Introduction: The Question Behind Every Question
The Bible opens with a bold and beautiful claim: “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1). There is no attempt to prove His existence — it is assumed, asserted, and revealed. For ancient readers, this was no surprise. In the ancient world, belief in divine beings was universal. What set Israel apart was not that they believed in a god, but which God they believed in — the one true Creator of all.
Today, we live in a world where some question even that foundational truth. While ancient people could not imagine a world without the divine, some modern people cannot imagine a world with it. Yet Scripture, creation, and conscience all point us to a God who is not only real, but near — not only powerful, but personal.
In this lesson, we begin exploring what the Bible says about the existence and nature of God, how creation testifies to Him, how human reason echoes His revelation, and how all of Scripture calls us not merely to believe in God, but to walk with Him.
The only way to truly know God is relationally. The creation account in Genesis is not a detached cosmological explanation—it is the beginning of our story, the story between us and God. God is not an object to be studied but a subject to be known, loved, and worshiped. Jesus told the woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), emphasizing relational and redemptive knowledge. Yet He also rebuked the religious leaders of His day: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39–40). Knowing God is not merely about data—it’s about devotion and discovery through divine encounter.
I. The Reality of God in the Ancient World
The opening pages of Scripture assume the existence of God. In the Ancient Near East (ANE), a world without gods or spirits was unthinkable. Yet Genesis begins not with myth or rivalry among deities, but with a sovereign declaration: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This foundational merism — “heavens and earth” — signals totality: all things seen and unseen are the work of one Creator.
This monotheistic account sharply contrasts with other ANE creation stories:
The Enuma Elish (Babylonian): Creation results from a cosmic battle. Marduk defeats Tiamat and fashions the world from her body. Humans are created as laborers to relieve the gods of work.
The Egyptian Memphite Theology: Ptah, a high god, speaks the world into existence through his heart and tongue. The world emerges from divine thought and utterance, but within a crowded pantheon.
The Ugaritic Baal Cycle: Gods contend violently for supremacy. The natural world is shaped through cycles of combat, death, and seasonal return.
In Genesis, there is no violence, no rivals, no pantheon. God creates alone, by word and will. Humanity is formed in His image, not as a slave but as a partner (Genesis 1:26–27). This sets the stage for covenant, vocation, and relationship.
II. Scripture’s Divine Focus and Light
Like Rembrandt guiding a viewer’s eye through carefully cast light, God shines through Scripture to reveal His character and intentions. When we fixate on speculative shadows or minor details, we risk missing the central truth He illuminates.
God's Word shines light on what truly matters: Himself. His being, His acts, and His invitation to relationship form the narrative arc from Genesis to Revelation. Psalm 36:9 declares, “In your light we see light.” Revelation begins with creation and ends with God dwelling among His people, the Lamb on the throne, and the light of God's presence replacing the sun (Revelation 21:23).
The spotlight of Scripture is on God's desire to dwell with and redeem His people. He reveals not merely that He is, but that He cares.
III. Creation Reveals God
Creation itself testifies to God's character — not just His existence, but His nature. He is:
Omnipotent (All-Powerful): God speaks, and it is so. The act of creation by divine command — “Let there be…” — demonstrates effortless power. This divine power is evident not only in the biblical narrative but also in scientific observation. Consider the immense energy unleashed in the Big Bang — the singularity from which all matter, energy, time, and space emerged. Scientists estimate that within the first second of the universe's existence, fundamental forces were established and fine-tuned. The force holding protons and neutrons together, the expansion rate of the universe, and the strength of gravity — all had to be precisely calibrated or no stable universe could exist. This cosmic precision speaks not merely of power, but purposeful power.
Furthermore, when we observe supernovae — the explosive deaths of massive stars — we witness bursts of energy that outshine entire galaxies for brief periods. These cataclysmic events seed the universe with the heavier elements essential for life, including those in our own bodies. Psalm 33:6 declares, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host." Divine omnipotence is not brute force but creative force, orchestrating a universe both vast and ordered. It reminds us that God's might is not random or chaotic, but directed toward life, order, and glory.
Omniscient (All-Knowing): The ordered sequence of creation, its structure, purpose, and balance reflect divine intelligence. The cosmos bears the mark of a mind that not only understands but foresees and sustains. In quantum physics and cosmology, the intricate constants — such as the gravitational constant, the speed of light, and the strong nuclear force — must fall within precise ranges for life to exist. This fine-tuning implies not only power, but knowledge beyond comprehension. DNA, the genetic code of life, contains information more densely packed and efficiently stored than any computer language known to humanity. The complexity and foresight needed for life, reproduction, adaptation, and ecosystem balance reflect an intelligence that knows not only what is but what will be.
Scripture reveals this same divine knowledge. Psalm 139 declares, "You discern my thoughts from afar… Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether" (vv. 2–4). God’s omniscience is not distant or abstract — it is intimate. Jesus’ disciple Peter confessed, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you" (John 21:17). And in 2 Chronicles 16:9, we’re told, “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” This is a knowledge that searches hearts and moves on behalf of those it knows. Neuroscience has shown that our thoughts begin to form before we even articulate them — God knows them even earlier. God is not only aware of the workings of the stars and subatomic particles — He is aware of every hidden motive, every unspoken prayer, and every aching thought. His knowledge is personal, precise, and profound.
