As a believer in God, how do you feel when you’re asked to prove the existence of God?
It’s one thing to prove and another thing to show the proof of God’s existence. However, one cannot determine the state of mind of another, so the choice to either believe or not is dependent on one’s own will.
I’ve heard of people who chose to believe in God’s existence because, according to them, God healed them of a particular sickness or so.
Personally, I’m not so interested in people having to believe in God as much as I’m interested in why they believe and for what.
Today, I want to share with you the proof of God’s existence. I believe it’s important for Believers today to be aware of this knowledge.
Meanwhile, have you seen our recent message: Who Is The One True God? You should check it out.
Defining Proof
Words like evidence, testament, testimonial, and confirmation are synonymous with proof, but the proof is the final verdict.
There are two terms commonly used to falsify or prove a claim: evidence and proof. While evidence is raw material gathered to either support or disprove a claim or an argument, proof is the standard fact or information that establishes the claim as definitely true or not.
The fact is, the proof doesn’t change because one chooses to accept it or not, for whatever reason.
God’s Existence
The existence of God or a god is one of the most profound arguments in the world, as it deals with everything in existence.
In my existence, I’ve come to find myself among theist and atheist, and the common distinction between these two is belief. While theism claims that God exists, atheism argues that God doesn’t exist. So it’s a belief and an unbelief in Theos’ existence.
I believe I’m addressing an audience who actually believe in God’s existence, that creation has a creator who created existence without being created Himself. And while this article is not targeted at an argument, creation itself is evidence of a creator.
Believing in God’s existence only really matters to a person when he or she is able to determine whether or not, believing in God matters in the first place. But does it suggest God didn’t exist in the first place?
What I’m pointing to is the fact that everyone who believes or doesn’t believe in the existence of God does so by choice, depending on how they see the existence presented.
This is The proof of God’s Existence
All humans were born into a family or sect of people with different belief systems. Some Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and even atheists, to mention a few.
It’s worth admitting that these systems have significantly influenced our reasoning and cultural lifestyles. And many people are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists etc. because they were born into the families defined by those ideas.
Many grow up to part ways with those ideas; others grow up to enhance them. But here is the thing: I grew up a Christian and discovered a lot of things that didn’t make sense. I could have been an unbeliever, but I saw the proof of God’s existence. It was all left for me to either believe or not, so I chose to believe.
John Lennox once said that God is not a theory but a person. And I agreed with him in that God proved His existence in the person of Christ Jesus. Thus, Christ is the proof of God’s existence.
This could be challenging for some to accept; it was then as it is now. People who believed in the existence of God found it difficult to accept that Christ came forth from God because they understood what it meant.
But I came to understand that His coming was God revealing Himself to humanity, so we could see God in Christ and know God in Christ.
Note: It is one thing to believe in God’s existence and another thing to believe in God. In believing in God, one has to answer the question of ‘where, ‘what, or who.’ This is where many theists part ways. Jesus Christ said, “You believe in God; believe also in me.”
At The Believers Today, we believe in the existence of God in Christ and in the testimony of God about Christ.
Christ is The proof of God’s Existence
Creation on its own encompasses patterns, laws, life, and energy, which suggest a source that is not a mistake. There is an intelligent mind.
In John the Apostle’s account, it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.” John 1:1–5 WEB
The Genesis of creation, according to John, had the word, which was God, and according to his account, “The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 WEB)
Matthew gave the genealogical account of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:1–17, and while Mark introduced the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God, Luke the physician wrote to Theophilus in his Gospel and in The Acts concerning the events of Christ as also witnessed by those who were with Him.
These four Gospels account for the existence of a significant figure, Jesus Christ, whom John called the word of God.
“By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3 WEB.
God Is Spirit, Invisible
It is written in John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.”
Two things to note from the scriptures I’ve highlighted so far;
- God, the Creator, is Invisible.
- The man Jesus Christ is the revelation of God.
The “One and Only Son” or “Son of God” refers to God in a man or God in humanity. The Son refers to the invisible God as the Father.
He said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27 WEB
So God, who is Invisible and the Father, is revealed by Jesus Christ, and there is not in every man this knowledge.
“For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].” Colossians 2:9 AMP
The Image of the Invisible God
On one occasion, Jesus Christ was having a conversation with His disciples concerning His sufferings and the glory that would follow. He made a statement saying,
“Where I go, you know, and you know the way.”
Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?’
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.’
Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.’
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” John 14:4–11 WEB
Before, it was “No one knows the Father except the Son” and now, it is “He who has seen me has seen the Father.”
“[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15 AMP
And “Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16 WEB
His resurrection is evident proof of God’s existence
The central ground for faith in God and in Christ Jesus is the resurrection of Christ. While in crucifixion, He identified with humanity through suffering for sins, and He rose again the third day with eyewitnesses.
Peter’s Witness Account to Israel
Here is what Apostle Peter had to say about the resurrection of Christ in his public address to the Israelites:
“ ‘Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in your midst, even as you yourselves know,
him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay.
This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” ’ ” –The Acts 2:22–40 WEB
In The Acts 4:32–35, it was recorded, “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.
For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
and laid them at the apostles’ feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.”
Apostle Paul’s Testimony
Let me note that in The Acts 23, Paul was imprisoned specifically for preaching the resurrection of the dead. This was simply because there were some people who didn’t believe in resurrection, spirits, or angels. They were called Sadducees.
Along the line, some men even deprived themselves of food and water until they were able to execute Paul. But he was transferred to Governor Felix with hundreds of soldiers after the information got to the Chief Officer, Claudia Lysias.
In chapter 24, under Felix, Paul was heard and called upon to present his faith in Christ, but since Felix was expecting money from him, he stayed in prison for two years under Felix. And after Felix kicked the bucket, he was succeeded by Porcius Festus.
A similar incident took place in chapter 25 as the High Priest and some prominent Jewish men went to Festus, requesting that he send Paul to Jerusalem, where they would take him off.
Though Festus desired to have favour with the Jews, after hearing Paul speak, he couldn’t find any fault with him and granted him the request of standing before Caesar.
Porcius Festus also took the matter to King Agrippa, and this is what he said:
“Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed;
but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” The Acts 25:18–19 WEB
At the end, King Agrippa requested to hear Paul speak, and it was so in Chapter 26. But considering the length of this writing, here is an excerpt of his testimony before King Agrippa and the People, after speaking of his transformation and obedience to the “Heavenly Vision.”
“‘For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.
Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.’
As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!’
But he said, ‘I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.’
Agrippa said to Paul, ‘With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?’
Paul said, ‘I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.’
The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
When they had withdrawn, they spoke one to another, saying, ‘This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.’
Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’” The Acts 26:21–32 WEB
Faith in Christ and in His Resurrection
It is evident that the Apostles of the Lamb and eyewitnesses of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that followed testified of the resurrection of Christ as the truth, and an assurance that those who have faith in Him will live in eternity.
Paul said, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised.
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain.
Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised.
For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised.
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins.
Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:3–20 WEB
All that we’ve got to deal with today was already dealt with many years ago. I thought it was wise to show us. Our faith in Christ Jesus is anchored in His resurrection. And when all is said and done, it will be Christ and Christ alone.
As it is written, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” Therefore, we look away from the rest, looking to Jesus Christ, the express image of the invisible God, the author and finisher of our faith.
