The Existence of God (Part 4)

          The previous couple of posts have examined some of the logical arguments for God's existence. In this post, we will use common sense to draw our conclusions. Specifically, we're going to look at how the universe points to a Creator. 

          Let's begin by looking at what is called "The Argument from Design" or "The Teleological Argument."  This argument is pretty simple in that its premise states that the complex, physical universe that we live in bears elements of incredible design. It concludes, then, that because of these design elements, the universe must have been designed by a Designer.

          Think of this in terms of William Paley’s (1743-1805) “Watchmaker Argument.” Simply put, if you examined a watch, its intricate functions would lead you to believe that a watchmaker had designed and built the watch. It would be absurd to think that the watch just happened to exist, evolved into its current state, or was formed by a series of random accidents. You wouldn’t even consider any explanation besides that it had been designed and created. Similarly, it’s even more unbelievable to believe that the intricate universe, earth, human body, brain, cell, and atom (to name a few) – with their astounding complexities and functions that not even the greatest scientists or computers or even watchmakers can come close to replicating - were brought into existence solely through natural causes. Is it not far more reasonable to think that a Designer made this universe? 

          At this point, I’m going to pick on the idea of evolution a bit to emphasize this point. Evolution at its core seems to make out the entire universe to be an accident with no Mind behind it. Consequently, with no guiding force, everything that we see in the universe is a result of accident after accident and the result of random chance after random chance. With no Thinker behind the universe, everything just happened in no particular way and – “poof” – here we are. Doesn’t that sound a bit… strange? This is farther-fetched than the claim that the watch was formed without a watchmaker or that something like a fully functioning car was created after a tornado ran through a junkyard. All of these ideas are obviously preposterous. Yet, evolutionists hold that random chance is what made the awesome, complex, beautiful, and amazing world that we find ourselves in today. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense. 

          The notion isn’t even scientific. What qualifies as scientific is what’s observable, testable, and repeatable. We’ve observed, tested, and repeated the natural processes that form rocks, trees, and the like; but we have not been able to test, observe, or repeat the process of a universe leaping into existence. Be sure to think twice before you believe that the idea of the origin of everything via evolution, big bangs, and random chance is scientific and reasonable.  

            In order to keep these posts reasonably short, the next one will contain some specific examples of our amazing universe that will cause you to stand in awe of its amazing design and hopefully come to a realization that the only reasonable explanation for our existence and the complexities around us is that God Himself created it all. For now, keep in mind how simple thinking and common sense points toward the truths that Scriptures proclaim.   

 

The Existence of God (Part 3)

           In this third part of our study of God’s existence, we will continue looking at the evidence for God.  Just like the previous post, this one will be an examination of a logical argument for the existence of God.  So fasten your seat belts as we uncover more confirming points for the Lord God.

            

          Let’s begin by quickly summarizing what we covered last time.  We walked through what is called the Moral Argument and realized that each and every one of us has a built-in sense of what is right and what is wrong.  This obviously begs the question: where did this awareness of such a moral law come from?  The answer is that there must be something behind this law.  In the end, we realize that there has to be a God who authored this law, established right and wrong, and gave humankind the awareness of it.

                

          The new argument that we will explore today is very compelling to me.  It is called the Cosmological Argument.  We’ll go through this one slowly since it is a bit difficult to grasp.  The argument begins with the understanding that everything that we see in the physical world came from something else.  A tree, for example, did not just show up on the face of the earth.  It came from a seed.  And that seed came from a tree which came from a seed and so on and so forth.  Even things that are not natural, like computers, did not pop into existence.  All of the countless parts that make up the computer’s monitor, hard drive, motherboard, etc. came from something else.  Thus, everything in the universe had something that came before it and caused it to exist.

