How Can I Know That God Is Real?

Is there conclusive evidence to prove that God exists?

This is a question commonly asked by those who choose not to believe in God to challenge those who do. According to their irrational thinking, if there is no conclusive evidence that God exists, then there can be no God. The problem with this flawed reasoning, however, is that a lack of conclusive evidence cannot prove whether or not anything exists. To be absolutely certain that God does not exist one would have to know everything that can be known. Since no one knows everything, a reasonable atheist must admit that even without definitive proof, God could possibly exist. When all available evidence is considered, it indicates that not only does God exist, but that He is currently and actively involved with His creation. According to Scripture, those who say that God does not exist are fools!

“Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good!” (Psalm 14:1)

The truth is that God does exist. He Himself declared this to Moses.

“God replied, ‘I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14).

The Hebrew verb hayah (hayah) translated “I AM” in the above verse literally means “to be” or “to exist.” It is in the present progressive tense, which indicates continuing action. God’s reply to Moses above indicates not only that He is but that He always has been and always will be. This is evidence of God’s eternal nature. God’s declaration that “I AM” indicates that He is self-existent and that no one created Him.

Other evidence for God is that He is knowable and wants to be known.

“Your Name, O LORD, endures forever; Your fame, O LORD, is known to every generation” (Psalm 135:13).

“If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD” (Jeremiah 29:13-14a).

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;…” (Philippians 3:10).

God does not play hide and seek with His children. He wants to be found by us and known by us. Most of all He wants to have an intimate relationship with each of us. For this to happen, we must put forth every effort to get to know Him.
 
To truly know Him, we must first learn about Him. We can learn about God through His attributes. An attribute is whatever God has in any way revealed about Himself in His Word. Attributes are not merely qualities which God possesses, but actual revelations of His character.

Here are some things that can be known about God:

• He is self-existent; He exists totally in and of Himself. (Exodus 3:14)
• He is not like anyone or anything else. (Exodus 15:11)
• He is infinite, and therefore incomprehensible in nature! (Romans 11:33-36)
• He is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere all the time). (1 John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; Psalm 139:7-10)
• He is transcendent (beyond all comprehension). (Hebrews 1:7)
• He is sovereign and rules over everything and everyone. (Isaiah 45:7; Colossians 1:16)
• He can be known only through revelation by the Holy Spirit! (1 Corinthians 2:10, 14)
• He can be understood through His attributes and through His Son. (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9)
• He fills heaven and earth: He dwells outside of time and space. (1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24)
• He is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth (2 Corinthians 3:17; John 4:24;)

It is important for us to know God, because our concept of Him affects every area of our lives:

• What we value
• How we act and think
• Our attitude toward ourselves and others
• And, ultimately, the degree of success we will attain in life

We can never progress beyond our concept of Who God is! The better we know God, the more effectively we can live for, serve, and glorify Him.

God’s Word tells us that He knows everything about us.

“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me” (Psalm 139:1b).

Since God knows everything about us, should we not also take the time to get to know all that can be known about Him?

Evidences for God’s Existence

We can know that God exists because He has revealed Himself to us through three distinct means:

1. Through His creation
2. Through His Word, and
3. Through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

God Reveals Himself through His Creation.

“From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20).

The most obvious evidence for God is His creation. Anyone can look around and see God’s handiwork. There is design in virtually every aspect of nature, and when we see design it follows that there must be a Designer. No one looks at a precision engineered sports car and believes that it is the result of some random spontaneous process. We do not admire a beautiful painting and attribute it to an explosion in a paint factory. God’s creation provides magnificent physical evidence that there is a Creator.

“The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship” (Psalm 19:1).

God Reveals Himself through His Word.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1).

God reveals Himself from the very first verse in Scripture. He was there before the beginning and He will be there after the end.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the One Who is, Who always was, and Who is still to come, the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8)

According to God’s Word, there is:

• None before Him (Isaiah 43:10)
• None above Him (Psalm 95:3; 96:4; 97:9)
• None beside Him (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 44:6)
• None like Him (Exodus 9:14; Deuteronomy 33:26; 2 Samuel 7:22; Isaiah 46:5,9; Jeremiah 10:6)
• None good but Him (Matthew 19:17)

Based on attributes listed in His Word, God is:

• Compassionate (2 Kings 13:23 )
• Eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Revelation 4:8-10)
• Faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 4:19)
• Glorious (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 145:5)
• Good (Psalm 25:8; 119:68)
• Gracious (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 116:5)
• Holy (Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 5:16)
• Immortal (1 Timothy 1:17; 6:16)
• Immutable (absolute) (Psalm 102:26-27; James 1:17)
• Incorruptible (Romans 1:23)
• Invisible (Job 23:8, 9; John 1:18; 5:37; 1 Timothy 1:17)
• Jealous (Job 24:19; Nahum 1:2)
• Just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 45:21)
• Light (Isaiah 60:19; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5)
• Long-suffering (Numbers 14:18; Micah 7:1)
• Love (1 John 4:8, 16)
• Merciful (Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 86:5)
• Most High (Psalm 33:18; Acts 7:48)
• Only-wise (Romans 16:27; 1 Timothy 1:17)
• Perfect (Matthew 5:48)
• Righteous (Ezekiel 9:15; Psalm 145:17)
• True (Jeremiah 10:10; John 17:3)
• Unsearchable (Job 11:7; 37:23; Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 11:33)
• Upright (Psalm 25:8; 92:15)

God Reveals Himself through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

“For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body,…” (Colossians 2:9)

Scripture makes clear in the above declaration and in the verse below that there is no spiritual distinction between Jesus, the Son and God, the Father.

“The Father and I are One" (John 10:30).

Jesus stated emphatically that He was inextricably connected to His Father, God.

“But I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent me; it is not merely my own” (John 5:30).

Just as Jesus always followed His Father’s leading, so should we.

“Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children” (Ephesians 5:1).

That God exists is self-evident. He can be seen in everything He created. Everyone knows that God exists. He does not need to prove Himself to anyone.
So how is it that so many people claim that there is no God? The passage below describes the process by which rebellious individuals (v. 18), who instinctively know that God exists (v. 19), reject Him (v. 21), and choose instead to believe lies (v. 25). According to Scripture, these people are fools (v. 22) who have no excuse for not knowing God (v. 20).

“18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead, 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. 24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever" (Romans 1:18-25).

There is no question that God exists. There is more than ample evidence to support that He exists. If God is Who He says He is, then His Word is Truth. If His Word is Truth, then we have only two choices in this life and two concerning the next.

In this life we can choose to live for Him or strive against Him.

“Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me” (Matthew 12:30).

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).

Concerning the next life we can choose to spend it in either heaven or hell.

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

“For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard” (Romans 3:23)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

Beyond the shadow of a doubt God exists! The question is how will you respond to Him?