Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Is There a God?

This is the central question for each of us to consider. If there is no God or higher authority to which we are all accountable, then we can each make the rules and decide for ourselves what will be right or wrong and thus determine our own conduct and lifestyle. In such a case it would be possible for each individual to determine what is “truth” in his or her own circumstance.

However, if there is a God who made us, who is concerned about the choices we make and the path for our lives, who has provided some directions for living, wouldn’t you want to know more to at least give it some consideration?

Start with this observation from the Bible, in the book of Romans, chapter 1, and verses 18 to 20:

 
“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (New Living Translation)  

The indication here is that each person is created, perhaps instinctively, with the knowledge that God exists. The complexity of a single cell, the vastness of the universe, the very existence of life on this planet all point to such a conclusion. As an illustration, suppose you were walking through a field and noticed a watch lying on the ground. As you pick it up and examine it, you’re not likely to be wondering if it evolved or about it’s purpose, because there is evidence of design and the creator / manufacturer will most likely be indicated either on the face of the watch or on the back. How about you? There is evidence of design in you as a unique individual and you bear the image of your creator though it may not be apparent to you. In Psalms 139, the writer, King David, acknowledged it this way: 

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. … You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (New Living Translation) 

We have a sign out in front of our church, and one week the following message was featured:

       Did I evolve or was I created? I need to know, because it makes a difference.

The answer to this question makes all the difference. The message God reveals to us in His Word, the Bible, is that we were not only created but we have a purpose. The best evidence we have of God’s existence, other than what we can see and observe around us and sense from an innate desire to know Him, is the Bible and His revelation of Himself to us through Jesus Christ.

Blasé Pascal, a great French Mathematician of the 17th century, expressed the matter this way:

       “There is within each one of us, a God-shaped void, which only Jesus can fill.”