The Existence of God

Introduction

Over 135 years ago, Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed “God is Dead.” Following the Age of Enlightenment, a period of time when great thinkers gave deep thought to philosophy, science, and God, Nietzsche believed that the idea of God was dead. As an atheist Nietzsche did not believe God had existed but he believed that the foundation upon which Western Civilization was built no longer needed God. He did not think this a good thing. He believed that killing God philosophically made Western Civilization unsteady and without a foundation. Nietzsche feared that the death of God would led to nihilism, the belief that life was meaningless. In Neitzsche’s Germany the death of God led to the development of Communism, Nazism, and a Nationalism that led to World Wars and the spread of anti-religious fervor.

In 1966, Time Magazine blazoned on the front cover of its magazine three simple words “Is God Dead?” The article written by Time’s religious editor goes on to explain that theology was trying to find a way to existence without talking about God. The focus was to be on Jesus and to ignore God because the God of the Bible caused too many problems. Jesus was more relatable than the God who seems to be at times unpredictable and heartless.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, science assured us that it would provide answers to life including being able to explain how to make life better. Social sciences investigated how relationships functioned, how personality was formed, and mental disorders with the intent of creating a better world. Values were proposed that didn’t need God. Science told us that God didn’t exist and slowly but surely our culture has come to believe that the only god that matters is the self. Self-fulfillment, self-esteem, self-recognition, self-preservation, self-regard, self-seeking, self-help and on and on we could go. The self has become the center of our world.

Is God dead? No. But our ability to think about God may well be dead. Does God exist? Is God real? How can I know that God exists? Can you prove God’s existence? Science says we cannot prove scientifically that God exists. Philosophy says that we cannot rationally demonstrate the need for God. And theologians argue that we must come up with a God who is relatable and not judgmental. We need a God who loves unconditionally and a God whose wrath is reserved only for the most wicked of all human beings. These views are now entrenched in our culture. Our culture says—If God exists, then he is too strange, unpredictable, or not necessary for my life. Today I want to spend a little time talking about the existence of God and to encourage us not to give up on God but rather to remember that to love God is to hear him when other things demand our attention.

Proving God Exists

As I thought about this sermon for several weeks, I pursued two different paths in study. The first path was to talk about proving the existence of God scientifically. Using the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics a credible case can be made that God exists. In fact, it is more than credible. It is logical, rational and scientifically sound. If you want to know more about that path let me suggest that you consult works by Norman Geisler, Ravi Zacharias, and William Lane Craig. Both have done extensive work in demonstrating that God exists and using science to make logical and rational arguments for such.

But the more I read the more I realized that the scientific approach while valid was beyond me. There are a lot of intelligent people in this world. Far more intelligent than I and frankly I couldn’t make enough sense of things for me to preach about them. And you are probably glad that is that case. So I want to approach the existence of God from a philosophical point but also a very biblical point. Our reading is from Romans 1. Paul writes to Gentiles and Jews trying to reunite congregations that find themselves struggling to work together again. In 49 A.D. Claudius had ejected the Jews from Rome. In 54 A.D. the Jews are allowed to return to Rome and from this reunion the Roman congregations are having issues learning how to work together as Jews and Gentiles. Paul writes this letter to both groups but there is a special focus on the Gentiles being more understanding and accepting of their Jewish brothers. We see this in chapters 14-15 of Romans.

In our reading, Paul makes it clear that all have the innate capability to know that God exists. God has revealed himself to all human beings. There is within every person there is a sense of the divine. Created as we in God’s image, every single person has the heart of God imprinted in them. There is a sense of right and wrong within each of us. Even the most heinous of people have a sense of something isn’t right when they are mistreated. Paul says that the evidence of God’s existence as divine and eternal is known by all. But such evidence is ignored. It isn’t just a matter of looking into a moonless night and seeing vastness of stars that convinces us that there is a God. Nor is it looking into the grandeur of some natural beauty that convinces us that God is real. Nor is it the springing into life of plants that have laid dormant for months that convinces us that is God is there. It is all of this and more. But instead of worshipping the creator, humans worshipped the created thing.

Human beings have always looked for ways to worship. Cultures throughout history have sought ways to worship. Wherever there has been a people, they have sought to worship. Western culture no longer looks for idols or temples or buildings to enter for worship. Western culture has long worship at the altars of status, prestige, money, popularity, and acceptance. In Western Culture we are god. Our thoughts, opinions, perspectives, and voice matter and are to be heeded. While we may not be able to accomplish everything on our own, we are able to accomplish much without God. And with God dead we can build a life that suits us. We can spend money the way we want; treat people the way we want; enjoy life the way we want; fulfill our own desires while caring little about how such affects others. And into this chaos comes a time when demand a standard be followed. We demand that something should, ought, or must be changed or corrected.

I shouldn’t be treated this way.

That must never happen.

That is my seat.

I shared with you and you should share with me.

You promised.

Paul says in Romans 1 that proof of God’s existence is seen in that we are always seeking out to worship something. But the other proof of God’s existence is found in bearing the image of God we all have a sense of right and wrong and when those sensibilities are violated, we demand that some standard be followed. Why do people argue? Because both feel that their standard needs to be followed. Do not believe the lie that things do not matter. Why is there a call for justice in 2018? Because there is a standard of decency and treatment of others that is shouted to be followed. Where did that standard come from? Why is there a standard at all? Why does justice matter? Because we are human beings. This is what we are being told. Human beings treat one another well simply because we are human beings. But why does that matter? If there is no God, and we become our own God, would we not be more likely to do what we want rather than think of others? What is our motivation to think of others if God does not exist?

C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity put it well when he wrote that the moral law has existed in all cultures. While the specifics differed, what did not differ was the expectation that people would live by a standard. “Selfishness has never been admired. Men have differed as to whether you should have one wife or four. But they have always agreed that you must not simply have any woman you liked…. The truth is we believe in decency so much—we feel the Rule or Law pressing on us so that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it and consequently we try to shift the responsibility. For you notice that it is only for our bad behavior that find all these explanations. It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves. These, then are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave that way.”

Paul will write in Romans 2:14-15—Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

So What?

How can we know that God exists? We know it by looking around us. Seeing the beauty of creation. To see the expanse of the starry sky and the natural wonders that occupy our earth. But we also know that God exists because there is a sense of right and wrong within each of us that comes from something greater than us.

To violate that sense of right and wrong means that we are sinners. When we hurt others, we know that we did something wrong. Even if you have never heard of God, there is something that hurts your inner person. Or if someone has wronged you then you know there is something that is wrong. To violate this sense of right and wrong makes us accountable to God even if we have never heard about him. But having heard, God has not left us without instruction about how to come to him. We do not get to choose the path to God; we get to choose if we will follow the path that he has given us. Invitation.

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