters. Behold your God in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
It is amazing to behold the myriad of philosophies and theologies that attempt to either acknowledge, deny, limit, create, or understand God.
Something within humanity probes to know, find or deny what the Bible clearly reveals about God. Even within the text of the Holy Scriptures, when many cultures of mankind denied the existence of the Lord God Almighty they created, formed, or carved images they called “god.” Some cultures, groups, or peoples became polytheistic in developing many gods, some were monotheistic and worshiped one god, and others were pantheistic and attributed god as being the universe and all that is. Often their “gods” were created to address various needs or requirements to help with fields, flocks, the weather, fertility, war, and a multitude of other things. Several (animist) religions have surfaced that focused on ‘spirit beings’ that were supposed to dwell in stones, mountains, lakes, lightning, trees, animals or idols or forms created by their crafts.
Often in Biblical and contemporary history, people attempted to appease those ‘spirit gods’ that were believed to influence every aspect of life. None of these various ‘gods’ can compare to the Lord God Almighty. Their ‘gods’ were strict, aloof, given to sudden and unaccountable changes, and unpredictable and unreliable. None of them were presented with the love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, holiness and power of the Lord God Almighty of the Bible. Pantheism, polytheism, animism, and all the other false views of God grew out of human rebellion, and not from a genuine searching for God. In Romans 1:21-22, Paul said they “knew God but they did not honor Him as God and exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” The Psalmist said “the fool who says there is no God,” (Psalms 14:1; 53:1). Later, he indicated that it was sin that causes people to deny the existence and knowledge of God. When mankind rejected the Lord God Almighty, they recognized a need for a higher power, cause, or a god.
There are at least six theories against the existence of God.
- Atheistic View — The word atheist means against God. An atheist is a person who does not believe in God. Ephesians 2:12 says: “without God.” Atheistic beliefs range from those who renounce God, live as though there is no God, and reject any terminology that describes a personal God.
- Agnostic View — believes that nothing is known or can be know of the existence or nature of God. They say they rely on scientifically verifiable evidence. God is left out of their discussions because they can find no scientifically verifiable evidence of God’s existence.
- Evolution — begins with the premise that there is no God and seeks to explain life and everything that exists apart from the involvement of God. If a moral God has not created, then man is not a morally responsible being and is only a product of the evolutionary process.
- Polytheism — comes from the Greek: poly (many), and theos (God). It involves the belief in many gods, or the plurality of gods. Many societies are polytheistic: the people of China, Egypt, Rome, India, Native Americans, and many others have been polytheistic.
- Pantheism — is a belief that reality, the universe and nature is a supreme being. As a result the physical universe is an immanent (existing and present) deity.
- Deism — is the believe that there is no personal God we can relate to. God is an impersonal separated deity that is not interested in His creation, and casually observes it from a distance, but does not interject Himself into it. Deists deny the immanence of God (everywhere present).
From the time of the fall of Adam and Eve until the Tower of Babel (Gen.11), there is no mention of idolatry. Even though they rejected Him, they knew that there was one true God, who was the creator of all things. After Babel and the dispersal of humanity, the rise of idolatry, polytheism and false religions arose as cultures rejected and withdrew from the true and living God. During the last centuries, mankind has had a proliferation of philosophies that have attempted to either deny or prove the existence of a “cause,” “supreme being,” or “sovereign God.” Some of these have accepted the worship of every god equally, thus making the God of the Bible equal with the many other gods of man’s invention. In addition, many have denied or weakened the God of the Bible in an attempt to present a ‘god’ who is more palatable or acceptable to them and less dominant, sovereign or judgmental. Some have recognized a need to have a god, and if he did not exist, it would be necessary to invent one.
There are five philosophical arguments for the existence of God.
- The Ontological Argument — seeks to prove the existence of God from the laws of logic alone. It proposes that once we mentally grasp the concept of God it becomes impossible for God to not existence.
