Many people who do not believe in God, at least in a personal God, assume that those who do have no objective basis for their belief. Let's
consider some objective evidence for a personal God.
A PERSONAL GOD
A Design Demands a Designer!
I collect antique watches. One in the collection with an elaborately tooled gold case
is over a hundred years old. Surprisingly the old watch keeps almost perfect time. When I
open the back, revealing the inner workings, I can see the tiny springs and gears moving.
The design is amazing and I marvel at the skill required to put all those tiny pieces
together.
I write on my notebook computer. Just a short time ago it would have taken a computer
the size of a room to do what my notebook computer is capable of today. Though I don't
understand it all, I appreciate the skill and knowledge behind it. The size enables me to
carry my computer anywhere. Just the other day I removed the cover and was amazed at the
design and technology that makes it function.
I am grateful that man has developed the technology to make the intricate inner
workings of timepieces and the complex systems of the computer. In every area of life
where we see design, we assume the existence of a designer. Yet, for all the
accom-plishments of human intelligence and skill, nothing can compare with the complexity
and potential of the human mind. Why not a Designer for this ultimate design? Let's
imagine that you and I are standing together on an airport runway. I say to you, "A
lot of people think that a jet is the result of carefully designed plans, but I know
better. There was really no plan or intelligent design. The metal, by some mysterious
process, started oozing from the ground. Over the years the plates developed. Gradually
holes were formed in the edges of the plates, and rivets appeared. They flattened
themselves out on either side and years later the engines came into being. One day some
explorers discovered the plane - finished and ready for flight."
Now if I were serious, you would consider me a lunatic! We both know that when design
exists, there must be a designer. Having seen countless results of man's design and
engineering ability, just like the aircraft, we know that they were planned with human
intelligence and built with human skill. Yet, there are those who tell us that the entire
universe came into being by chance. A few million years - and here we are.
But there are many who disagree with this theory. Dr. Arthur Compton, a Nobel Prize
winner in physics, states, "For myself, faith begins with a realization that a
supreme intelligence brought the universe into being and created man. It is not difficult
for me to have this faith, for it is incontrovertible that where there is a plan there is
intelligence. An orderly, unfolding universe testifies to the truth of the most majestic
statement ever uttered - 'In the beginning God . . .' " 1
What About Statistics?
A past president of the New York Scientific Society cited this example as a reason why
he believes there is a God: "Take ten identical coins and mark them one to ten. Place
them in your pocket, and then take one out. There is one chance in ten that you will get
number one. Now replace it and take another. The chances that number two will follow
number one are not one in ten, but one in one hundred. With each coin drawn the chances
that it will follow in the right order are multiplied by ten, so that the chance of all
ten fol- lowing in sequence is one chance in ten billion."
He concluded, "I cannot accept the reality which we see as the result of mere
chance."
Pollster George Gallup states, "I could prove God statistically. Take the human
body alone; the chance that all the functions of a human would just happen is a
statistical monstrosity." 2
The late Professor Edwin Conklin, a noted biologist, is quoted frequently as saying,
"The probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability
of the Unabridged Dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop." 3
Can Everything Be Explained?
Some contend that since they can't explain God, they can't believe He exists. Can you
explain electricity? I can't! Even the scientist struggles to provide more than an
explanation of its effect. Yet, I have no doubt about the existence of electricity. I'm a
believer every time I flip a switch, listen to a stereo, or start my car, and it's safe to
assume that you're a believer, too. I may be way off in my belief of how electricity
works, but the fact remains: Electricity exists. Similarly, I believe that God exists
because I see the results of His existence. His handiwork is all around me. And however
little I know of Him, however mistaken or confused I may be, I am compelled to believe in
His existence.
Once the existence of a Creator God is recognized - a God who carefully designed our
universe, our world, and everything that it contains (including you and me) - this still
does not answer questions like, What kind of God is He? I'm still forced to explore the
purpose of creation.
Where we see design, we accept the existence of a designer. We also accept the fact
that most designed objects have a purpose or reason for their design. My special watch was
not designed for admiration; it was designed to tell time. Airplanes are not designed to
impress; they are designed to be a primary means of transportation.
C
ONSIDER We believe God not only created, but He
created with purpose, and that purpose provides the basis for understanding life.
R
EASON If there is no God, then my mind must come up
with some reasonable explanation for the origin and meaning of life.
If there is a God, then I must respond to His existence and make choices based on His
claims.
R
ESPOND What do you think? Are you willing to look at
why you believe what you believe?
Your response is very important! Please take a minute to fill out and return these
response sheets in one of the enclosed envelopes.
The Living Message Fellowship staff is dedicated to helping you. Please contact us with
your questions or concerns at 1-800-503-2214.
1. The Bible doesn't try to prove God's existence; it simply states His existence as a
fact.
"Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above
and on the earth below. There is no other" (Deuteronomy 4:39).
"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will
strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to
the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there
is no other" (Isaiah 45:5-6).
God declares that He Is! In addition, he wants us to know that He Is. How does
God express this to us?
2. In Job 12:7-10, Job says that all created beings acknowledge their creation
by God and that we can learn from them.
"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they
will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea
inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In
his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:7-10).
a. In these verses, Job implies a distinction between mankind and all the rest of
creation. What is that distinction?
b. What does God hold in His hand?
3. God has many attributes and qualities that characterize Him as a person.
"But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and
stretched out the heavens by his understanding" (Jeremiah 10:12).
a. This quotation refers to three qualities of God as a person that were used in
creation. What are they?
b. What do these qualities imply about the planning and design behind creation?
4. Read Psalm 139:13-18. This passage speaks of God's creation of each individual life:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know
that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When
I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the
days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious
to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they
would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you " (Psalm
139:13-18).
a. What qualities are ascribed to us?
b. What interest does God show in our lives?
c. What do we learn about the number of our days?
