One of the most important questions we might wrestle with has to do with the existence of God. When you personalize this question, it becomes “why do I believe in God?” In other words, what convinces us that God exists?
I’d like to share with you three factors that have helped persuade me that belief in God is not some pipe dream. I have picked these up over the years as I’ve prepared sermons and had regular devotions incorporating prayer, Scripture reading, and various other readings.
I return to these factors time and time again when I am in a dark valley. Most, if not all, Christians will probably struggle with doubts sometimes. “Is there really a God out there?” someone might think. In our sinful thoughts we may be asking this question because we are weary of living for Him. Or maybe we are looking for an excuse to sin with impunity. Doubt is often driven by something more than just an intellectual curiosity.
Moments of doubt cause us to do one of two things. Either we suspend belief in God or we seek what answers there may be to our questions. Through my years of being a Christian I have found three factors to be persuasive as it relates to God’s existence.
First, the complexity of our existence cannot be an accident.
Purely naturalistic theories on the origin of life, earth, and the universe fall flat. They fall flat for one basic reason. They say that the complex reality of our existence is, ultimately, a giant accident.
We observe incredible order and complexity in the universe. From the amazing functions of the human body to the position and movement of our planet in relationship to the sun, astounding precision is observed. Without such precision, the delicate balance needed to sustain life is nullified.
Atheistic naturalists would have us believe that this all came about by an accidental, reasonless, purposeless process. A much more plausible and compelling interpretation is that Someone who has the ability to reason ordered these things with such precision.
The theory has been stated this way: design implies a designer. To say our existence came about by random chance is like saying a Toyota truck evolved by accident. The right materials happened to land in the right place. Some non-personal force acted on the materials to form them into the vehicle parked in your driveway.
When we look at an automobile, in the back of our minds, we realize quite naturally that someone, somewhere planned that thing. A serious consideration of the natural world also yields this conclusion.
God is the Creator of heaven and earth. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1).
Some people appeal to “nature” as if it is a living being. Nature is not a living being. Nature functions according to the laws set forth by the Creator. One of the biggest mistakes being made in this world is the worship of the creation rather than the Creator.
The natural world is not a product of random chance nor a living entity to be practically worshipped. It is God’s creation, and humans have been given stewardship over it (Genesis 1:27-28).
When I’ve had moments of doubt or turmoil concerning God’s existence, I’ve come back to this. It just makes way more sense that our existence is a product of design rather than a blind, cosmic accident.
So, we are unable to escape from God’s existence. In spite of theories that desperately push for some alternative explanation, the universe still virtually screams that God did this. The natural world strongly suggests the existence of God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Second, humanity’s superiority over other animal life confirms our status as image-bearers of God.
Out of all the animals we find on earth, even the most intelligent non-human creatures pale in comparison to the human being. This is not a statement of arrogance. It’s an observable fact.
A unique teaching in the Scriptures is the imago dei (image of God). Genesis 1:27 reads, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Human beings, unlike any other animal life forms, are said to bear a likeness to God.
As we take a close look around, this teaching would seem to be confirmed. No other living thing worships. There is no evidence that they ask questions about how and why things are the way they are. They do not innovate. Though some animals are more intelligent than others, they appear to be creatures of brute instinct.
Humans have an innate compulsion to worship. True that many of us worship the wrong things like false gods and even ourselves. But there is that sense that there is something greater than ourselves. We are drawn to it. We are drawn to God because we are like Him in certain ways.
This is not to say that we are equal to God. Nor are we perfect in likeness to Him. He does possess attributes that we do not share at all, like omniscience and omnipotence. But it does mean we share some of his attributes on a limited basis.
Unlike animals, we do ask how and why questions. Apes and dolphins are fairly intelligent. Yet they do not philosophize. They are driven by their survival instincts. For example, it would not occur to an animal to ask if there is some higher purpose for its existence. They don’t speculate about why the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening.
Unlike animals, human beings create and innovate. Beavers build dams, but only humans have been able to create the Hoover Dam. If humans lived in crude mud huts at one time, it is striking that humans are able to build luxury skyscrapers today. We create and innovate.
Humans are able to choose differently than what their instincts dictate. Moral reasoning may cause us to sacrifice certain desires for a greater good. We may choose to fast and pray even though our stomachs are growling and empty. We may choose to be faithful to our spouses even in the face of a temptation. This takes higher reasoning skills that animals do not appear to possess.
What might account for this giant gap between humans and animals? Many evolutionary theorists would explain that humans are just a more highly evolved species. They would say we are simply further along in the evolutionary process.
Yet, you have to admit, that gap is pretty wide. When compared to one another, some animals are clearly more intelligent than others, yet not by much. When human intelligence is compared with any other living creature, the difference is wide enough to drive a truck through. If evolution is a slow, painfully incremental process, why is there such a wide gap between humans and other living creatures?
Humans outpace animals in just about every way that matters. Some animals are obviously stronger physically than humans, but humans are so much smarter. We have devised ways to subdue even the most dangerous beasts. Could it be that the difference is not about evolution? Could it be that we’ve been endowed with something no other creature possesses?
Psalm 8 speaks to us about this.
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas” (Psalm 8:3-8).
Human beings are more than highly evolved animals. We are in a different class entirely. We are image bearers of God, called to exercise His good leadership over the world He created
I find it very interesting that the reality we see fits so well the biblical explanation for it. Humans are said to be image-bearers of God in the Bible. Human beings are tasked with exercising dominion over animals in the Bible. Human beings are quite naturally equipped to do just that. Evolutionary theory has not provided a better explanation for us than this.
