Landmark Baptist

Brethren,
I am doing a study on the existence of God and would like your input. I have read many Theology books on the matter and quite frankly sometimes they go over my head. I am just a simple person. I have been looking at the various arguments like the cosmological, teleological, etc. and want to find away to express arguments for fellows believers to use in discussing the existence of God to others. The Bible does not prove His existence but rather affirms His existence. There are many scriptures that help us understand that nature is a display of His handiwork and that man has by nature an intuition that there is a creator. So any help or discussion would be great!
Bro. Todd Dornan

I suppose one could use evidence both biblical and scientific to support the existence of God. However the question is so fundamental as to make the arguments useless to negative people. I approach it positively on the negative side. The Word declares that "the fool saith in his heart there is no God." Such as deny His existence is already categorized by the Word. Why spend time with fools? Efforts are more rewarding with so many other types of people.

Bro. Dilliard,
Thank you for your response! I do see your point. I would like to dwell on your statement further. Thanks again!
Bro. Todd Dornan

Hello Bro Dornan

I hope I am grasping the question you are asking.

I talk to a number of ""religious people"" that have difficulty with the existence of God. Although I do not claim to know a best way to discuss proving Him the two most effective ways I have used is.

1. My own personal witness of testimony (people can argue away anything they want but they cannot argue away what you testify of in your own life) They may be able to ignore it or dismiss it but they cannot argue it away as if it hasn't happened.

2. I try to use a bit of reasoning with science through the eyes of the Bible. We know for certain that the moon rotates around the earth, and the earth rotates around the sun, this along with many other combined planets make up what we know as our galaxy. What science suspects but are not absolutly able to prove is that our galaxy rotates around something bigger undefined.

Well then lets consider that the Sun is equatable to Christ (He is the light of the World and in Him is no darkness), the Moon is the Church (Has no light of its own but reflects the Light of the Sun), and the earth is of coarse the World. The other planets are like other dimensions (Angelic realms) that we get glimpses of but do not fully comprehend the fullness of their capacity. All of this then is in its proper place and function by something bigger and much more vast than we can handle but it is absolutly firm in its power, the universe! Our Earth, moon, sun, and galaxy, all are subjet to the will of the universe and it is unalterable. God is in my mind, (in its greatest finite capacity) provable by the universe.

I hope that doesn't sound to strange.

Brother Todd, I hope these thoughts don't come across as discouraging you. I don't mean them that way. I am very pleased from a secular standpoint of the scientific work that has been done in the subject of the world, creationism, etc. It has its place. As far as the existence of God from a religious/Christian standpoint, it is a matter of faith. Hebrews 11:3 - Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. I have at times been guilty of trying to "prove" God. In the scientific realm we may find certain facts that support the existence of a Creator. That is a good thing. But a person must believe in God, come to Him by faith, rather than through rational, logical and scientific arguments. I think this is one of the reasons the Bible simply acknowledges God, rather than trying to prove God. Maybe it is like some of the books I have written. I didn't spend time trying to prove I exist. I suppose that the fact you are reading my book speaks to the fact I exist. Hope these ramblings might be beneficial in some way.

Thank you Brethren for your input!
Bro. Vaughn, I agree with your statement and am not discouraged. It does all come down to a matter of faith. No matter what arguments you may use for the existence of God you either believe of not believe.
Thanks again! Bro. Todd Dornan

1 John 4:15 "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" The person that meets this criteria need not question God. Therefore one needs to hear the gospel. And accept Jesus as Savior and there should be no need to question if there is a God. He is in them.. Bro Dillards comment from Scripture is pretty good advice. A fool needs to be saved..

Lee

I want to thank you all for your comments. I never meant to suggest we try to use anything other than the scriptures to lead people to Christ. For the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. My thought was as we study the Bible and we come along verses such as in Psalm 19 that the heavens declare God's handiwork and in Romans 1:19-20 that God has given man evidence of His existence that man is without excuse and I understand no matter what argument you may use it comes down to faith (Heb 11:3 and 6), to develop a deeper understanding for people with confidence and conviction explain his existence. I even noticed in JR Graves' book "Seven Dispensations" he included the cosmological and other arguments for God. I guess what I was searching for is how relevent are those arguments are as we study the scriptures and begin to teach others about the person of God. Frankly, I think some of the arguments make great illustrations of the verses I used above. Just my thoughts!

PastorTodd wrote:I guess what I was searching for is how relevent are those arguments are as we study the scriptures and begin to teach others about the person of God. Frankly, I think some of the arguments make great illustrations of the verses I used above. Just my thoughts!

I absolutly agree with you Bro. Todd. I believe we live in a world today that with some people "the seed" that is planted in the minds of certain people will need to start with the General Revelation of God's existence. Since you were asking for a resource that would be on a more simple level than some of these science books, I don't understand a lot of them either, you might want to pick up a copy of "The Case for a Creator" by Lee Strobel. I haven't read the whole book but what I have read is really good.