Lesson 4: How To Know There Is A God

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Accepts. The Bible never tries to prove God, "In the beginning God created" (Gen. 1:1).

2. They want proof. We intuitively know there is a God, but that is not enough for others.

3. God took the initiative. "The light shined in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5).

4. It is natural to reject God. "Light has come into the world, and men love darkness, rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

5. Our thinking needs help. God does not use reasons to reveal Himself.

HOW GOD REVEALS HIMSELF

General Revelation Special Revelation

1. Nature (Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:18-21)

2. Conscience (Rom. 2:14-16)

3. History (I Cor. 10:1-6) 1. Bible (Deut. 29:29; II Pet. 1:20-21)

2. Christ (Jn. 1:14, 18)

6. God gives you reasons to understand His person and power.

"All people under Heaven are accountable to God because God has revealed Himself to them. He will judge their wickedness because

they have rejected what is plainly known of Him. Because from the creation of the world, God’s enormous power and personality is clearly seen and understood, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20 ELT).

B. FIVE PROOFS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

1. God is demonstrated by First Cause (Cosmological)

a. The illustration of the brick maker.

b. Nature (creation) did not make itself.

c. Something bigger and more powerful than the world created the world, i.e., First Cause, Uncaused Cause, Free Cause or Prime Mover.

d. The Big Bang. The world is a mass of inter-relating and interacting dependent causes.

e. Inconceivable. "The chain that hangs on nothing is impossible to conceive."

f. Independent. The First Cause had to be free, or whatever controls it is greater than First Cause.

g. Power of choice. The First Cause had to choose to begin creation at a specific time or it would not have started. First Cause had to end creation, or the universe would be filled with new creations.

h. No repeats. Some claim the creation comes from spontaneous generation, but that denies rational logic and natural laws.

i. Science demands that the existence of creation be explained by a First Cause with Power and Personality.

2. God is demonstrated by design in the universe. (Teleological)

a. Illustration of a brick wall.

b. Design suggests a designer. The reflection of an orderly and harmonious universe suggests an intelligent cause began everything.

c. Blueprints suggest choice. The First Cause had the mind and ability to predetermine a planned design for the universe before He began the process.

d. Intelligence. Science demands that the existence of creation comes from the First Cause who possessed a mind and a will.

3. God is demonstrated by personality. (Anthropological)

a. The intellect in people must have an adequate explanation. Mind could not come from matter.

b. The freedom in people must have an adequate explanation. People can perceive choices and follow choices; matter cannot make choices.

c. The freedom of First Cause to create the kind of world about us is a reflection that we got our non-material nature from Him.

4. God is reflected in our perfect idea of Him (Ontological).

a. We cannot conceive of something that doesn’t exist.

b. Since we have an idea of a perfect being, there must be a God that corresponds to that idea.

c. Since we cannot improve on our idea of perfection, then God, who is perfect, must have put that idea in our mind. (Descartes)

5. The existence of God is in harmony with all known facts (Congruity).

a. Since there is a lack of conflicting evidence that God does not exist, we must accept His existence.

b. If your mind cannot disprove God, you must accept Him.

c. C. S. Lewis’ influence on Sheldon Vanauken who wrote A Severe Mercy "I could not disbelieve."

d. If you cannot answer these arguments, you must accept God’s existence.

C. CONCLUSION

1. I know there is a Creator because of creation.

2. I know there is a lawgiver because of laws.

3. I know there is a moral absolute because of my conscience.

4. I know there is a God because of the Bible.

5. I know there is salvation because of Jesus the Savior.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.