Who is God?

The Bible was not written to argue the case with atheists that God exists. No matter what you say or teach, no matter the proofs that you give about the existence of God, those who do not wish to believe in God will still not believe.

However, even though the Bible was not written to argue the case for the existence of God, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that God does exist. He is the Creator and Redeemer, the Sustainer and Nourisher of the entire creation. Everything, both visible and invisible, is subject to God – everything is under His complete control and governed by His plans and purposes.

The opening line of the Bible affirms the existence of God in the simplest and most dramatic way possible: “In the beginning GOD…” (Genesis 1:1) Belief in the existence of God is absolutely foundational if we wish to understand the origins and purpose of creation, and especially, the origins and purpose of mankind. Those who claim that there is no God have already lost the most important foundation of knowledge about themselves and the world around them. They may go on to discover the laws which govern physics, chemistry, biology or, in the wider sense, the laws which govern creation but they will never be able to correctly understand who made these laws, why He made them and what would be the end of these laws. Moreover, they will never be able to understand or even make appropriate use of the information at their disposal in creating a happier or better world.

God does not need to give us proofs of His existence before we believe in Him just as no real parent has to prove to their children that they are the parent before the children can accept their parental authority. God is, simple and clear. Those who want a proof of Him are either mischievous or deluded. Unfortunately, it is a tragic thing to deny the existence of God. It is far more tragic than denying that the mass killing of Jews by the Nazis (the most tragic event known to the human race in the 20th century as the Holocaust) ever happened.

However, for those who insist they need to reason their way to God, here are ten reasons to affirm the existence of God:

The Cosmological Argument
The word “cosmos” means “world”. When you look at the world, you find that a simple principle operates: “cause” and “effect”. The existence of an “effect” indicates the existence of a “cause”. We know the world exists but how did it come to exist. Something must have caused it to exist. That something is God. Of course, evolutionists and atheists believe that that “something” is something else. They are entitled to their belief. It is easier for them to believe that our complex and intricate universe and its manifold varieties of life grew from some molecular soup pot over several millennia, and through random chance, evolving into well defined laws. No wonder, the Bible says God has abandoned them to their foolishness! Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:19-20; Hebrews 1:1-2; 11:3)

The Teleological Argument
The whole universe has a particular design, every aspect of life has some design element, that is, life is designed to fulfil a purpose. If there is a design, there must be a designer: just as there is a watchmaker for every watch, a housebuilder for every house, a car manufacturer fro every car. The universe exhibits design and purpose. Therefore, it must have a designer, an intelligent designer. That designer is God. However, for atheists and evolutionists, that designer is “chance”!

The Anthropological Argument
“Anthropos” in Greek means “man”. Throughout the universe the existence of mankind or the human race is unique. The human race operates within the universe as “governor” and “custodian”, as “ruler” and “shaper”. Throughout the universe, human beings demonstrate the highest form of intelligence and socialisation. Where did human beings get their intelligence from and who or what made them significantly different from other forms of life in the universe? The uniqueness of human beings points to a creator but evolutionists and atheists disagree.

The Ontological Argument
In every culture there is a belief that God exists. Every human civilisation has been based on some understanding of accountability to a god or plurality of gods. Intuitively and instinctively, without being told and outside of the process of reasoning, human beings in every civilisation have reached towards God in some form or another. There is within human beings a desire to acknowledge the existence of God and to worship Him. When this desire is perverted, human beings turn towards idols and other figments of their imagination to express their dependence and accountability. For atheists and evolutionists, their particular ideology has become hardened into an alternative religious faith, and they worship “reason”, “science”, “knowledge” and “self”. Others worship music, drugs, sports, politics, etc. When human beings refuse to worship God as their Creator, they worship lesser objects of their fancy. (Acts 17:23-24; Romans 1:18-32; John 13-7; Psalm 115:1-8)

The Moral Argument
Unlike animals or other non-human forms of life, human beings possess what is called “conscience” – a sense of what is morally right or wrong. Conscience is integral to being human. It is an interior mechanism by which human beings are judged whether their actions are morally right or wrong. All human beings have this mechanism wired deep into their psychological make-up. Conscience is an innate part of human beings although it can be influenced by culture and reasoning. Conscience is also the basis, in part, of the complex socialisation that exists in the human world. Conscience actually informs many of the laws created by human beings. Clearly, the idea of laws to create an orderly world is something built into the fabric of humankind. That idea is implanted by the law-giver, the Creator of the universe, even God. (Romans 2:14-15; 1Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:15; Hebrews 9:14; John 8:9)

