Can I Know God Exists?

At some point in the life of most Christians, we ask ourselves this question: “How can I really know that God exists?” Many of us are embarrassed for even thinking such a thought. If I’m a Christian, how can I question such a basic truth about my worldview. Unfortunately, this embarrassment or guilt prevents us from adequately facing the question or seeking guidance from someone who can help. But in reality, God is not afraid of such questions, and the Scriptures anticipate the need for an answer. In fact, the Bible offers us many different ways that humans can know that God exists. Let’s look at four of them.

Reason #1 - The Created Order

In the book of Romans (1:19-20), Paul says: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” What Paul is rightly arguing is that we can look at the world around us and quickly infer that it had a powerful, personal creator. All that exists in the universe requires an explanation sufficient to explain the effect. Not only does the mere existence of the universe demand an explanation, but so does its beauty, symmetry, and fine-tuning.

Information in the DNA, the existence of life, human rationality, and so many more

features of our world proclaim the existence of their creator. To know whether or not there is a God, just lift up your eyes and ponder on the existence of what you see.

Reason #2 – The Human Conscience

The next reason we have for knowing God exists is the moral law he has written on our hearts. Romans 2:14-15 states it this way: “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them…” Here the Bible show us what we already know intuitively to be true: there is a moral law that stands outside and above

us and we are accountable to it. Likewise, we know that an objective moral law requires a law giver. And if this law stands over and above all human beings, it must come from a personal source outside and above us, namely God.

Reason #3 – Scripture

The first two reasons for being confident in God’s existence don’t end up telling us a whole lot about who God is and what he is like. In fact, most people of the world believe in the existence of God, with creation/conscience being the primary reasons. Fortunately for the Christian, God has not left us to speculate, but has chosen to reveal himself in history through his actions and his Word (the Bible). In the Bible, we can see divine fingerprints everywhere. Miracles, prophecy, a perfect moral law, the unity of its message and doctrine, the fitness and glory of the plan of salvation and so much more reveal the divine mind of the author, God himself. We can go to the Bible and see abundant evidence that it is a superhuman book. This not only helps us believe there is a God, but also gives us tremendous insight into his person, character, and

will.

Reason #4 – Jesus

While nature, conscience, and the Scriptures all reveal God, making it possible for us to know him, he has made himself most fully known in the person of Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 states it this way, “Long ago, at many times and in many way, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…” John describe Jesus as God becoming flesh and dwelling among us. So if we want to know God – that he exists and what he is like – we should look to Jesus. There are countless conversion testimonies (from both atheists and people of other religions) who were moved to believe in God and embrace Christianity simply by looking at the person of Jesus.

If you are wrestling with the question of whether or not God exists, don’t be afraid to look for answers. The causes of your doubt or questions could be many and varied, but the solution is typically the same. Look to the world around you, examine your conscience, pour over the Scriptures, and most importantly, fix your eyes on the person of Jesus.