While some declare themselves to be atheists, such a position, in actuality, is untenable. Despite the fact that the atheist may claim to have reached a more superior plane than the rest of us in his pursuit of knowledge, the Bible declares something much different. Scripture says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…” (KJV, Ps. 14:1) .
The Bible makes it clear where the atheist falls, and in actuality, he is reminiscent of the people found in Romans chapter 1. The Bible says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22). This is not intended to be a full frontal assault on the atheist, but there are many weak Christians who are unstable in their faith and who need to hear this.
Atheism is often placed in a category that is esteemed as having a high degree of knowledge and insight. Many Christians do not know how to sort through some of the ideas and concepts that atheists discuss. This is due to the fact that many atheists cling closely to the sciences and to evolutionary thinking, and they talk over the heads of those who do not understand the jargon. But this need not cause any Christian to fear. Atheism is debunked rather simply.
At the outset, the term atheism should defined. The prefix “a” means without. The suffix “theism” means God. Therefore, simply put, atheism means “without God.” But is this position truly a logical position to take? It is not, and for a very simple reason.
To say that God does not exist would mean that someone would have all the knowledge that can be had. For instance, if someone had half of all the knowledge that there is to be had, is it not possible that a God could be in the other half? Even if a person had 99% of the knowledge that could be had, it is still possible that God could be in the 1% that is left. Thus, man cannot disprove the existence of God; he lacks the knowledge to do so.
As a result, the position of agnosticism is taken by many as a more conservative approach. This position does not believe that God absolutely does not exist, but merely that someone cannot have certain knowledge of His existence.
Once again, the prefix “a” means without. The suffix “gnostic” means knowledge. Therefore, an agnostic is someone “without knowledge” (rather than “without God”).
But can the Christian have knowledge of God’s existence? He certainly can!
The universe
For starters, the universe declares that God exists. Scripture says, “… that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead…” (Rom. 1:19-20) . In another portion of Scripture, we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge” (Ps. 19:1-2) . The Bible points to the heavens, the skies, the earth, and the universe and says, “Look! Don’t you see? Can you not tell that God created it all?” The truth is that God created the heavens and the earth, and it is an illogical position to believe that it all came to be by random chance.
In the beginning of the Bible, we read that God spoke and created the heavens and the earth. For some time, scientists sought to prove that the universe had always existed. One of the reasons that this search was so important to them is because if the universe had always existed, it would be much easier to get rid of the notion that God exists. However, the universe has not always existed. Instead, it came into existence at a specific point in time.
The way that we can know this to be true is due to the fact that the universe is steadily expanding. This means that there was a time in which everything was closely condensed. Thus, the universe could not have always existed; rather, it would have started to expand when it came into existence. Since the universe could not have created itself, the logical conclusion is that something outside of the universe created the universe. This brings us to God.
DNA
DNA is another good indicator that God exists. Within DNA is coded information that is highly intelligent. DNA is not indicative of random chance or colliding molecules. DNA reads somewhat like a book. Have you ever picked up a book and thought to yourself, “How did this book just so happen to come about by random chance?”, or how about, “How did non-intelligent matter create this work?” Of course you have never thought such a thing; as the Psalmist would say, “That is foolish.” The fact is, there was an author who created the book.
The same is true for DNA. When someone looks at DNA, what he sees is coded information – much like that of a book, but on a much grander scale. Non-intelligent matter could not have created DNA. There must have been a mind behind DNA that is highly sophisticated and beyond human comprehension. This brings us to God.
The Bible
The Bible is a startling proof that God exists and that the God of the Bible is the one true God. The Bible is composed of 66 different books, authored by around 40 different authors on 3 continents over the course of around 1500 years. But if that was all there was to it, this would not necessarily be astounding. What makes it astounding is that there are no contradictions found within the Bible. The Bible is highly scrutinized, yet it has stood the test of time.
In the case of Jesus Christ, over 300 fulfilled prophecies have been recorded. The prophecies are not vague, as though anyone could have fulfilled them. The prophecies are also not possible for any one man to accomplish by sheer luck.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, would have a unique star accompanying His birth, would be hated by the people, would be crucified on a cross, would be betrayed by His friend, would be pierced in His side, and so much more. Stop and think about it for a minute. All of these prophecies (and they are just a few of those recorded in the Bible) required events to take place in order for them to be fulfilled that would be outside of the control of any one man. Simply put, a man has no control over where he is born or if, after his death, someone will pierce him in his side. The fact of the matter is that Jesus is Who He said He is, and thus, the prophecies were fulfilled.
The resurrection
Finally, God is real because Jesus has risen. There is overwhelming proof both inside and outside of Scripture that Christ was crucified on a cross. Not only that, there are multiple eyewitness accounts concerning His resurrection.
The disciples believed that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. James, Jesus’ brother, believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Paul believed that Jesus rose from the dead. These facts should not be taken lightly. The disciples, James, and Paul had nothing to gain from their claims concerning the resurrection of Christ. They were beaten, tortured, stoned, and even killed for their faith. They held onto their belief unto death, and they have been a source of faith for many down through the ages.
If your faith is small, look to the apostles. They were individuals who could verify whether or not Christ had risen. They knew where Christ had been buried. They knew that the tomb was empty. The truth is, they saw Christ after His death, and they went out and told the world.
Conclusion
The Christian need not fear. Christianity is rooted in wisdom and truth. It is not foolish to believe that the God of the Bible exists and that He created the heavens and the earth. Be prepared to give an account for the hope that is within you.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for calling me to Yourself. I thank You for the many ways that You show me that You do exist, that You are real, and that You sent Your Son Jesus Christ. I pray that You would help me to be more rooted in my faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.