We start a new series that seeks to answer tough questions. Sometimes, we have questions that we don't want others to know we're dealing with, such as “is it normal to eat a whole pizza by yourself?” This series will look at tough theological questions that we should all be asking, even if it is for a friend.
Key Terms
Theism - Belief that God exists
Atheism - Belief that God doesn’t exist
Agnosticism - Uncertainty about whether God exists
5 Arguments for the Existence of God
- The Cosmological Argument: The universe had a beginning, so it must have a cause. … Genesis 1:1 tells us that God created the Heavens and the Earth. God has always existed and is the reason everything else exists. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause. Theologians and scientists of all religions agree that the universe had a beginning. Thus, there must have been a cause for it beginning to exist.
- The Teleological Argument: The design of the universe points to a designer. … The universe is a massive, complex place. There are millions of galaxies and even more planets. Yet, there is only one planet that we know of that falls in a Goldilocks zone. Only Earth has the right conditions to support life. The complexity of the universe points toward a designer. When we pull out the microscope and examine cells, we see how complex they are too. From the smallest cells to the vastness of the universe, creation is telling us it has a designer.
- The Moral Argument: Our sense of right and wrong comes from a moral law giver. … There are certain things that are universally condemned no matter the culture. In Romans 2:14-15a Paul shows that even people who grew up without the scriptures still had a moral code. C.S. Lewis struggled with this idea when he was an atheist. In Mere Christianity he outlines how this argument played a role in convincing him God is real.
- The Internal Argument: We have a built-in awareness of God's existence. … In Romans 1:19-21a, Paul lays this argument out, pointing out that we can sense there is something more to life than our physical existence and random encounters. Lewis also expounds on this argument and explains that if we have a desire that cannot be fulfilled in this world, then it must be fulfillable in Heaven.
- The Christological Argument: Jesus is the clearest revelation of God. … The first four arguments all point to the existence of God, but as Christians, we take it further and claim that God came to Earth in the form of a man. John 1:18 and Colossians 1:15 tell us that Jesus is God, that if we want to know what God is like, we should look to Jesus. Jesus fulfilled 300 Old Testament prophecies. The odds of anyone fulfilling just eight of those prophecies has been calculated by Peter Stone in Science Speaks to be one in 100,000,000,000,000,000. That's a one with seventeen zeros after it. And Jesus fulfilled 300.
It takes faith to believe in Jesus. But it also takes faith to believe everything came from nothing and random chance. The theist and the atheist both have faith. The question isn't whether or not you have faith, but what your faith is in. For the unsure agnostic, perhaps it is time to examine the evidence more closely and make a decision.
Wherever you are, the resources below are good places to get started in a deeper dive of these arguments.
For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message
- The Reason for God by Tim Keller
- Making Sense of God by Tim Keller
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
- Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
- The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
- Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell
- William Lane Craig – Reasonable Faith (YouTube & Website)
- Science Speaks: An Evaluation of Certain Christian Evidences by Peter W. Stoner