ANSWERING SKEPTICS’ QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD’S EXISTENCE
Answering the hard questions others ask can be difficult for any Christian. They can come from a friend, a stranger or our own children. Sometimes they are looking for ways to discredit you or your faith. Yet Peter says we must give people a good, solid, truthful Biblical answer to defend the faith and remove their excuses for rejecting truth. 1 Peter 3:15 says “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” This is the first blog in a series about how to answer skeptics questions about our faith. We’ll start where it all begins, with the existence of God.
No one can prove God exists, or that He doesn’t exist. We must look for clues one way or the other. One of the strongest is cause and effect. There must be an uncaused cause for every effect. No effect can be produced without a cause that is outside it and greater than it. That book on your table proves there was someone who made it, for it wouldn’t have been able to make itself. The same is true of the world around us. This is also true of our emotions. Animals don’t have emotions like we have. Where did they come from if not from God? Everything must have a source. There must have been someone beyond and greater than us to create our emotions. The universe needed a first cause to begin its existence. It also needs a first cause to continue its existence today.
Motion in the universe also proves there must be a God. Nothing can move itself; an external agent or force is required. There must be a Being who is the ultimate source of all motion in the universe, or it couldn’t have gone from non-motion to motion by itself. If you close your eyes and open them to see a ball rolling across the floor you will rightly assume something or someone started the movement of the ball. It didn’t start on its own for it is unable to start itself.
Another strong proof is based on order and design. No one would ever think a wristwatch could come into being on its own. We assume there was an intelligent designer behind it. For this world to just ‘happen’ would be like the dictionary resulting from an explosion in a print shop! The fact that there is order in the universe points back to Someone causing that order (Hebrews 11:3). Design, too, shows there is a God. Whatever is made requires a designer (Romans 1:20). Creation is stamped with beauty and design to show us God (Psalm 19:1).
For example, the earth is in just the right spot to receive the correct amount of heat from the sun. If the earth were a little closer to the sun it would burn, if further from the sun everything would freeze. Similarly, if the rotation of the earth around the sun was any faster or slower, if the revolution on its axis was faster or slower, or if the tilt of the earth was any greater or less, we would freeze or melt. We could analyze the human eye, the brain, or any of thousands of other organisms and in each of them find intricate detail beyond what we can imagine or what chance could have ever produced.
The world around us clearly shows the fingerprints of God. Romans 1:20 says: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.” “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
What difference would it make in your life if God didn’t exist?
What, to you, is the strongest argument for the existence of God?
Pray now and ask God to bring someone into your life this week that you can talk to about God.
The next blog in this series is about how to answer those who believe in evolution, not creation. For more proof that God exists email me at jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org or download it at https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/our-ministries/india/articles/ You can also access my book “Why We Believe” at https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/download/india/Books/english_translations/Why-We-Believe.pdf
MY FREE BOOKS: My ministry, Christian Training Organization, focuses on training pastors in India and other countries where Christian education is lacking. I have written 16 books about all aspects of pastoring, teaching and church leadership. They are in English, Telugu, Hindi and Spanish. You can download them from my web site https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/ Scroll down and click on “Training Up India,” then “Download Books” on the ribbon across the top. Tell those in the ministry about these free resources. If you have questions or I can help you please email me at jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling)
Copyright © 2024