Series: Consider this… “A Conversational Defense of our Faith”
Lesson #1: In the Beginning…is God Real?
Scenario: You’re at a family gathering, having a conversation with a grown niece’s boyfriend. The discussion turns to spiritual things, and when the subject of God comes up, he says, “I don’t believe the Bible’s version of God, and how things started.” How do you respond?
Of course, a good way to start is asking questions of the person, but we need to have done the same to ourselves first. For example, ask yourself these questions concerning belief of the way things started:
What do I believe?
Why do I believe it?
How can I explain it?
Naturally, the Bible is our source for truth, and doctrine, but what if the person isn’t receptive to scripture quotes? What do I say when someone simply shuts down concerning the Bible, and great verses like Gen. 1:1 & John 1:1? Do I just dismiss them? Absolutely not…regroup and start over. Consider this…
In addition to the sacred truth of the scriptures, there are 5 major arguments for God’s existence. Here are 3 of them.
#1 The Teleological Argument: This is based on the observation that nature has such a refined level of design, sequencing, and beauty, that chance could not possibly be the author of such incredible things.
- Long before we had technology to see the expanse of space, David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1)
- God said to Job that creation takes on form like “clay under a seal”. The earth is literally like a mark left from the signet ring of the maker (Job 38:14).
- William Paley in his book, Natural Theology tells the story of a man noticing two items in a field, a rock and a watch. The rock brought no special interest, just a naturally occurring thing, but the watch was different. It had obvious marks of a craftsman who shaped the metal pieces, polished the class bezel, and wound the spring. We can point to this magnificent creation as evidence of God, as opposed to random chance.
#2 The Moral Argument: This is based on the universal recognition of right & wrong in the world.
- Even when there is no concept of Judeo-Christian teaching, there are behavior codes. Even in remote places, rules are in against such things as murder & theft, why? It’s because a “conscience” is hardwired into people from being created in God’s image. What makes right “right”, and wrong “wrong”? Who defined that originally? God did.
- Paul used the Moral Argument in two separate passages of scripture, Rom. 1:18-21 and Acts 17:22-29. He successfully shows how nature points to God’s creative role, and man’s rebellion.
#3 The Experience Argument: This is based on your personal testimony.
- Description – I can describe my Dad because I know him. I can tell of his personality, preferences, and other details, because of a relationship with him. It’s the same with describing God. There are characteristics of Him beyond my ability to communicate, but that shouldn’t stop me from talking about what I know is true.
- Observation – In science, part of an experiment is the observation. Our life is “observable” and we should be mindful of what onlookers are observing. Over time, if our life proves consistent, then our credibility compels people to ask “How?” and “Why?”
Conclusion: The evidence for God is overwhelming. Just like Paul in Acts 17, we hear opinions of all kinds. Mankind has many beliefs contradicting scripture, but at the core, they’re feeble attempts to approach God on human terms. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the only way to God, and faith in Him is the only true source of life.
There is a list of books and links for your personal study on the links page:
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