Omnipresent (Everywhere Present): God is not part of creation, but neither is He absent. He is both transcendent (above and beyond creation) and immanent (within and sustaining it). This mystery — that the infinite God is both beyond and within — is at the heart of biblical revelation. Psalm 139 declares, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (v. 7). Whether in the heights of heaven or the depths of Sheol, God is there. Science, too, gestures toward this mystery: the quantum field permeates all space, and gravity operates invisibly across light-years. These remind us that unseen forces can be present, sustaining, and powerful. Yet God is not a force but a Person — and all of Him is fully present everywhere. John 4:24 affirms, “God is spirit,” and Solomon marveled, “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you” (1 Kings 8:27). God is closer than our breath, yet higher than the heavens. His omnipresence is not merely spatial but relational: He surrounds us to draw us near. Psalm 139 emphasizes this relationship: “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me” (v. 5).
Omnibenevolent (All-Good): Repeatedly in Genesis 1, “God saw that it was good.” The goodness of creation reflects the goodness of the Creator. Psalm 145:9 says, “The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” Psalms of orientation (like Psalm 19 and Psalm 104) proclaim this, and in Job 38–41, God’s speeches about creation reveal a world overflowing with divine delight. From the variety and beauty of ecosystems to the wonder of human birth, science uncovers a universe not just functional but deeply good and harmonious. Biologists speak of symbiotic relationships, like bees and flowers or coral and algae, which suggest an embedded goodness and cooperation within nature itself. The field of astrobiology even studies the “rare Earth” hypothesis, noting how astonishingly good our planet is for life.
God’s goodness is not only observed in the harmony of ecosystems but also experienced in relationship. Romans 2:4 reminds us that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” His goodness draws us toward Him.
Creation is not a cold machine; it is a canvas of revelation. The natural world sings of its Maker (Psalm 19:1), and this divine communication is part of His invitation to know Him.
IV. Classical Arguments for God's Existence (Presented as part of God's ongoing self-revelation through reason and reality)
These arguments are not substitutes for Scripture, but they echo the divine invitation to look at creation, conscience, and contemplation as part of how God reveals Himself. When God said, “Let there be light,” He did not only light the cosmos—He illuminated the path to knowing Him. The light of reason and reflection continues to shine into hearts and minds across cultures. This aligns with Acts 17:27–28, where Paul declares that God made the nations and their boundaries "so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being." God surrounds us—He is the environment of our existence, present and perceptible, inviting us into revelation. These arguments are not a replacement for faith but are themselves gifts of revelation, ways God calls to our hearts and minds in creation and reason.
Teleological (Design): The exquisite order, complexity, and fine-tuning of the universe point to an intelligent Designer. From the constants of physics to the molecular machinery inside cells, creation reveals design, not accident. Romans 1:20 supports this: “For his invisible attributes… have been clearly seen, being understood through what he has made.” This argument aligns with Psalm 19 and the anthropic principle—everything seems just right for life because Someone intended it to be. Scientific discoveries such as the fine-tuning of the cosmological constant (which governs the expansion of the universe), the specific energy levels of carbon in nuclear fusion, and the balance of matter and antimatter further emphasize that the universe is not a random occurrence but a deliberate construction. As the late physicist Fred Hoyle remarked, "A common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics."
Cosmological (First Cause): Every effect has a cause, and the universe had a beginning. The Big Bang theory confirms a moment of origin. But what—or who—caused it? There must be an uncaused First Cause, outside of time and space, who set all things in motion. This harmonizes with Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1–3, both of which present God as the initiator of all existence. Philosophers like Thomas Aquinas and modern defenders like William Lane Craig argue that an infinite regress of causes is logically impossible. Therefore, the chain of causes must stop at a necessary, self-existent Being — one who has life in Himself and gives life to all.
Anthropological (Moral): Across all times and cultures, human beings possess a moral compass. We appeal to justice, truth, and love—not just as preferences, but as absolutes. This moral law suggests a Moral Lawgiver. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has put eternity in their hearts.” Conscience itself testifies to the character of a holy God. Evolutionary biology cannot fully explain altruism, sacrificial love, or moral guilt — especially when they run counter to self-preservation. C.S. Lewis noted that the very act of arguing about morality assumes a standard — like quarreling about a crooked line implies a straight one. That standard is God.
Ontological: Proposed most famously by Anselm, this argument says that the very concept of God — a being than which nothing greater can be conceived — must include existence. While more abstract, it highlights how even our reasoning capabilities reflect God's image in us. The longing for a perfect being points to the reality of One who is. Philosophers like Alvin Plantinga have developed modal versions of the argument, which suggest that if it is even possible for a maximally great being to exist, then that being must exist in every possible world — including ours.
These arguments serve as tools for engaging both the heart and the intellect. They are not airtight proofs, but they are beams of the light that God continues to shine into the darkness. They remind us that faith is not blind—it is seeing in the light of God’s self-disclosure, both in creation and in Christ.