- The Cosmological Argument — attempts to prove God’s existence by the law of cause and effect. Every effect must have a cause and since something cannot come from nothing, there must be an original cause for the world’s existence.
- The Teleological Argument — proposes that since the universe has order, intelligent design, purpose, and harmony there must be a master architect. The Psalmist (8:3-4; 19:1-4) observes that the majesty of God’s creation testifies of God’s wisdom and power. Since God exists, we can explain the existence of the universe and everything in it.
- The Anthropological Argument — states that blind chance could not produce a moral being with conscience, emotion, intelligence, and will. The Bible tells us that “man was created in the image of God” (Genesis 1:26-28). The anthropological argument is based on the Greek word anthropos, meaning “man.”
- The Moral Argument — states that moral standards cannot be attributed to any evolutionary process. Moral laws prove the existence of God. The existence of moral laws demonstrates the existence of a being that is greater than any of us and He rules over all creation.
Our goal is to come to know the God of the Bible.
He is One True God and He exists independently of any conception of Himself and has revealed Himself in such a way that is clearly understood.
Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV God said, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”
Isaiah 46:11 NKJV “Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.”
Biblically, God has revealed Himself in two specific ways.
- At certain times, God has shown Himself through special revelation to specific people in history.
- God has revealed Himself in a general manner that can be understood by all people of all times.
Romans 1:20 NKJV 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,
Psalm 19:1 NKJV The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Acts 14:16-17 NKJV Who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
Behold Your God
There is evidence of God’s existence in nature.
God has presented overwhelming evidence that He exists. All things bear the imprint and evidence of a wise and powerful Creator. This evidence is witnessed from the heavens to the minutest details in the smallest elements known to man. From the variety of the species to the details of each piece and part, the evidence clearly shows the glory of God.
Psalm 19:1-2 NIV 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.”
Acts 14:17 NIV Yet He has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
God’s existence is profoundly revealed throughout the Scriptures.
This reliable evidence of God’s existence is overwhelming in the word and works of God.
The Scriptures reveal the existence of God in many knowable ways.
- God is creator (Genesis 1:1)
- God is a warrior (Exodus 15:3)
- God is one Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4)
- God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9)
- God is too great to be described or contained (1 Kings 8:27)
- God is gracious and merciful (Nehemiah 9:31)
- God is good (Psalm 34:8)
- God helps his people when they are in trouble (Psalm 46:1)
- God is mighty (Psalm 50:1)
- God is our rock (Psalm 62:6)
- God is our hope (Psalm 71:5)
- God is near everyone (Psalm 75:1)
- God is our salvation (Isaiah 12:2)
- God is sovereign (Isaiah 25:8)
- God is holy (Isaiah 29:23)
- Only God is worthy of glory (Isaiah 42:8)
- God is our Father (Matthew 6:9)
- God is all-powerful (Luke 1:37)
- God is spirit (John 4:24)
- God is all-knowing (Romans 11:33)
- God is knowable (Ephesians 1:17)
- God is living (1 Timothy 4:10)
- God is King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15)
- God is approachable (James 4:8)
- God is judge (James 4:12)
- God is love (1 John 4:16)
- God is almighty (Revelation 1:8)
The revelation of God is a self-disclosure.
God has not hidden His majesty, existence or being from His creation.
Psalm 19:1-3 NIV84 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.
Psalm 19:4-6 NIV84 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
If we are to know God, He must reveal Himself to us. God is incomprehensible in nature and being for He is a spirit being. God has clearly revealed His glory, power, and majesty through His creation. God has disclosed His nature, essence, works, and word. This revelation is open for all humanity to clearly see from the beginning of His creation. God has actively revealed His power and Godhead so that the whole human race may know Him. It is not correct to say that God cannot be known, but He cannot be fully known. It is impossible for man to fully know the infinite, transcendent, omniscient, almighty, omnipresent God. Although we may not fully understand or comprehend Him, God has revealed Himself so that we may be able to know Him.