                

          Think of this as a series of "causes."  If you follow this series back through time, you will arrive at one of two conclusions.  Either the series goes back into infinity with no first cause, or there was a first cause that got this whole universe started.  Let’s consider the first option.  The idea that the series of causes could be followed back in time to infinity is impossible.  For if this sequence of causes can be followed back forever, then we would not have progressed through time to the point that we are at now.  Maybe the following illustration will help.  Christian philosopher, Ravi Zacharias, used this analogy at the 2007 Ligonier Conference "Contending for the Truth" in his talk “The Existence of God”:  "If you have a domino called 'X' and you've got to have an infinite number of dominoes falling before X falls, you will never get to X because you will need an infinite number of dominoes to fall."  So again, if the series of causes that we have been referring to has been going on for infinity, then there is no way that the present moment would have arrived. 

                

          So now we’re left with only the second possibility: there was a first cause.  We could name this cause (like "bacteria" or "DNA" or "the Big Bang" or whatever), but then we’d be left with a problem: where did that cause come from?  If the universe started with a bacterium, where did the bacterium come from?  If the Big Bang caused the bacterium to exist, where did the Big Bang come from?  You see the problem?  So how do we get around this?  There is only one plausible conclusion.  For there to be a first cause, the first cause would have to be something non-physical, eternally existent, and beyond the normal reality that humans can understand.  Read that again if you have to.  Something of a "supernatural" nature is the only possibility.  Is this sounding like the Creator God?  Well, logically, a Being (like the God of the Bible) is the only reasonable explanation for the physical universe. So that’s the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God.

                

          This brings me to an interesting side note.  Many people raise the question, “who created God?” in an effort to stump Christians and cause them to struggle answering.  The problem is not with the Christian faith, but with the question itself.  The underlying assumption behind the question is the faulty notion that God has the same properties as a physical object and consequently demands a cause.  However, that is not the identity of God.  As I mentioned above, because God is eternally existent and not physical, He does not have or need a cause.  In fact, when God speaks to Moses in Exodus 3:14, He called Himself "I AM."  God just is.  That is His state of existence.   I know that this is hard to wrap your mind around.  But because we are fallen human beings, living in this physical universe, it is often beyond our capabilities to easily understand concepts outside of our perceived reality.  Hopefully you were able to figure out most of it though. 

          I hope this encourages you!  Even the use of logic and a simple understanding of the natural world can point us to the realization that God exists.  Stay tuned for more arguments for the reality of God.

Rebuilding the Wall - Update #2

          
          Hey everybody!  I’m currently working on my post on the existence of God, but here’s a quick update with something you should know.  On my Google+ account, I've posted the audio and video for the sermons that I've given at my church.  I’ll be putting up my speeches on Universalism in the future as well. For those of you without Google+, all you need is a Google account (like with Gmail) and then set up your Google+ account from there.  It’s very simple and easy to set up.  Once you have your account, search for Matthew Rinehart until you find my page.  From there, you can watch and listen to the sermons.  So check it out and comment on them! 

The Existence of God (Part 2)

               Alright, we have established the fact that God is fact.  However, does everyone recognize Him as such?  Unfortunately, they don't.  But someday, they will.  Philippians 2:10-11 says, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

                What, then, do we do with those who don't view God as fact?  One option it to show them that the Bible is true and then point them to verses that talk about God and His existence.  We will cover this later in the series.  If they reject that, then what?  Believe it or not, we can offer evidence and, in a sense, "prove" that God is alive and well.  Just like we can offer scientific evidence and show that there is a north and just like we can examine mathematics and demonstrate that two plus two has to be four, so we can look at the world and show (with a bit of thinking and logic) that God does in fact exist.  

