The Bible has a lot to say about the existence of God. Here is an overview of some of the key biblical teachings on this important question.
Evidence from Creation
The Bible teaches that the existence of the created world points to the reality of a Creator. Passages like Psalm 19:1 state that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (ESV). The majesty, complexity, and order of the natural world give evidence that there must be an intelligent Designer behind it all. Romans 1:20 says that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” According to the Bible, the fact that the universe exists at all is evidence for God’s existence.
The Universal Human Sense of God
The Bible teaches that all human beings have an innate sense of God’s existence. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states that God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” Romans 1:19 says that people instinctively understand that there is a Creator: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” In this view, the universal human propensity to believe in a higher power or powers points to the reality that there is, in fact, a divine being like God.
Fulfilled Biblical Prophecy
One of the strongest evidences the Bible gives for God’s existence is the phenomenon of fulfilled biblical prophecy. The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies that have been accurately fulfilled over centuries and millennia. The statistical likelihood that all these prophecies could have been fulfilled by chance or human orchestration is virtually impossible. The fulfillment of so many specific prophecies is evidence that the Bible is divinely inspired, which implies the existence of God.
Jesus’s Claims about Himself
Based on the gospel accounts, Jesus claimed to be God incarnate (John 8:58; 10:30) and to have authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:20-24). He also predicted his own death and resurrection (Luke 18:31-33). The fulfillment of those prophecies through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection gives credibility to his claims to be God in human form. Belief in Jesus’s deity implies belief in the existence of God.
Changed Lives
The Bible teaches that those who sincerely commit their lives to following Jesus experience radical transformation by the power of God (2 Corinthians 5:17). Drug addicts are freed from addiction, selfish people become generous, bitter people find forgiveness, and aimless people find purpose and meaning. This evidence of God’s power to change lives serves as evidence that He does indeed exist and act in people’s lives.
Jesus’s Resurrection
All four biblical gospels describe Jesus rising from the dead after being crucified and buried for three days (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20). Jesus’s resurrection served as proof that he was who he claimed to be. The fact that the tomb was empty and that many people saw the risen Christ is presented by the Bible as verification that God’s power was at work in raising Jesus from the dead. Belief in the resurrection requires belief in God’s existence.
Unexplained Miracles
The Bible records dozens of miracles where God supernaturally intervenes in history. From the Exodus plagues to divine healing to the virgin birth of Jesus, the Bible teaches that God has sometimes performed miracles that defy natural explanation. The occurrence of genuine inexplicable miracles implies the existence of a Being greater than the natural world – God.
Answers to Prayer
The Bible encourages believers to pray and predict that God will answer prayers (Matthew 7:7; James 5:16). Millions of people report having had prayers answered miraculously, in ways that seem impossible unless God actually exists. This common human experience of God responding to prayer points to his reality.
God’s Self-Revelation
Perhaps the most straightforward case for God’s existence is that he has personally revealed himself to humanity. Beginning with Adam and Eve, continuing with the patriarchs like Abraham, and culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ, the Bible records numerous examples of God directly communicating with people and demonstrating his divine nature. If one believes, as 2 Timothy 3:16 states, that “All Scripture is breathed out by God,” then the Bible itself represents God’s self-revelation and proof of his existence.
The Universe Had a Beginning
Modern cosmology indicates that the universe began to exist at a definite point in the past, most likely some 13.8 billion years ago in the event known as the Big Bang. But nothing can come from nothing. The fact that our universe contains mass/energy implies that something outside the universe – God – brought the universe into being.
The Fine-Tuning of the Universe
Not only did the universe have an absolute beginning, the precise initial conditions and physical laws were exquisitely balanced to allow for the possibility of complex life. The ratio of electrons to protons, the expansion rate of the universe, the difference between matter and anti-matter, and dozens of other parameters indicate incredible fine-tuning. The probability this happened by chance is infinitesimally small. The best explanation is that God designed the universe to support life.
The Moral Law Within
People instinctively understand there is a difference between good and evil, suggesting an innate moral law. C.S. Lewis argued that the existence of a universal and transcendent moral law implies the existence of a transcendent Law-Giver – God.
Justice and Injustice
The human desire for justice – that good be rewarded and evil punished – points to the existence of a moral judge who will ensure justice is done. This impulse is best explained if there actually exists a God who will judge humanity with perfect justice in the afterlife (Ecclesiastes 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Beauty and Aesthetics
Humans are drawn to beauty. But if materialism is true and life arose by chance, why should creatures that evolved through survival of the fittest pursue beauty, art, and music? The Bible explains this human impulse by teaching that human beings are made in the image of the creative God who designed the universe to showcase breathtaking beauty and purpose.
Jesus Christ as God Incarnate
The life, words, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament present a logically convincing case that he is the Son of God who became flesh, lived among people, and demonstrated his deity by rising from the dead. Belief in Christ’s incarnation necessitates belief in God.
Personal Encounter with God
Millions of Christians testify to having a personal encounter with God through Christ that has radically changed their lives. While subjective, these experiences of the divine cannot be lightly dismissed and reinforce other evidence that God does exist.
In summary, the Bible teaches that the existence of the universe, the universal human sense of the divine, biblical prophecy and miracles, the resurrection of Jesus, transformed lives, and personal experiences of God all point to the reality that God does indeed exist. The cumulative weight of these factors presents a compelling case that God is real.