Does it even matter if God exists? Is there any significance whether or not I believe in God? Or to put it another way, is it important to recognize and know the true and living God?
Throughout history, people had different ways of explaining ultimate reality. Some say there is no God. Others say it’s impossible to know whether or not there is God. Some say God exists and He lives in nature. Others say He’s left creation on its own, hence we can’t know Him. Some say there are many gods. Others say there’s only one God with different names in different cultures. Some say there are many gods and different ways to reach them. Others say there’s only one God and one way to know Him.
Let’s start with this: Does God even exist?
An Undeniable Proof that God Exists
To put it simply, there’s no doubt God exists because of nature and matter.
While we can consider many other rational arguments for the existence of God, it’s plain and clear that nothing exists without an ultimate source. Even if we reject the Bible’s story of creation and believe the theory of evolution or the Big Bang, that doesn’t deny the fact that God exists and must exist. If everything came to existence through evolution, who initiated the evolutionary process?
Others would argue, how can God exist when there’s so much pain, evil, and death in this world? How can a good and loving God allow sin? Well, that raises questions on the character and purpose of God, but not on His existence. Even in the presence of evil, it remains unthinkable for anything to exist without a Supreme Being, the Ultimate Cause of all things, whom we shall call God.
If we look, observe, and reflect on nature, we can’t help but see intelligent design. Consider the vibrant colors of the sky during the dawn and sunset. Look at the patterns and diversities in flowers, plants, and trees. Observe the cycles and ecosystem among animals in land, air, and the sea. Think of the boundaries set for the bodies of land and water.
These all portray beauty, excellence, and order. And it’s only reasonable to believe that there must be Someone who intentionally and intelligently designed it as such. There must be a Creator.
Consider also the continuity of matter and life. Why are we on planet Earth instead of planet Venus, where we would be closer to the Sun and get scorched to death? How could the Sun keep rising every morning to give light and warmth, yet never dry up the seas? Look around and see how nature and life go on. There must be Someone powerful who preserves and upholds everything.
But we don’t need to look far. Just look within and see the great wonders of our human body. Human anatomy is a complex but orderly system that proves Someone must have designed it with care and precision. Some biologists even say that theoretically, if all the human veins, arteries, and capillaries are laid out, they could span a total distance of 1 million kilometers or 8 times the earth’s diameter.
As David said of God:
“… You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth” (Psalm 139:13-15)
Furthermore, God’s existence is clear within every human being through our conscience. We are all conscious that there is a Supreme Being who created us and rules over us. Our conscience bears witness that there is a Supreme Judge, to who we are all accountable (Rom. 2:14-16). People may try to suppress this consciousness within. But whenever we commit evil or are on the verge of death, we all face the reality, “What will happen when I stand before the Supreme One?”
So even human logic affirms that it is impossible and unreasonable to look around us and within us and yet conclude that there is no God.
Revelation from God Himself
Now, this true and living God exists supremely above all things. There’s an infinite separation between Him as the creator and the rest of us as His creatures. He’s transcendent and perfect; nothing compares with Him. But despite His transcendence, He remains involved in His creation and even made Himself known. As Paul said, “… he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).
We can never truly know God unless He reveals Himself. But He did reveal Himself. And although we cannot know God exhaustively (for He is infinite), we can still know Him. So, we don’t need to create mere speculations and imaginations because God Himself has already given us the way to know Him.
Now, the Scripture tells us two kinds of revelation or two ways we get to know God: the general and the special revelation.
General Revelation
The general revelation of God pertains to His work of revealing Himself through creation.
Psalm 19:1-2 says the heavens declare and demonstrate the glory and work of God. Even without words, they reveal God as the Creator. Paul also said in Romans 1:19-20:
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
As mentioned above, creation is enough proof that God exists. At the same time, it reveals some of God’s attributes—including His power and divinity, He’s being God. So none of us can say, “I don’t even know there’s a God.” Creation is enough to tell us that God exists.
But even if this gives us true knowledge of God, enough to make us aware of Him, God gave us a more complete revelation. A revelation that shows God not only as our Creator and Judge but also as our Redeemer and Father.
Special Revelation
This revelation is called ‘special’ because God gives it to those He is pleased to give. Only a few can truly know and understand it. And it is ‘special’ because it grants salvation from sin and God’s wrath to those who understand and receive this revelation. In short, it is a gracious revelation.
This special revelation is God’s acts of redemption throughout human history, recorded and written down in Scripture—the ones we read in our Bibles today.
The essential part of God’s special revelation is His promise and work of salvation. After Adam and Eve fell into sin and brought condemnation to all mankind, God promised a Savior who would destroy the works of the devil (Gen. 3:15). God then chose and preserved for Himself certain people who would receive this promise. He saved Israel from slavery in Egypt. He gave them His laws to guide them as His people and assure them of the promised Savior. And even though they disobeyed, God disciplined them as His children and remained true to His promise to preserve the true people of God—the true believers and recipients of His promise. Then, in His appointed time, He sent His Son to fulfill all those promises and complete the work of salvation—not only for the believers in the past but also for the people of God in the future generations.
Hence, the writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus Christ is the ultimate special revelation of God (Heb. 1:1-2). So everything we read in the Bible—the words and events that anticipate and prepare for the coming of Christ, and those that narrate and explain the work of Christ—all of this is God’s special revelation.
Everyone who reads, understands, and believes the words of the Bible concerning Jesus Christ obtains eternal salvation and is made a child of God. The Bible reveals God both as our Creator and Redeemer.
Theoretical and Practical Atheism
You see, God has revealed Himself to us—both through generation and special revelation. And everyone is without excuse.
How is this significant then?
Since God exists and revealed Himself, let’s be careful not to be “atheists.” Let’s not be like the fool who says, “There is no God” (Psa. 14:1). There are two forms of atheism: one is in theory, and the other is in practice.
On one hand, some are atheists because they deny the existence of God. They won’t accept that a good, powerful, and righteous God exists. But again, even if they theoretically deny God’s existence, it remains a fact and their consciences bear witness to it.
On the other hand, some are atheists because they live as if there is no God. They believe God exists; they know truths about God as the Creator, the Judge, and the Redeemer. But none of these matter to them. They don’t care. They live as they please. They have personal standards of right and wrong. They pursue salvation on their methods and terms. They are practical atheists.
Well, the fact of the matter is, we are all by nature atheists—whether in theory or practice. And it ultimately takes the supernatural work of God’s Spirit to make us know and believe God as our Creator and Redeemer. We need His grace to understand and embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Since God is pleased to let us recognize His creation and His written Word through our family, friends, the church, or even this discussion—let us pray and ask God to renew our minds and hearts so we will know Him and believe Him for who He truly is. Not just to know about Him, but to know Him and relate with Him as our God, our Creator and Redeemer.
[Feature Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay]
