Belief in God is as Easy as A-B-C!
If God does exist, then the study of God is by definition the most important endeavor a person can undertake. And for Christians required by God to provide a reason for our faith, it is essential for us to understand and be able to explain a clear basis for our faith in God’s existence.
So lets begin an active study of the existence of God, and what it means for us. Here we will study the REASONS FOR BELIEF in the CHRISTIAN GOD. In a different area we will contrast that with the beliefs in other Gods before we are done with our study.
SO TO BEGIN, I believe that there are three clear witnesses to the fact that the CHRISTIAN GOD exists, which are in front of us each day. For starters, by remembering that the belief in God is a BASIC belief, it is easy to start with the basics. So we need to…
Remember our ABC's:
Our AWARENESS, the BIBLE, and the CREATION
AWARENESS – Our own human nature (consciousness, moral fiber, etc) suggests to us that there must be something beyond ourselves. – we just ‘know’ in our ‘hearts’ that there is more to life than what we can see and touch. Many of us are good at putting this feeling aside or trying to fulfill the need with outside influences, philosophies, etc., but it always stays there, perpetually unfulfilled. No ‘purpose’ on this earth (money, sex, power) ever seems to fill that vacuum. Many people spend their entire lives striving to fulfill this need, but it always stays there, even after the accumulation of wealth or the fulfillment of personal goals. This ‘God shaped vacuum’ (as described by the eminent scientist Blaise Pascal) can only be filled by the relieving purposeful existence discovered when we understand our position with God, and when we become reconciled back to Him. Could it be that this longing within us is the result of God pulling us to Himself? Because this feeling is universal, it is the first of what is considered ‘general revelation’ from God.
The BIBLE – Our awareness leads us to look for God. The Bible is the evidence that God has left us, as a self-autographed documentation of His nature and His plans (this is the first of the ‘special revelations’ from God.) More than just any other book, even any other 'religious' book, the Bible is singularly unique. It is neither a single book, nor is it written by one person, as are most 'religious' texts. It is a collection of 66 books that were written by 40 or more different authors in three different languages, in 3 different continents. These books were written over a period of about 1600 years. The authors represent society at large. They were not just scholars and preachers, but they also ranged from common folk such as shepherds, doctors, government officials, fishermen, and tax collectors, to Kings. There are many styles of journalistic method involved, including history, poetry, government records, dialogue, parables, sermons, prophecy, letters and religious instruction.
The Bible has been translated into over 1200 different languages or dialects.
Despite this huge diversity of history, there is one central theme of the whole collection of writings: that God loves us and has a plan for our lives.
The Bible is most unique in its claim of Divine inspiration. Is it likely that the above facts of the Bible could have occurred by accident, or by some 'religious conspiracy?' Or must Divine inspiration and purpose must have occurred for the previously mentioned points to come together and to survive for thousands of years. Divine inspiration is a most outrageous claim, and it leaves no room for a gray area. Either the book is of God and deserves our careful study, or it is not and is an incredible and monumentally improbable hoax. Was it by accident that it has become the most influential book in the history of mankind?
The CREATION demands a Creator – One of the ‘general revelations’ about God surrounds us each day, as we see the miracles of creation and the evidence of a creator everywhere. Science can only explain or predict what might happen, but not why things happen (what exactly is an electron anyway and how did it get here?) Contrary to popular belief, evolution and the thought that the cosmos began from nothing are simply theories. They are not fact, and they are not as widely believed in academic circles as the general public thinks that they are. To the average non-believer struggling to get through each day, it is convenient (it fits into our self-worldview) to believe that there is a logical explanation for the creation so we don’t have to believe in a creator. But make no mistake, it was all placed here, with a purpose, by a Personal Creator.
Think about it for a minute, which makes more sense? 1) Everything in the cosmos either existed forever or came from NOTHING, that gasses evolved into light elements, and then into heavy elements. Next came the evolution of 'dead' elements into something alive, which finally mutated into a person who has the capability to eat, see, think, procreate and know right from wrong. (None of these steps, by the way, have been observed in nature, and in fact are contrary to known natural law – they are simply what 'must' have happened in an anti-theistic worldview.) OR is it perhaps easier to believe: 2) That Something created everything and shows us the evidence of its authorship in the amazing details, synergies and complexities of the cosmos and of life? Certainly both take an active choice (faith?) to believe, since there were no eyewitnesses (but would we believe the eyewitnesses anyway?) The answer to the question is usually based upon a person's pre-conceived notions, and sometimes upon a misinterpretation of scientific 'facts.' We must however use ALL of our faculties, our intuition and senses, to answer the question truthfully. It does not relieve our minds to accept mere scientific fact if we don't also answer the questions why and how. Between the choices above (and there are no other choices) I believe it is much easier to believe in a Creator.
To Summarize – With all the evidence for God that we’ve reviewed, we have seen that it is certainly not illogical to believe in God. In fact, It is clearly reasonable to believe that God exists, and has placed all the evidence needed within our reach for us to believe in Him, and to cause us to pursue Him. But the final commitment is ours – this is our free will. We know that FAITH is not blind, but informed and rational, indeed a PART of us, leading us (complemented by our emotion and desires) to acknowledge the existence of the Creator, and inflame the desire to know more about Him and His plans for us. And Thank God, He has revealed these to us as well!!
