Friday 3 March 2017

Does God Exist?

The Bible’s answer

Yes, the Bible provides compelling evidence that God exists. It encourages us to build faith in God, not by blindly believing religious assertions, but by using our “power of reason” and “mental perception.” (Romans 12:1; 1 John 5:20, footnote) Consider the following lines of reasoning based on the Bible:
  • The existence of an orderly universe containing life points to a Creator. The Bible says: “Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but the one who constructed all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) Although this logic is simple, many well-educated people find it to be powerful. *
  • As humans, we have an innate desire to understand the meaning and purpose of life, a type of hunger that can remain after our physical needs have been met. This is part of what the Bible calls our “spiritual need,” which includes the desire to know and worship God. (Matthew 5:3; Revelation 4:11) This spiritual need not only gives evidence that God exists but also indicates that he is a loving Creator who wants us to satisfy that need.Matthew 4:4.
  • Detailed prophecies in the Bible were written centuries ahead of time and came true exactly as predicted. The accuracy and detail of those predictions strongly suggest that they came from a superhuman source.2 Peter 1:21.

  • Planet Earth as seen from space
    Bible writers had scientific knowledge that was beyond the understanding of their contemporaries. For example, in ancient times many peoples believed that the earth was supported by an animal, such as an elephant, a boar, or an ox. In contrast, the Bible says that God is “suspending the earth upon nothing.” (Job 26:7) Similarly, the Bible correctly describes the shape of the earth as a “sphere,” or “globe.” (Isaiah 40:22, footnote; Douay Version) Many people feel that the most reasonable explanation for such advanced understanding is that Bible writers received their information from God.
  • The Bible answers many difficult questions, the type of questions that when not satisfactorily answered can lead a person to atheism. For example: If God is loving and all-powerful, why is there suffering and evil in the world? Why is religion so often an influence for bad rather than for good?Titus 1:16.