Don Stewart :: Does the Bible Attempt to Prove That the God of Scripture Actually Exists?

Does the Bible Attempt to Prove That the God of Scripture Actually Exists?

Does the God of the Bible Exist? – Question 3

No it does not. In the Bible, there is no attempt at all to prove that the God revealed in Scripture actually exists. From the first page of the Bible until the last, the existence of the God of Scripture is assumed, everyone is aware that He exists.

From an examination of the Scripture, we can discover a number of things about the existence of the God of the Bible. They include the following.

1. The Bible Offers No Proofs for the Existence of the God It Reveals

We again emphasize that nowhere in the Bible are there arguments seeking to prove God’s existence. The fact of His existence is assumed from the very first page where we read the following.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

The existence of the God of Scripture is implicit throughout the rest of Scripture. The Bible assumes the fact of God’s existence, and calls upon people to make a step of faith toward Him.

We read the following in the Book of Hebrews about the necessity of faith when it comes to believing in God’s existence.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

Since the God of the Bible is invisible to humanity, we can only know that He exists by means of faith. In fact, this passage in Hebrews emphasizes that it is impossible to know God or to please Him except by means of faith. While we cannot see Him, we can know through faith that He does indeed exist.

As we have said, there is no attempt to prove that He exists. The closest thing in Scripture to attempting to prove God’s existence is a statement of the Lord recorded in Malachi. It says the following.

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!” (Malachi 3:10 NLT)

However, even this statement does not attempt to prove God’s existence. What is proven, in this context, is that the Lord is faithful to His promises.

2. The Existence of the God of the Bible Is Evident to All

There is no attempt to prove that God exists because Scripture says that God’s existence is evident to everyone. Paul wrote to the Romans and stated it in this way.

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made... (Romans 1:18-20a HCSB)

God has made His existence evident to all of us. In some sense, every created thing gives evidence to God’s existence.

If a person denies the existence of God, then there is no reference point for correctly understanding themselves, or the world around them. There are without any hope.

3. Only a Fool Denies That the God of Scripture Exists

Not only does the Bible assume that God exists, it says that only fools deny His existence. The psalmist wrote the following.

Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. (Psalm 53:1-3 NRSV)

Only a foolish person would deny that God exists. The fact of His existence should be obvious to all.

Those who do reject the truth of God’s existence usually end up in some sort of idolatry. They worship aspects of the creation rather than the Creator Himself.

The Apostle Paul described these people in his letter to the Romans. He said,

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth...For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. (Romans 1:18, 21-23 HCSB)

If a person rejects the idea of the worship of the God of the Bible, they will turn to worshipping things that have no real worth.

4. There Is No Excuse for Denying God’s Existence

Ultimately, those who deny God’s existence have no real excuse for what they are doing. When Paul wrote to the Romans he said unbelievers have no excuse for denying God’s existence. He put it this way.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NIV)

The existence of God should be clear to everyone. God will accept no excuse from unbelievers about their ignorance. Indeed, there is no excuse!

The psalmist wrote that it is the “wicked” live as though God is dead. He put it this way.

For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD. These wicked people are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead. (Psalm 10:3, 4 NLT)

While they know He exists, they live as though He did not exist. Again, they are without any excuse as well as without any hope.

5. Only the Bible Reveals the True God Who Exists

The main interest in Scripture is to show that the God of Scripture is the only God who exists. In the ancient world it seems that everyone believed in some type of god. Atheism was not really an issue at that particular time in history.

The question, therefore, was, “Which God, or gods, truly exist?” This is the issue in which the Bible addresses itself. The God of the Bible is contrasted to the false idols and powers which people were worshipping. He is the only God who exists.

Summary – Question 3
Does the Bible Attempt to Prove That the God of Scripture Actually Exists?

From the first page of the Bible until the last, God’s existence is assumed. Nowhere in Scripture is there a case set out to prove that God exists. The writers of Scripture take it for granted. They state that His existence is obvious to all.

Only those who are fools deny that He exists. Those who reject His existence have no real excuse whatsoever.

However, the primary interest of Scripture is to show that it is the God of the Bible who exists, rather than the many false gods that were worshipped in the ancient world.

Thus, the purpose of Scripture is to make the distinction between the only God who exists and the false gods who have no real power or authority. Therefore, in the Bible we find the God of Israel often compared to the non-existent gods of the ancient world. He exists and He has acted in history. This is the message of Scripture.