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Genesis 1:1, Exodus 20:11, Job 26:7, Psalm 33:6, Isaiah 40:28, Acts 17:24
Summary: God’s existence is obvious (Romans 1:18-20) through creation and our conscience. The evidence is there for anyone willing to take their blinders off, swallow their pride, and humble themselves.
The world cannot comprehend the idea of a precise, preconceived, set, rational, and personal creation of a God who is outside of space, time, and matter and able to put everything into existence for a reason. They wish to stay blind to the obvious and shut their ears to the truth that we are not the product of randomness, purposelessness, and chance development. They will not use critical thinking nor open their minds to the existence of God. They are satisfied with their unbelief and will not conceive of any other alternative that would challenge their theories and knock themselves off the altar of what they define as “wisdom.” Atheism is the foe of objective, critical thinking and cannot rely on anything save one’s limited intellect.
The weapon some atheists use to champion their cause is not grounded on personal research but instead upon the sound foundation of ridicule toward anyone daring to disagree with their skepticism. Atheists like Richard Dawkins encourage his fellow “Freethinkers” to use weapons of mockery, shaming, and name-calling to try and turn people away from the idea of God’s existence. These foolish people use the tactics of grade schoolers to attempt to silence not only those of us who believe in the existence and work of God but to quiet their own souls. They clearly know He is there yet refuse to open the door and let Him into their lives (Psalm 14:1, 53:1; Romans 1:18-20, 3:10-18; 1 Corinthians 1:18).
If someone does not want to believe in God after being presented with the evidence, that’s their problem for which they will give an accounting (Luke 12:13-21; John 5:28-29; Hebrews 9:27). The Bible says that God, not randomness, is the Author and Sustainer of this world and the universe which surrounds it (Genesis 1:1; 2:3; Exodus 20;11; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 12:9, 26:7,13, 40:15; Psalm 33:6, 95:5, 102:25, 104:5; Isaiah 40:12, 28, 45;12, 48:13; Acts 4:24, 7:50, 14:15, 17:24; Hebrews 1:10, 11:3).
Christian apologists, or defenders of the faith (1 Peter 3:15), will, aside from Scripture, show other ways to prove God’s existence, using arguments such as cause and effect, design, and moral standards. There is the cosmological argument based on the idea that nothing in and of itself exists on its own. There had to be a first cause or initiator of what we see around us and brought about the original idea, concept, or design of everything. An object cannot create itself nor give the reason for why it came into existence. Someone or something had to perform the work to put all these things into place. This Someone also has to be outside the confines of space, time, and matter (Immaterial) and possesses Immense Intelligence to know and determine the outcome of what will happen to this present system. This Being is personal, having involved Himself with the details of everything that exists and holds it all together.
This Being, Initiator, or First Cause is whom we know as God.
The other proofs of God’s existence are that of the evidence of design and of specific moral standards that are applicable to everyone and every civilization that has existed in history. The proof of intelligent design is known as the teleological argument, which includes the idea of purpose and meaning. Intelligent Design leaves no room for randomness as one of the ways the universe came into being. The teleological argument examines the structure of the universe. Everything gives the appearance of having been purposefully arranged. This is so strong a trait that even hardened atheists have difficulty trying to explain the apparent evidence of design. There is an obvious pattern of “fine-tuning,” where everything is in a specific order, precise location, and with a reason for being there.
Many scientists now conclude that there is unmistakable and sufficient evidence for the existence of what they refer to as an “Intelligent Designer” (Genesis 1:1). Something cannot possibly originate from nothing, no matter how skeptics would try to argue otherwise. It is illogical and irrational to place random chance and an indifferent “Big Bang” as the originators of something so profound, orderly, and with a purpose for even existing in the first place as the universe and our privileged planet.
We also have to consider a concept known as “irreducible complexity” as it pertains to design. Complex systems need all of their individual characteristics to already be in place in order to function. In other words, any “evolving specimen” must have all of the necessary components in their right place to be able to move to the next level of development. Muscular and mental functions, for example, cannot “evolve” separately; otherwise, the life form in question will die.
Let us “cut to the chase” and refer to the Designer as none other than the God of the Bible. He is the originator of the concept of design. He is a logical, rational Person who is of superior and unmeasurable intelligence since He brought everything into existence and gave each created item a goal-oriented specific purpose and reason for being. As the Designer, God has no “leftovers,” excesses, unfinished projects, or anything needing revision or updates over time. Once God created everything, He said it was “very good” and needed no further improvement. His creation was not left to “fend on its own” nor left to design a means of operating within the parameters of what is right and wrong, good and evil, sacred and secular apart from His set standards. God is not just the designer of the universe but the Originator of morality, ethics, and laws that govern us.
The “Moral Argument” for God’s existence will be presented in the next message.
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The post Genesis 1-11: Existence & Presence of God, Pt 2 :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard appeared first on Rapture Ready.