For me, the imago dei is a very compelling argument for God’s existence. The reality we see exactly mirrors the Bible’s explanation for it. We are dominant and smarter because we reflect the God who is all powerful and all knowing. We emulate Him in our intelligence and creativity. We also carry an inherent dignity just by virtue of being human.
Now before I move on, let me offer a note to you animal lovers out there. I know many of you love your pets and consider them family members. I, too, had a dog while I was growing up. Yes, it was sad to say goodbye to Taffers, our Cocker Spaniel, when her time came. It’s okay to love pets and treat them well. In fact, we should treat them with care. Yet we should understand that they are simply not as valuable as human beings. When a pet is more important than a person, something is amiss.
Third, the problems in this world are all accounted for by the doctrine of sin.
Natural disasters, diseases, wars, cruelty, theft, injustice, murder… mankind seeks for remedies to these things. Indeed, it is troubling to realize how many things seem to be wrong with this world.
We long for peace, safety, health, and the wellbeing of the universe because we instinctively grope for what Adam and Eve had in the garden. That is, deep within our hearts, we yearn for the perfect existence of the garden Adam and Eve enjoyed in Genesis 1 and 2. Tragically, though, there is a sad story in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve fell into sin.
Far from being an insignificant transgression, from this sin came a stain upon our very existence. We are sinners in solidarity with Adam, as if we were present with him when he fell. We each have a nature that has been corrupted by sin. To make matters worse, we have all willingly committed acts of sin against God. This blight is not only on the human race but the entire creation itself (Romans 5:12; 8:19-22)
Humanity generally seeks to contradict this teaching. It is not uncommon to hear people spout their belief that people are basically good. Yet, belief in the basic goodness of the human race is a bad bet to make. True, we are not all as bad as we could be. Yet we are all bad enough to be eternally rejected by a holy God.
Yes, people are capable of good acts. I had a fire that destroyed my home and much of my property one year. People I didn’t even know, who were not even Christians in some cases, did lend us their aid. I am grateful for their kindness. However, even these good and neighborly acts do not exonerate us from being accountable to God. We are accountable, not only for our actions, but our thoughts and attitudes as well.
I believe not in the basic goodness of mankind but the universal corruption of mankind. We were created good in the beginning. But we were allowed a choice between good and evil. Through Adam and Even we chose evil. We believed the lie of Satan.
I was once in a bit of an argument with an older man who took issue with my Christian faith. With his face contorted in anger he kept hammering me with one question, which he stated as a phrase. “ALL THE HORRIBLE SUFFERING IN THE WORLD!” If I can interpret his issue, he was demanding an explanation for all the suffering we see in our world. I take it that he had had his share of suffering in this life, and in my heart I sympathized with his frustration.
If there is a God, then how could all this suffering be part of His plan? There is an answer to this question, an answer that many simply refuse to consider. God does not take some sadistic pleasure in our sufferings. Our sufferings are a result of an existence stained by sin. It’s not a touchy-feely answer that gives us warm goosebumps inside. But its power is that it provides one umbrella under which we can put all of the sufferings and tragedies in our existence.
Please note what I am not saying. I’m not saying that every situation of brokenness or suffering is the result of a specific sin committed by the sufferer. Sometime it is, but not always.
For example, a man spends a few decades taking hard drugs for recreational use. He has a massive stroke and ends up partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. In his case, his suffering is a direct result of sinful choices.
Yet another man has spent decades as a devout Christian, praying, going to church, and reading his Bible daily. He is then diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Slowly, over the course of years, he loses more and more control over his body. Eventually his body succumbs to the disease. It seems cruel and unfair. Yet, this is not the result of any personal sin this man committed. It is, however, the result of living in a sin-stained creation.
In another case, a horrible hurricane rips apart an entire large community. Why was this community hit? Was it something they did? Were they more evil than anyone else? Weren’t there some good people there too? Certainly God is capable of harnessing nature against an evil world. However, it’s entirely plausible that natural disasters are a freak result of a broken world.
Because of sin’s permeation of the world, stuff is broken. Suffering can be self-inflicted. Suffering can be inflicted by sinful people with cruel hearts or warped agendas. Unfortunately, suffering can also fall upon any of us simply because we live in a world that is broken by sin.
As strange as it may sound, the doctrine of sin bolsters my belief in God, and particularly the God of the Bible. The Bible presents the narrative of a world that has been infected with sin. The pain and brokenness we see in life aligns perfectly with this narrative. We observe tragedies, unfairness, and various afflictions. Nobody enjoys it. Nobody celebrates it. But the theory sure fits, doesn’t it?
I remember driving by a new housing subdivision one day. Beautiful homes in a carefully crafted neighborhood seemed to sing of hope for a better future. Fountains with serene landscaping invited the passerby to the promise of hearth and home.
Why is such a thing so attractive? What are we after? And why do many of those who attain the suburban dream home still find themselves dissatisfied? May I suggest that what they are really longing for cannot be addressed by a nice house in a nice place with fancy fountains and a community pool? The longing is to escape the sinful reality we all must endure.
I only know one way to do this. No, it doesn’t exempt us from the troubles of life. But it does provide forgiveness, grace, and a power to help us live at peace even in a chaotic world that is not always fair. When I placed my faith in Jesus Christ things in my life changed. I found a Friend like no other. So can you.
So, to sum up, God’s existence is bolstered by a consideration of three factors. First, the natural world strongly suggests the existence of Someone who organized it. Second, humanity’s stark advantage over other living creatures suggests the veracity of the Bible’s teaching concerning the image of God. Third, the biblical doctrine of sin suggests one basic reason things in this world are broken, defective, and even unfair at times. In light of these things, belief in God seems the most logical choice we can make.
Pastor George