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Can the existence of God be proven?

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TL;DR:

God’s existence has been communicated to humanity through the written word of God in the Bible, evidence in the creation made by God Himself, and with the revelation of Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God.

what does the bible say?

The Bible testifies to the existence of God. “Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, You are God” (Psalm 90:2). God has existed from everlasting to everlasting. The Psalmist wrote, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (Psalm 14:1). To deny the existence of God is evil and utter foolishness.

God has revealed His existence through creation and yet many today still deny what is obvious and true:

“But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse 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. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.”

–Romans 1:18-22

Finally, God has revealed His existence in the person of Jesus Christ:

“And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:2-3

from the old testament

from the new testament

  • Creation testifies to the existence of God (Romans 1:20).
  • God uses human conscience and thoughts to prove His existence by tying them to His definitions of right and wrong (Romans 2:14-15).
  • Faith begins with belief that God exists (Hebrews 11:6) but does not stop there (James 2:19).
  • Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
  • God is the Alpha and Omega who is, who was and who is to come (Revelation 1:8)

implications for today

Most acknowledge a Creator of some kind, but some foolishly doubt the existence of God at all. To those skeptical of God’s existence, we must ask: Why does anything exist? Why are we here? Why is there something rather than nothing? In considering the question of God’s existence, three popular answers have been proposed: (1) The universe is an illusion, nothing really exists; (2) The universe has always existed; (3) The universe was made to exist by something or someone (aka God). Whichever proposition a person chooses to believe, that person is exercising a measure of faith. Of the three, which one is most plausible? The Bible provides the most understandable and logical explanation for why things exist, who made everything and why we are here on earth. The Bible truthfully states that God has always existed and that at a time of His choosing, He brought into existence all things in heaven and on earth, including human beings. Human beings were created to have a relationship with God, to know Him and made Him known around the world. However, sin entered the world and brought death to people and destroyed our relationship with God. The good news is that Jesus came to save the people of the world from sin and death through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. By faith in Jesus Christ, a person is made right with God, given eternal life and forgiven of all their sins. Those who know Jesus, can know God exists, have a relationship with Him, and enjoy life with Him now and for all eternity.

understand

  • God’s Word attests to God’s existence so that people are without excuse to recognize it.
  • The natural world reveals God's eternal power and divine nature, leaving humanity without excuse to recognize the existence of God.
  • Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, showing God’s character and glory and revealing God’s existence.

reflect

  • How has observing creation helped you reflect on God’s eternal power and divine nature?
  • Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God; what does that mean for how you see God?
  • How do you respond when faced with doubts or questions about God’s existence in your own life?

engage

  • How can we use the testimony of creation and conscience to engage with those who deny God’s existence?
  • Why does the Bible describe denying God’s existence as foolishness, and how does that shape our conversations with skeptics?
  • How does the revelation of Jesus Christ as the image of God deepen our understanding of who God is and why we believe in His existence?

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