Recently, while at work, I overheard my colleague say “I don’t know if God exist or not. I haven’t quite figured that out.” Being, that the gentleman was in his sixties, his time to work through that proposition is drawing to a close and changing his worldview at his age becomes more and more difficult the older he gets. Some people are skeptics and use that as a foil to never really deal with that issue while others question God’s existence hoping one day to know for sure. I believe that if we fail to answer that question correctly, it will have eternal consequences. It’s certainly a question worthy of ones time and one that our culture continues to deny. More and more we see people leaving the church and embracing an atheistic philosophy. So, the question arises… is it possible to know if God is real or is God merely a projection of man’s imagination?

Now, if there is a God (I certainly hold to this view) how would one know that? Is there anyway to prove Him, to show His existence, to verify His ongoing presence? Certainly God would want us to be well aware of His presence but how would He make us aware of Himself in a world that says, “if science can’t prove it, it doesn’t exist”. Our culture has promoted the idea that “God is dead” since the 60’s and His removal from all areas of our culture continues to this day. So how would you answer the question, is God real? Is it possible to prove God exist? Is it necessary for people to know? If God exist or not what difference does it make? If God is real, then our existence must be of some importance seeing He brought us into existence. If there is no God then “Man is the result of a purposeless and natural process that did not have him in mind” according to the famous evolutionist George Gaylord Simpson. The implication of either view begins to form the basis of how one sees and lives out their life…ideas have consequences.

My first response when the existence of God is brought up and proof of Him has been requested is to ask…”what kind of proof will you accept? What’s your threshold of information that will satisfy your inquiry to finally concede that God does exist?” You see, some people have defined Him out of existence and their threshold for proof makes it impossible for God to prove Himself should He desire to do so. I can offer proof but sometimes no amount of it can satisfy the skeptic. So, in order to begin the discussion, simply ask what proof would be necessary to satisfy their inquiry. Think of it in the context of a crime scene where an event has taken place and one is looking at the clues left behind to determine what has gone on. We’ve all watched TV shows where they begin collecting all sorts of evidence, eyewitness accounts, written documents, possible suspects for or against the crime, possible outside sources that could have played a part and on and on. It is reasonable once that information is gathered to begin to put together a good reinactment of what has taken place and who might be involved. It is the culmination of all the evidence around us that begins to establish the fact that God is a necessary being who not only is real but He alone can explain everything we experience and see around us.

Historically, the field of apologetics has provided many answers to lay out the evidence and facts of God’s existence. There are multiple web sites that provide many of the historical arguments for the existence of God. Here are a couple to check out (http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existence.htmhttp://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html) They give what I call “positive evidence” to consider. Each argument, when combined together with other arguments builds a strong positive case for God’s existence. It’s not only reasonable to conclude from these statements that God must be real but to ignore them is to commit intellectual suicide. It’s like sitting on a jury at a trial where the evidence shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant is guilty of the crime and someone on the jury says he’s innocent because they say there’s no way to know anything for sure. (No amount of evidence can persuade that individual).

Sometimes it easier to accept the persons worldview (no God) and begin to show them how their adopted philosophy plays out in the real world. If there is no God then….
Man is the product of nature.
His origin is an accident at best.
His destiny is nothing because nothing exist after this life.
Life is meaningless other than what meaning you wish to give to it. There is no reason why you exist…you just do.
Morality is purely subjective because there is nothing greater than man himself.
There is no such thing as God given rights because God doesn’t exist (Declaration of Independence is null and voided)
Rights come from the state and mankind so they are arbitrary.
Might makes right! He who has the most power rules.
There is no divine justice at the end of ones life. Hitler, jihadist, Satanist and those who live sacrificial lives to serve and help others suffer the same fate…nothingness.
All religions are false if God doesn’t exist.
There is no devil so the evil one does comes from ones self.
In fact, where did you get the idea of evil? In order to call something evil you must have a standard of what is good. In order to talk about good you must have a moral code. A moral code requires a moral code giver which means God and since you say there’s no God then good and evil don’t really exist…it’s about things I like or don’t like. Why is stealing wrong? Murder wrong? Lying wrong? No God…then man makes all the rules.

God exist should anyone desire to know Him. He’s revealed Himself through nature which He created. He’s instilled a conscience in each one of us that tells us what His laws are and helps us differentiate between right and wrong. He’s revealed Himself to the world through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be God 26 times in the New Testament. Logically….one of the 4 possible explanations has to apply once the claim was made by Jesus….1) Either He lied about His identity….2) He was a crazy person and thought He was somebody He wasn’t….3) He was a mythical figure of history which is foolishness seeing that historical documents outside biblical record speak of His historical presence….4) He was who He said He was….God in human flesh. To deny this fact is to reject God. To reject God is to never know ones Creator or to enjoy a personal relationship with the one who loves you more than anyone in this world. You see, facts don’t always sway people even when the evidence is overwhelming. It is still a matter of the heart. It’s not the lack of evidence available to anyone who wishes to know Him. He wrote it our hearts. Wrote it down for all to read. Revealed Himself through the world around us and culminated all things in the person of Christ crucified and risen on our behalf.

John the Apostle wrote, 1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched– this we proclaim concerning the Word of life (Jesus Christ).” Historical, first hand account and eyewitness to Jesus. God is real and your life depends on that fact everyday….To be continued….

This article appeared on Outlaw Patriot News on January 5, 2017. Click here to go there.