How Do We Know There Is a God?

“Prove to Me There Is a God”

The skeptic’s condemning cry often comes as, “Prove to me there is a God.” Usually the agnostic or atheist expects physical or scientific evidence for the existence of God, but when the Bible believer cannot point to a living being and say, “There is God,” the skeptic thinks he has won.

What people often do not realize is that even if God appeared on the earth (which He has, in the person of Jesus Christ), we did not exist in eternity past and do not know the future, so we cannot prove by any human standard that He is eternal. Our understanding is limited, so we cannot prove that God knows all. And our limited perspective renders us incapable of proving God’s standard of morality as absolute and true. Not only that, but by our own fallible standards, our “telescopes are short-sighted,” and we cannot determine if He is the only God that exists inside (or outside) the universe. So, even if we could observe and scientifically test God by our own standards of operational science, we would be unable to prove all of His divine, eternal attributes because of our own limited mortality.

So any answer to the question, “How do we know there is a God?” that does not start with God’s own statements regarding Himself is self-refuting, inconsistent, and limited by human frailty because a finite, limited man can never ultimately prove the existence of an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing God. Only an eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing being could prove the existence of the God described in the Bible.

A clip from Ken Ham’s video Genesis 1:1—The Foundational Verse of the Foundational Book.

Confirming Evidences of Faith

A critic will readily cry foul and declare, “But you are saying that only God can prove God!” It is true that only God can tell us He has always existed in the past and that He knows everything. Even if we could physically see God (Exodus 24:11), at some point we have to believe He is exactly who He claims to be in His Word, including His unlimited power and infinite knowledge. But this does not mean our faith is blind and cannot be confirmed in some way. It also does not mean that faith in the Bible contradicts operational science. God has given us confirming evidences so that our faith is not a blind faith but a rational faith. When we start from the Bible, we can see evidences that powerfully confirm what God has already said. We don’t believe God exists and is true only because He says so.

Unfortunately, skeptics seldom take time to confirm the detailed fulfilled prophecies of the Bible. Given our inability to prove the eternal God by our own human standard, ignoring these is a serious error indeed. For example, God Himself identifies accurate foretelling of the future to be what separates Him from all false ideas of God (Isaiah 41:21–23, 44:6–8, 45:1–6, and 46:8–11).

Also, Acts 1:3 says the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus—to as many as 500 people at a time—are “many infallible proofs” that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be: the Son of God. Matthew, Mark, John, Paul, and Peter all wrote that they saw Jesus risen from the dead. Many people believe the written testimony concerning the events surrounding the American Revolutionary War without a single photo or video, yet they fail to believe the written testimony of the 40 authors whose works we collectively call “the Bible.”

While we may not be able to scientifically prove the eternal, almighty God exists, we can see how the Bible is consistent with operational science.

Scripture makes it clear that God’s eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen in the creation of the world around us (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; 97:6; Job 12:7–10). God is saying that the design and complexity of nature makes it obvious that He exists. But hard hearts often refuse to accept any evidence that the Bible is true, for it makes them accountable to a Creator God.

While we may not be able to scientifically prove the eternal, almighty God exists, we can see how the Bible is consistent with operational science. With the account of the Flood, we would expect to find billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth, which is exactly what we do find! We also see the universe is logical and orderly, and our Creator, as described in the Bible, is the God of order and logic. Ultimately, love, reason, knowledge, logic, and morality are all impossible to explain in a purely materialistic universe that exists by chance.

Over and over again the statements in the Bible can be confirmed as true (especially prophecies that only God could have known) and consistent with science, showing it can be trusted on all accounts, including the existence of God. Biblical faith in God is rational, not blind.

Without Excuse

Therefore none of us have any excuses for rejecting the knowledge of God. But if that is not enough, we know from Scripture that everyone, including atheists, ultimately knows there is a God (Romans 1:19; 2:14–15), so we are literally “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). But the statement, “Prove to me there is a God,” continues to be the rallying cry no matter what argument or confirming evidences of God’s Word are given. However, God did show up on the earth at one time in the person of Jesus Christ, but the skeptics crucified Him (1 Corinthians 2:8). He rose from the dead, but they tried to cover it up (Matthew 28:12–15). He performed amazing miracles, but unbelievers tried to destroy the evidence (John 12:10–11). The same continues today (Ecclesiastes 1:9–11).

“Prove to me there is a God,” continues to be the rallying cry no matter what argument or confirming evidences of God’s Word are given.

In the end, as the atheist or agnostic rejects the truth in unrighteousness as though he has deaf ears, he will deny the clear evidence for God and eventually invent “rescuing devices” (Romans 1:18–21)—like the idea that aliens planted our DNA on earth. No matter what argument or proof for God is given, this is how the atheist will continue to deny the truth. Unless he repents of his unbelief and sin, the atheist will refuse (2 Peter 3:5) to accept the eternal God’s eyewitness testimony concerning Himself and His creative work in the Word of God.

Summary

Are you still waiting for someone to prove to you there is a God? We encourage you to go back and read the verses in this article, in which God has already revealed Himself to you in writing before you were born, and also consider the many confirming evidences. Through the truth of God’s Word, only Jesus Christ can save the blinded and unrepentant skeptic who refuses to accept the Bible, which holds him accountable to God as a sinner in need of salvation. We praise and thank God for His free gift of salvation through His Son and urge unbelievers to submit to their Creator and Savior.

For More Information

• Is There Really a God?