Maybe you're convinced that there is a lack of evidence to prove the existence of God. If I might possibly impose on you to let me appeal to your sense of reason. I believe that I can present some convincing evidence without even referring to the Bible, but instead pointing out some well understood scientific truths regarding the natural universe.
Okay, here we go. Consider a building across the street! It doesn’t matter which building, pick any one. What if I told you it had no builder. Did you see anyone build it? Do you know the person who built it? If not, how can you know? What is the evidence for a builder? That’s right, the fact that it exists is evidence that it was built. How about a painting of a beautiful landscape, but without a signature? Could we conclude that it painted itself? Of course not, the fact that we have a painting is the evidence for the painter. What about creation? That is, the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all things in them. Creation is infinitely more complex than mortar and brick, and a real landscape with all the life in it is more complex than a painting of a landscape. So we can reasonably conclude, if the first two are true then the third has to be true as well.
If you are still not convinced, let us look at science. It is a scientific impossibility for nothing to create everything, or anything else for that matter. In other words, nothing can only come from nothing. Science has proven that the universe didn’t always exist. The 1st law of thermodynamics states: “energy cannot be created or destroyed.” That means that energy is eternal. So if energy is eternal, and the Universe is not eternal, the energy in the Universe must have come from some other source. It is not unreasonable to assume that this energy source is an eternal being.
It is interesting that the Bible makes no attempt to prove God's existence, it simply starts off with the assumption that everyone knows there is a god ("In the beginning, God created . . . " Genesis 1:1) and dives right into explaining just who that god is. So how can the Bible make this assumption? The answer lies in the fact that the Bible doesn't need to prove God's existence, because the universe that He created has already provided this proof. This proof is explained in Romans 1:19-20 (NIV):
If you have found this compelling at all, we need to ask the next question. Just like in the example of the building and the painting, we don’t ask, “Is there a builder?” But, “Who is the builder?” Or, “Is there a painter?” But, “Who is the painter?” And when we consider the Universe and all of creation, we do not ask, “Is there a Creator?” But, “Who is the Creator?” Here's where we go back to the Bible, which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Okay, here we go. Consider a building across the street! It doesn’t matter which building, pick any one. What if I told you it had no builder. Did you see anyone build it? Do you know the person who built it? If not, how can you know? What is the evidence for a builder? That’s right, the fact that it exists is evidence that it was built. How about a painting of a beautiful landscape, but without a signature? Could we conclude that it painted itself? Of course not, the fact that we have a painting is the evidence for the painter. What about creation? That is, the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all things in them. Creation is infinitely more complex than mortar and brick, and a real landscape with all the life in it is more complex than a painting of a landscape. So we can reasonably conclude, if the first two are true then the third has to be true as well.
If you are still not convinced, let us look at science. It is a scientific impossibility for nothing to create everything, or anything else for that matter. In other words, nothing can only come from nothing. Science has proven that the universe didn’t always exist. The 1st law of thermodynamics states: “energy cannot be created or destroyed.” That means that energy is eternal. So if energy is eternal, and the Universe is not eternal, the energy in the Universe must have come from some other source. It is not unreasonable to assume that this energy source is an eternal being.
It is interesting that the Bible makes no attempt to prove God's existence, it simply starts off with the assumption that everyone knows there is a god ("In the beginning, God created . . . " Genesis 1:1) and dives right into explaining just who that god is. So how can the Bible make this assumption? The answer lies in the fact that the Bible doesn't need to prove God's existence, because the universe that He created has already provided this proof. This proof is explained in Romans 1:19-20 (NIV):
19 . . . what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.There are four statements of indictment in this passage – (1) "plain to them," (2) "God has made it plain," (3) "clearly seen," and (4) "without excuse." The Bible clearly presents that in all of us, there is an a-priori, or preexisting, understanding that God exists. In fact, the Bible says that to deny this innate knowledge of God is in fact foolish (Psalm 14:1-7).
If you have found this compelling at all, we need to ask the next question. Just like in the example of the building and the painting, we don’t ask, “Is there a builder?” But, “Who is the builder?” Or, “Is there a painter?” But, “Who is the painter?” And when we consider the Universe and all of creation, we do not ask, “Is there a Creator?” But, “Who is the Creator?” Here's where we go back to the Bible, which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