                I'm going to use C.S. Lewis' method for proving God's existence as laid out in his book, Mere Christianity.  Step #1 is to prove that there is a Law of Human Nature, a right and wrong, a Moral Law.  Step #2 is to prove that something or someone beyond us is behind this Moral Law.  Step #3 is to prove that the Power behind the Moral Law is the perfect God that the Bible describes.  Now if you read the book, it is not as simple as I am making it out to be.  In reality, there are many sub-arguments you have to make, ideas you have to prove wrong, and other details that you must sort through in order to get the conclusion that God exists.  I will try to make it simple and cover the main material in order to give you a basic idea as to how Lewis comes to his final verdict.  Thus, if it seems as though there are holes in my argument and seemingly unconnected thinking, it is because I cannot paste Lewis' entire work into the blog.  Instead, I would strongly encourage you to read the book and see C.S. Lewis present his extraordinary, yet convincing argument in full detail.  For now, here are the three general steps in summary form.

                Step #1: Prove that there is a Law of Human Nature - an ultimate right and wrong.

                C.S. Lewis begins his work by pointing his readers to times in their lives where they have observed an argument.  The book says, "They say things [in the argument] like this: 'How'd you like it if anyone did the same to you?' - 'That's my seat, I was there first' - 'Why should you shove in first?' - 'Give me a bit of your orange, I gave you a bit of mine' - 'Come on, you promised' (Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. HarperCollins Publishing. 1952. p. 3)."   The point Lewis tries to make is that for some reason, everyone - young and old - tend to appeal to this "Law" that they think everyone ought to follow.  They try to point out that it is wrong to steal, good to be respectful, wrong to lie, and many other examples.  For some reason nearly everyone seems to recognize these standards and try to abide by them as though they know them to be absolute. 

                People may claim that they have different standards.  They may say that they have no problem with stealing from others.  However, if you confront them and threaten to steal their belongings, they will go on and on saying that, "It's not right!  You can't do that!  That's my stuff!  You have no right to take it!"  In the end, they too recognize that there must some Law of Human Behavior that must be right and must be obeyed.  It is an interesting, but obvious phenomenon.  If you think about it, it should be obvious that there is a right and wrong that people know to obey. Now a complete discussion of whether there is absolute right and wrong and absolute truth is a very interesting topic that must be saved for another occasion.  Thus, in order to move on, we'll stop there. 

                Step #2: Prove that there is someone - a power of some sort - behind this Moral Law.

                Next, Lewis asks a question.  What is behind the Moral Law and how did the universe come to be this way?  He notes the two general views: "First, there is what is called the materialist view.  People who take that view think that matter and space just happen to exist, and always have existed, nobody knows why; and that the matter, behaving in certain fixed ways, has just happened, by a sort of fluke, to produce creatures like ourselves who are able to think...  ...The other view is the religious view.  According to it, what is behind the universe is more like a mind than it is like anything else we know.  That is to say, it is conscious, and has purposes, and prefers one thing to another (p. 21-22)."  Now since we are trying to prove that the God of the Bible exists, we must prove that the second option is right (Do you see how our everyday reasoning assumes that there is a right and wrong?).

                C.S. Lewis begins a very detailed discussion to prove that there is a something behind the Moral Law.  Unfortunately, it is way too intricate and long for me to explain.  Thus, let's look at part of the conclusion: he has figured out that there is, "Something which is directing the universe, and which appears in me as a law urging me to do right and making me feel responsible and uncomfortable when I do wrong.  I think we have to assume it is more like a mind than it is like anything else we know - because after all the only other thing we know is matter and you can hardly imagine a bit of matter giving instructions (p. 25)."  If that doesn't make much sense, he is simply observing that there is something causing him to know right and wrong - someone who came up with it.  Since we already know that everyone recognizes this right and wrong, something or someone must be behind all of it. 

                Step #3: Prove that the Someone behind the Moral Law is the God that the Bible describes.

                That's quite a jump, so it will take a bit longer to prove this step.  Lewis addresses many of the different options as to who this Someone is and what their role is in the universe.  Of course, it would take forever to analyze all of them.  So, we will just look at his comparison between the Christian view of God and another view called Dualism.  "Dualism means the belief that there are two equal and independent powers at the back of everything, one of them good and the other bad, and that this universe is the battlefield in which they fight out an endless war...  ...The two powers, or spirits, or gods - the good one and the bad one - are supposed to be quite independent.  They both existed from all eternity.  Neither of them made the other, neither of them has any more right than the other to call itself God.  Each presumably thinks it is good and thinks the other bad.  One of them likes hatred and cruelty, the other likes love and mercy, and each backs its own view (p. 42)." 

