You Can't Prove That God Exists Series

Answering Criticisms

"You Can’t Prove That God Exists"

Introduction

1. This is a very common cry of those who wish to justify their disobedience to the gospel.

2. In this lesson we shall consider:

a. What people mean when they say, “You can’t prove that God exists.”

b. The real motive behind such a statement.

c. Can we prove that God exists?

I. Defining The Statement

A. When someone says, “You can’t prove that God exists”, they usually mean that the Father has never been seen nor can He be seen. The Scriptures substantiate this point:

"No man hath seen God at any time…." (1 John 4:12)

B. The ultimate proof of the existence of God is to see Him face-to-face which no man has. However, someone has seen the Father!

"But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He has sent Me." (John 7:29)

"Not that any man has seen the Father, except He which is of God, He has seen the Father." (John 6:46)

C. Asking for the ultimate proof of God’s existence is not new. Jesus response to such a request is most intriguing:

" 7If you had known Me, you should have known My Father also: and from henceforth you know Him, and have seen Him.8Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.9Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known Me, Philip? he that has seen Me has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:7-9)

1. The very thing that many have demanded through the ages is granted in Immanuel (‘God with us’). Those who have had the privilege of seeing Jesus have seen the Father.

2. But of course, for the skeptic, this means believing what the Bible says and is unsatisfactory.

II. The Motive Behind The Statement

A. When someone says, “Show us the Father and then we will believe in Him”, they know that such a thing is impossible.

1. The statement indicates that they believe this to be the only proof for the existence of God.

2. It indicates that they have no intention of believing.

B. The real motive, then, is to silence you and to get you off their back.

1. At this point we ought to be very cautious and beware of casting pearls before swine.

2. However, there is always the possibility that their skepticism is sincere. Besides, we do have a responsibility to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is within you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

III. Is There Any Proof Of The Existence Of God?

A. The answer to this question depends on what one is prepared to accept as proof.

1. Certainly, there is no absolute proof that such a skeptic seeks.

2. However, there is evidence of such quality and quantity that would lead any reasonable person to conclude that God does exist.

a. Believing in unseen things based on evidence is acceptable in our own experience.

b. The Scriptures also uphold the concept of believing in the unseen based on the visible evidence:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

B. Making known the existence of the evidence:

1. The evidence of God’s existence comes from three sources: nature, science, and the Bible.

a. The skeptic, of course, will not accept any Biblical evidence.

b. However, it should be pointed out that there is an abundance of evidence that demonstrates the inspiration of the Bible.

2. You may not be able to lecture on all these but it is worth memorizing a couple of “titbits” that relate to nature and science:

a. The sheer vastness, beauty, and complexity of the universe and all it contains should cause us to pause and ponder its origin.

b. One of the laws of physics is that ‘something cannot come from nothing’. This means that something must be eternal from which all things have their origin. In times past, scientists concluded that matter was eternal, but it has since been demonstrated, by scientists, that matter is not eternal.

3. The following Scriptures demonstrate that these are legitimate lines of argument:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." (Psalms 19:1)

" 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it to them.20For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (Romans 1:18-20)