Evidence for the God of Christianity

According to a 2023 survey, about half of Americans believe in God, the lowest number in history. And globally (omitting China and Russia), an average of 40% say they believe in God “as described in holy scriptures”.

While God cannot be proved, there is compelling evidence that He exists. Here are ten reasons for belief in the existence of God as described in the Bible. This blogpost comes from a book written by David Robertson.

1. The Creation. The heavens and the earth, from the smallest atom to the vastest galaxy shouts to me of the glory of God. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Ps. 19:1–4NLT).

I include science in this category. I think it is very foolish to seek to prove or disprove God on the basis of a current scientific theory or on empirical evidence alone. But science within its own constraints as the observation of what God has made is a marvellous and often faith-affirming thing.

Why is there something rather than nothing? Where did matter come from? And why is it so ordered that life can exist? The universe is finely tuned for life. The Big Bang theory can’t explain the origin of energy/matter and the theory of biological evolution can’t explain the origin of life. And you cannot explain beauty, time nor space, without God.

2. The Human mind and spirit. Why are we conscious? Why are we special? And life. Where does it come from? How can we get life from non-life?

3. The Moral Law. How do we know what good and evil is? Why do we have a sense of that at all?

4. Evil. I cannot believe in the innate goodness of human beings. I see too much evil and no explanation fits what I observe as neatly and realistically as the teaching of the Bible. More than that I find that the Bible also brings us the answer to evil – and I have never yet come across any philosophy which does so.

5. Religion. There is so much in religion that is wrong and in many ways I hate religion. Generally, I think it is a human imitation that more often than not blocks the way to God rather than opens it. And yet it is an imitation of something that is real. As Augustine said, “Our hearts were made for you, O God, and they are restless until they find their rest in you.”

6. Experience. I believe because I have tasted that God is good. Of course, we can be deluded in our experience (that is why we need to reflect). And we can be wrong in our knowledge. But it would be a strange kind of person who did not take into account their experiences as part of the whole package. Not long after I became a Christian I was visiting a “hippy” home where amidst all the music and drugs paraphernalia there was a poster stuck on the wall. Its words have remained with me ever since: “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that I have not seen”. Sure – answered prayer, that sense of God’s presence and that joy in worship may all have been illusory. But then again it may all have been real.

7. History. As I have continued to read and study history it has broadened my horizons and enables me to see in the words of the old cliché that it is “His Story”. The history of mankind makes a whole lot more sense when it is set in the context of the history of God.

8. The Church. There are things in the Church that more than anything else have caused me to doubt. When you see Christians behaving in a way which would shame Satanists, when you see preachers being pompous, hypocritical, money and glory-grabbers, then it is enough to put you off Christianity for life. But I have also seen the other side. I have seen the most beautiful people (some of whom had been quite frankly ugly before their conversion) behave in the most wonderful, inexplicable ways. Inexplicable that is except for the grace and love of God. The Church at its best is glorious, beautiful and one of the best reasons to believe.

9. The Bible. Every year I read the Bible through at least once; every day I try to read it and every week I study it in order to proclaim it. It has been a source of challenge, comfort, truth and renewal. I have no doubt that God speaks to me through it (and I don’t mean the kind of loopy ignoring of context or more esoteric interpretations). In fact, I am so assured of this, experiencing it continually, that I have very little time for Christians who are always looking for “extra words” – as though the Bible were not enough. For me the thrill is still there.

10. Jesus. I guess that any one of the above nine reasons would not be enough on their own – although I think their cumulative effect is overwhelming. But this is the icing on the cake. Actually no … this is the cake. Jesus is the reason I believe and will continue to believe: “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son [Jesus]. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command” (Heb. 1:1–3). All things were created by Christ, and for Christ. He holds all creation together (Col. 1:16-17). It is in Christ that “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). We hear about Jesus. We believe Him. We receive Him as Lord. We continue to follow Him, “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness‟ (Col. 2:7). We are warned: “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ” (Col. 2:8). Would I really want to trade Jesus Christ for the Selfish Gene? No thanks. “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ” (Col. 2:9-10).  Why would I swap the fullness of Jesus Christ for the emptiness of a universe and life without God?

And why should you? The wonderful thing about Jesus Christ is that you cannot inherit Him, He cannot be bought and you cannot earn Him. He simply comes as a free gift to all who would receive Him. I leave you with some words from another man who had his life changed by Jesus and I pray that you too will see, believe and be changed. “In the beginning the Word [Jesus Christ] already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it …
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people [Jews], and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (Jn. 1:1-5, 9-13).

Lessons for us

The Bible says, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1; 53:1NLT). It is foolish to go against the overwhelming evidence for the God of the Bible. He has provided us with so much evidence that the only way we cannot see it is to deliberately shut our eyes and claim it doesn’t exist. That is why the Bible calls it foolish. In today’s world there are people who believe in wacky conspiracy theories – and it is impossible to argue them out of it. Why? Because everything you say is part of the conspiracy. In the same way the person who says in their heart that there is no God is a fool. They won’t be persuaded by rational argument or evidence, because they didn’t come to disbelieve because of rational argument or evidence.

The question for you is not really whether there is a God – but whether you trust Him and follow Him.

References

Dawkins R, 2006, “The God delusion”, Bantam Press.
Robertson D, 2007, “The Dawkins letters – Challenging atheistic myths”, Christian Focus Publications.

Acknowledgment

This post is based on David Robertson’s book, “The Dawkins letters – Challenging atheistic myths”.

Posted, June 2024

Also see: Evidence for God’s existence
Was the universe caused by natural or supernatural means?