                Hold on to your hats as we look at the problems that Lewis finds in Dualism.  "Now what do we mean when we call one of them the Good Power and the other the Bad Power?  Either we are merely saying that we happen to prefer the one to the other...   ... or else we are saying that, whatever the two powers think about it, and whichever we humans, at the moment, happen to like, one of them is actually wrong, actually mistaken, it regarding itself as good.  Now if we mean merely that we happen to prefer the first, then we must give up talking about good and evil at all.  For good means what you ought to prefer quite regardless of what you happen to like at any given moment.  If 'being good' meant simply joining the side you happened to fancy, for no real reason, then good would not deserve to be called good.  So we must mean that one of the two powers is actually wrong and the other actually right."

                Lewis continues, "But the moment you say that, you are putting into the universe a third thing in addition to the two Powers: some law or standard or rule of good which one of the powers conforms to and the other fails to conform to.  But since the two powers are judged by this standard, then this standard, or the Being who made this standard, is farther back and higher up than either of them, and He will be the real God (p. 42-43)."  Doesn't this sound more like the God that we Christians acknowledge? 

                If all of that was hard to follow, that's all right.  This is pretty deep stuff!  The slower you read it and the more times that you read it, the more sense it will make.  Of course, we do not have time to look at how C.S. Lewis proves some of the specific attributes of God.  I hope, though, that you can see how we must face the fact that a God exists; and furthermore, that we have the choice to either obey this Moral Law He has put within us or disobey it.  Whether you are a Christian or not, you know in your heart that you should obey it.

                Again, don't think I am ignoring God's Word by using this Scripture-absent method.  I just want you to see that our God is obvious whether or not you acknowledge the Bible or not.  Remember though, He is still fact!

Matthew          

The Existence of God (Part 1)

                Okay, summer is over and it's time to get back to writing!  I'm excited about this next series.  We are going to look at God and His existence.  Just like with "The Authentic Word of God" series, I want to examine this new topic in several different ways.  I want to try to show that we must acknowledge God's existence whether we have the Bible or not.  But since we have proven the Bible to be true in the last series, we can use its words to undeniably display the existence of God.  Finally, I want to address a few arguments and questions concerning God's nature.   If you are ready to explore, let's go!

                There is something we must recognize as Christians before we try to prove God's existence.  Sometimes we can get absorbed in proving biblically related arguments and trying to figure it out ourselves that we miss the big picture: God exists whether we like it or not!  A pastor, whom I greatly respect and encourage you to listen to, discussed this issue (seriously, you have to check this guy out; he's the best speaker I have ever listened to).  His name is Eric Ludy with the Church at Ellerslie (you can learn more about him and listen to his sermons at www.ellerslie.com), and he had this to say: 

                "Two plus two equals four.  And no matter what you do, it will always equal four; no matter how you feel about it, it will equal four; no matter your experience on planet earth of having bad experiences with the number two, it makes no difference!  Two plus two equals four!  In other words, you have no say in it.  It is true outside of you.  It is known as a fact.  And God is fact!  He is not wishful thinking.  That is a very important thing for you to notate in your soul because the enemy will make an appeal and he will say, 'Look at this.  The natural evidence says this God is merely a concept, God is merely an illusion, God is merely a thought.'  No, God is fact.  God is real.  God is true...  ...There is a north whether you acknowledge there is a north or not.  Two plus two equals four whether you acknowledge it or not...  ...Two plus two equals four - it always will.  God is who He says He is and He defines truth.  Whatever God says goes!"  ("The Anatomy of Faith" sermon by Eric Ludy)   

                It's a very good illustration.  No matter what we would like to believe or what our personal experiences tell us, God is real and He exists.  I've never really viewed God as a fact.  I mean, I've recognized Him as actually existing, but to say that He is a fact puts it in much stronger terms.  We must think this way as Christians: God is God and that's the way it is.

