Does God Exist?

Is the theistic approach to life true? Can we know if anything is true? At the most basic level we must conclude that we exist with the ability to interact with our environment through our senses. We are also able to use logic/reasoning to make conclusions about reality. Descartes said to doubt means that you think; therefore, you exist. The truth must indeed be obtainable. For one to say that the truth is not obtainable would be declaring the statement “the truth is not obtainable” as a truth and thereby breaking the law of non-contradiction.
The law of non-contradiction states that the opposite of true is false. To establish the truth one cannot avoid the law of non-contradiction. This law allows us to refute or support belief systems at there basic level. The question or proposition at hand is “does a theistic God exist”. So, what ideas or logic is available to prove this proposition? What is revealed in reality or the material world?
As Christians our reflex would to be to declare that the Bible says God exists and consider that as enough proof. To do so would limit our audience to fellow theists and provide no device for correcting the presuppositions of those outside of Christianity. We, as Christians, might suggest that we feel God or that God exists in our lives as evidenced through blessings and providence. This can lead to a pragmatic worldview that does not hold up well to scrutiny when considering those persecuted for their faith or are lacking in wealth. That is not to say that such miraculous instances do not occur, just that they do not serve well in the sport of debate. God is proven best through creation. The Christian’s precious instrument “the Holy Bible” declares this as true in Romans 1: 20, “For 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.” (NIV)
The beginning of the universe announces the existence of God. Ex Nihilo creation is explained by modern scientists using “Big Bang” cosmology. This theory works well with the creation account found in Genesis. This understanding of the universe beckons forth additional questions. What was before the “bang?” What exists where the “Bang” has yet to reach? Where did the mind come from? Where do the laws of science, mathematics and logic originate from? Science can not answer these questions. Scientists must make presuppositions or simply ignore certain concepts as unexplainable. Does it not take considerably more “blind” faith in accepting a nothing answer to such vexing questions as these?
The universes’ design is logical and conforms to laws that can be measured using the scientific method. This design is predictable, observable and ordered. We dare not find ourselves attributing existence to mere coincidence. To do so would be to accept chaos as the norm and break the law of non-contradiction. An ordered design reveals a creator existing before the very first grain from the sands of time surrendered to the pull of gravity.
A common theme, so far, has been that God is proven where science cannot provide effective answers. Where else does science fail in providing solutions to life’s questions? Consider the beauty of life that is apparent to all mankind. How do you explain the radiance of a flower, the smell of coffee in the morning, the touch of someone you love, the sweetness of sugar or the babbling of a brook using science. These images bring with them a response in our physiological makeup. We can “see” a flower, while reading about one. We can smell coffee or taste sugar and be in a vacuum. We can remember the touch of a motherly figure long past their time on earth. The simple imagining of the babbling of a brook can serve to calm us. Often implements of the poet, these properties of the mind and soul can elicit an emotional response. Do these passions and sentiments give us insight into the makeup of the creator? I believe they do. No one can deny their existence, yet their purpose and reality are left unexplained. That is, except by the Christian faith.
Should there be consideration of right and wrong? The Christian faith holds this as paramount doctrine. The understanding of certain moral codes is culturally transcendent. Although a given society may differ in law codes and how it deals with certain moral issues, each has an understanding of good and evil. Of what origin could this be? If we do evil who do we harm? Why does it matter? Further proof can be examined in the teachings of Christ. When lived out fully the Christian can predictably live an “abundant” life. A life of modest intellectual honesty sets the Christian apart from society as an example: “a city on a hill”, “a lamp on a stand”, or the “salt of the earth”. The result of a proper intellectual Christian life is evidence of God.
Accepting that a god exists opens the floodgates on the teachings of the Bible. Accepting the existence of a god means that we understand that there is a spiritual side to life. We can understand that the Bible’s account of Jesus is indeed accurate. The evidence provided by historians and eyewitnesses is daunting. With the understanding that miracles, wonders and visions are possible with the existence of a creator, the New Testament gains validity. In the Gospel, Jesus claimed to be God and that no one could get to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
So, not only is there a God, but that God has been shown to us in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He went on to fulfill the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, led a sinless life becoming the perfect atonement for sin, performed many miracles, died and was raised from the dead just as He said.
Can God be known? He is known! He declares Himself in creation. He presents Himself to us in His word, the Holy Bible. He reestablished a relationship with us through the incarnation and death of the Son. God is the founder of science; the greatest of mathematicians, the supreme philosopher, the most wonderful of poets, the greatest of intellectuals and yet he cares for the sparrow. Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air;
They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (NIV)