The Biological Argument
“Bios” in Greek means “life”. Scientifically and even logically, life can only come from life. Just as the source of power in a motorcar comes from the battery. If you break a human being down into all the various chemicals possible, you cannot put him back simply by re-assembling those chemicals. This is because life does not come from matter alone. Life comes from life. God is the possessor of eternal life, the source of life is God. (Psalm 36:9; John 1:1-5; 10:28; 11:25; 14:6)

The Historical Argument
History is not a random set of actions. When you read the Bible you come across many prophecies showing that historical events have greater significance because they are moving in the direction that God had already foretold in fulfilment of His redemption plans. Whether we like it or not, history is His story, the story of God’s unfolding of His redemption plans from Old Testament times to our own times, and even to the close of the age. (Isaiah 45:1-5; Daniel 5; Revelation 17:17). The rise and fall of world powers, the emergence of global or national characters, economic and political events – all these are aspects still subject to the overall control and ordering of God.

The Christological Argument
Jesus Christ is a fact of history. It is impossible to explain His life and miracles, His death on the cross and His bodily resurrection from the grave without reference to God. Jesus Christ is the greatest revelation of God and His whole mission points resolutely to the existence of God. The experience of billions of people who place their faith in Him and witness a dramatic change in their life cannot be explained without reference to Jesus as the Messiah that God gave to the whole world in order to reconcile us to Himself in the cross.9John 1:1-3, 14-18; 14:6-9; 1Timothy 3:16)

The Bibliological Argument
The Bible contained 66 different books, by several authors spanning several centuries. Yet, over all its pages a coherent story of salvation is told, and a consistent revelation of God is given. The Bible contains several prophecies that have come to pass. In fact, the number of prophecies concerning the birth and life of Christ were so many that their fulfilment could only be possible through the sovereign work of God in history. The testimony of the Bible as a supremely divinely-inspired Book is a fact that emphasises the existence of God.

The Argument from Congruity
When you consider all the nine arguments already made and discover that they do not contradict each other but simply each argument reinforces the other, it can be accepted that because there is no internal or external discrepancies between them, these arguments are congruous and deserve to be accepted as reliable and reasonable explanation of the existence of God. Hence, this tenth argument is called the argument from congruity.

The Existence of the Jewish State of Israel

Throughout the Bible, God re-affirms His love for the Jewish people and promises that they will never cease to be a nation, no matter what they go through, or the intentions of their enemies to wipe them off the face of the earth. Their dispersal to foreign lands for a season was prophesied, but so also was their return to the land of their forefathers prophesied. Israel is a very visible marker of God’s acts in history. That history will be brought to conclusion under the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns in glory at the close of the age.

• Creator
  Isaiah 40:38
  
• Shepherd
  Psalm 23:1
  
• Strength and song
  Exodus 15:2
  
• Shield
  Psalm 28:7
  
• Portion forever
  Psalm 73:26
  
• Helper
  Hebrews 13:6
  
• Life
  Deuteronomy 30:20
  
• Stronghold in times of trouble
  Psalm 9:9
  
• Deliverer
  Isaiah 59:1
  
• Provider
  Philippians 4:19
  
• Light and salvation
  Psalm 27:1
  
• Fortress
  2Samuel 22:2
  
• Father
  Galatians 1:3
  
• Healer
  Psalm 147:3
  
• Guide
  Proverbs 3:6
  
• Refuge and Saviour
  2Samuel 22:3
  
• King
  Isaiah 33:22
  
• Protector
  Proverbs 18:10
  
• Fountain of Life
  Proverbs 14:27
  
• Comforter
  Psalm 23:4
  
• Rest and Peace
  Psalm 23:2
  
• Shelter
  Psalm 91:1
  
• Shade at my right hand
  Psalm 121:5
  
• Teacher
  Job 36:22
  
• Confidence
  Romans 8:31
  
• Leader
  Deuteronomy 8:7
  
• Warrior
  Deuteronomy 20:4
  
• God for ever and ever
  Psalm 48:14
  
• Rock and Redeemer
  Psalm 19:14
  
• Joy and Delight
  Psalm 43:4
  
• Hope
  Psalm 39:7
  
• Defender
  Isaiah 51:22
  
• Power
  Joshua 4:24
  
• Inheritance
  Deuteronomy 18:2
  
• Maker
  Proverbs 22:2
  
• True God
  Jeremiah 10:10
  
• Victory
  Proverbs 21:31

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