                Here is the challenge: Since God is real, have you made your faith real or is it a nice little way of living based on the notion that God might possibly be around?  Live your life in such a way that those around face the fact that God exists.  Face that fact in your own life as well.

Matthew

Rebuilding the Wall - Update

              One more note on the authenticity of God's Word, there is still prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled.  A study of Revelation, Daniel and other books will show that God's plan for the world is far from complete.  As these events unfold (some of which are beginning to now), the Bible will be shown to be accurate and reliable.  In the last days, it may be something that those still on earth will refer to in order to know what will happen perhaps the next day.  Whether or not today's Christians will be able to see all the events happen while we are on earth, depends on how you interpret biblical prophecy.  Although the details of future events must be saved for a future post, the fulfillment of the prophecies will further show the Bible to be the inspired word of God.

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                I'm preparing to tackle a new topic: the existence of God.  It will take much research to prove God's existence without using the Bible.  I want to be clear about something.  When I try to do things like show that the Bible is true or prove the existence of God without the Bible, I am in no way undermining the Scriptures.  The reason is that there will be people in your life who will challenge your beliefs and will not believe the Bible in the first place.  Thus, it is no good to show them that something is true using a medium that they already reject.  Think about it.  What's wrong with this argument: "The Bible is true because it says it is."?  You can't prove something with itself.  That would be the equivalent of saying, "Evolution is true because it says it is."  It doesn't work logically.  In short, by using undeniable facts that people can't escape (archeology, prophecy, etc.) we can show that the Bible must be fact.  In addition, we can now use the words of the Bible and apply them to future topics and discussions on this blog. 

                Another reason that I don't want to just give you verses to show you that the Bible is true is to show you that your faith doesn't have to be built on a belief in some book that can't be shown to be true.  Rather, we can believe in the words of a document that has been shown to be historically, internally, and scientifically accurate.  

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                While you wait for another exciting series, I have updated and greatly expanded the discussion of Universalism including an interesting examination of Unitarian Universalism.  Check it out!

Matthew   

The Bible - The Authentic Word of God (Part 5)

                For the last part of this fascinating series, I will write a summary of what the Bible has to say concerning itself.  I will call this piece… God’s Letter to You!

               

                What if one day you received a letter in the mail addressed specifically to you.  Let’s suppose that this was a letter from Billy Graham himself!  This letter was hand written, and it gave you some “tips” on how to live a better and godlier life.  With a letter like that in your possession, I’m sure you would feel honored. 

               

                Now let’s say that you received a letter like this from God.  However, this letter, unlike the previous example, contains not only spiritual “tips,” but also the answers to every spiritual question you have ever had.  Not only that, but it also had true stories about what God did in people's lives long ago as well as a complete biography of the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth –Jesus.  At this point you should be experiencing one of two reactions: #1 “Of course that will never happen.  It would, though, be totally awesome!” or #2 “I see where he is going with this.”  If you are of the second reaction, you are also ready to tune out.  I might too if I were the one reading this.  You see, we have lost an appreciation for the Bible and what is revealed through it.  But seriously, would you push aside a letter from Billy Graham?

               

                Most people know that the Bible is a holy document of some sort.  If you have read the previous posts concerning the Bible’s authenticity, you most likely have improved your view of the Bible’s words.  I can assure you, though, the truths contained in it are heart-changing, life-changing, and world-changing.

                Let's first begin by looking at whether the Bible says that it was inspired by God.  Now there are a couple of ways that God "wrote" the Bible.  Some of it He dictated (the prophets, for example, like Isaiah and Jeremiah), some of it He used the unique characteristics, circumstances, and experiences of the authors to convey His message (the Psalms and Paul's letters, to name a few). 

