Is there evidence for the existence of God?

The existence of God cannot be proved or disproved. The Bible says that we must  accept by faith the fact that God exists: “And without faith it is impossible to  please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that  He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews  11:6). If God so desired, He could simply appear and prove to the whole  world that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith.  “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are  those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (John  20:29).

That does not mean, however, that there is no evidence of  God’s existence. The Bible states, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the  skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech;  night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where  their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words  to the ends of the world” (Psalm  19:1-4). Looking at the stars, understanding the vastness of the universe,  observing the wonders of nature, seeing the beauty of a sunset—all of these  things point to a Creator God. If these were not enough, there is also evidence  of God in our own hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us, “…He has also set eternity in  the hearts of men.” Deep within us is the recognition that there is something  beyond this life and someone beyond this world. We can deny this knowledge  intellectually, but God’s presence in us and all around us is still obvious.  Despite this, the Bible warns that some will still deny God’s existence: “The  fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1).  Since the vast majority of people throughout history, in all cultures, in all  civilizations, and on all continents believe in the existence of some kind of  God, there must be something (or someone) causing this belief.

In  addition to the biblical arguments for God’s existence, there are logical  arguments. First, there is the ontological argument. The most popular form of  the ontological argument uses the concept of God to prove God’s existence. It  begins with the definition of God as “a being than which no greater can be  conceived.” It is then argued that to exist is greater than to not exist, and  therefore the greatest conceivable being must exist. If God did not exist, then  God would not be the greatest conceivable being, and that would contradict the  very definition of God.

A second argument is the teleological argument.  The teleological argument states that since the universe displays such an  amazing design, there must have been a divine Designer. For example, if the  Earth were significantly closer or farther away from the sun, it would not be  capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our  atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, nearly every living  thing on earth would die. The odds of a single protein molecule forming by  chance is 1 in 10243 (that is a 1 followed by 243 zeros). A single  cell is comprised of millions of protein molecules.

A third logical  argument for God’s existence is called the cosmological argument. Every effect  must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must  be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there  must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into  existence. That “un-caused” cause is God.

A fourth argument is known as  the moral argument. Every culture throughout history has had some form of law.  Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality  are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come  from if not from a holy God?

Despite all of this, the Bible tells us  that people will reject the clear and undeniable knowledge of God and believe a  lie instead. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served  created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” The Bible  also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God: “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” (Romans  1:20).

People claim to reject God’s existence because it is “not  scientific” or “because there is no proof.” The true reason is that once they  admit that there is a God, they also must realize that they are responsible to  God and in need of forgiveness from Him (Romans 3:23,  6:23). If God exists, then  we are accountable to Him for our actions. If God does not exist, then we can do  whatever we want without having to worry about God judging us. That is why many  of those who deny the existence of God cling strongly to the theory of  naturalistic evolution—it gives them an alternative to believing in a Creator  God. God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that  some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument  for His existence.

How do we know God exists? As Christians, we know God  exists because we speak to Him every day. We do not audibly hear Him speaking to  us, but we sense His presence, we feel His leading, we know His love, we desire  His grace. Things have occurred in our lives that have no possible explanation  other than God. God has so miraculously saved us and changed our lives that we  cannot help but acknowledge and praise His existence. None of these arguments  can persuade anyone who refuses to acknowledge what is already obvious. In the  end, God’s existence must be accepted by faith (Hebrews  11:6). Faith in God is not a blind leap into the dark; it is safe step into  a well-lit room where the vast majority of people are already standing.