                For that first method, we can find Biblical evidence that God dictated some of the Scripture in Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others.  Such examples are the following:  "The LORD said to Moses, (Ex. 27:1)"; "The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: (Nu. 4:1)"; "At that time the LORD said to me ... (Dt 10:1)"; "Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says... (Isa. 7:7)"; "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: (Jer. 7:1)"; and there are countless other verses that were obviously spoken by God.

                However, we know also that although God may have not been speaking directly, the recorded words show that He played a significant part in their origin.  Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed..."  The book of Acts tells of Paul’s (Saul’s) conversion and what Jesus said to Paul.  In Acts 9:6 Jesus said to Paul, “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  Paul finds out that God’s plan for Him is to “…carry [Jesus’] name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).  In the end, much of our New Testament is composed of Paul’s teachings, just like God intended.  So although Paul's writings were not directed by an audible voice, God still used these people to proclaim His truth.

                One verse that connects these two categories together is in the book of 1 Peter.  In context, Peter is talking about the fact that predictions made by God's prophets came true and thus we should pay attention to it.  He says in verse 21, "For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."  In other words, the prophets didn't make random guesses at the things to come but instead were influenced and directed by the Holy Spirit.   

                Not only does the Bible say it was inspired by God but it also declares that it is true.  Let’s look at two quick examples.  Psalm 33:4 tells us, "For the word of the Lord is right and true..."  In John 17:17 Jesus prays to God and says that, "... your word is truth."

                God's Word is also powerful.  You've heard this statement before, but how powerful is it really?  A famous example is Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  That's power for you!!!  By the way, what kind of fairy tale have you read with this potential?

                If the Bible is God’s Word, then it must be useful for something.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 indicates, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy seems to be telling us that the Bible is helpful for anything and everything.  And if we use it as the verse says, we will be completely outfitted for all good works.  Sounds like a good deal to me.  This concept of guidance is reemphasized in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path.”

                There are also verses in the Bible that show the necessity of God’s Word.  In Jeremiah 15:16 the prophet observes, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my hearts delight…”  The passage illustrates that the Bible is like a spiritual source of food for us.  Realize that eating is a priority, not an extra thing to do on our check list.  Should reading Scripture be a priority?  Of course! 

                Please keep in mind that we don’t need the Bible in order to be saved.  Someone can be saved without even having heard of the Bible.  Rather they are saved by the words revealed in the Bible: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)."

                People also demonstrated how much they loved God’s Word.  The psalmist says in Psalm 119:47, “For I delight in your commands because I love them.”  Psalm 119:72 states that, “The law of your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”  Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”  Finally, Psalm 119:103-105 declares, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.”  We should love the Bible even more than these men did because we have Christ.  They had only the Law.

                Scripture indicates that the Bible is God’s word and that it is a necessary and useful tool in every Christian’s life.  If we read, treasure, and apply God’s word to our lives, something great will happen.  Psalm 119:11 tells us what one of those "somethings" is.  “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  By storing God’s Word in us we can keep from sinning!   It is like studying for a test.  The Bible has the correct answers to the tests.  If we study the word, we will answer correctly when the test comes.  Are you prepared?

                In case you have forgotten about all of the incredible things we have explored, here is a quick review.  We began by examining the scriptures to see if there were any contradictions.  Seeing that the Bible doesn't disclaim itself, we took a look at Biblical prophecy and saw Daniel's prophecy of future kingdoms.  We saw how against all odds, Jesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies.  We looked at the extensive scientific evidence for the Bible's authenticity including some revealing archaeological discoveries.  Finally, we saw the Bible speak for itself and declare its authenticity.  Does any doubt stand in your mind about the truth revealed in the Bible?  God's letter to us is powerful, convicting, challenging, life changing, and everlasting!  Take action!  Be in the Word, live the Word, teach the Word, share the Word - God's Word! 

                Let me leave you with this powerful verse from Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." 

                 

Matthew