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Scripture Reading: Rom. 1:19-20
Christianity occupies an important position in human history because of its great impact and many adherents. Consequently, it is worthwhile to study the matters of the Christian faith related to believing in Jesus Christ. There are several important matters in the Christian faith, such as God, man, and sins. If we are clear about these matters, we will have a basic understanding of the Christian faith. It is a pity that many people lack a proper understanding of these important matters.
The first matter related to the Christian faith is God. Some say that there is a God, and others say that there is no God. There is even a Chinese gospel hymn entitled, “You Say There Is No God, but I Say There Is a God.” Those who have God are joyful, but those who do not have God are miserable. Those who say that God exists are strengthened when they speak of His existence, but those who say that God does not exist feel empty when they deny His existence. Another hymn entitled “There Is a God” says, “Listen to the voice of your conscience; / If you say there is no God, / You go against your conscience! / Listen to the voice of your conscience; / How can there be no God?” The last stanza firmly declares, “There is a God! There is a God! Yes, there is a God!” This is the most important matter related to believing in Jesus Christ.
People may say that it is useless to speak of God in the twentieth century with so many advances in science. However, the first great matter related to believing in Christ involves the question of the existence of God. There is no way to understand the Christian faith if this point is overlooked.
When people ask about the existence of God, some strongly say that God exists, and others strongly say that there is no such thing as God. Rather than answering yes or no so assertively, others lack a willingness to say yes but are equally unwilling to say no. Those who fall into this in-between category are afraid to say no because God may exist; however, they also are reluctant to say yes because they do not want to waste their time if He does not exist. Therefore, they sit on the fence, unable to make a decision.
Even though many people are not clear about the existence of God, this matter has a great impact on our lives. Those who believe that God exists live a certain kind of human life, whereas those who assume that there is no God live a different kind of life. As human beings, we need to be clear about this question in order to be clear about our human life.
The number of people who believe that there is a God is about equal to the number of people who believe that there is no God. Those who think that there is no God often despise those who believe in His existence, regarding them as superstitious and overly assertive in their beliefs. However, those who deny the existence of God are just as superstitious and are overly assertive because they have no way to prove their denial.
Those who do not believe in God always ask those who believe to give them some proof of His existence. Since believing in God is not a matter of superstition, we can certainly provide some arguments for His existence. However, before we offer any argument for the existence of God, we should ask those who do not believe about their proof that He does not exist. We should ask, “What is your basis for saying that there is no God? You should provide evidence for your belief that there is no God.” Often their strongest proof is nothing more than a declaration that God does not exist because no one has ever seen God. They regard their inability to see God as some kind of scientific proof. But basing one’s belief on only what can be seen is truly a matter of superstition.
If we regard everything that cannot be seen as being nonexistent, there are many things whose existence we would have to deny. For example, the universe is so big that we cannot fully observe, describe, and understand it. Likewise, should we deny the existence of microorganisms or oxygen simply because we cannot see these things? Is it logical for a blind person to say that there is no such thing as color in this world? Should a deaf person say that there is no such thing as sound in the universe? It is not reasonable to deny the existence of something that cannot be seen or heard.
The surface area of the earth is nearly 200,000,000 square miles, whereas human beings are only around six feet tall. Man is tiny compared to the earth. Even the distance between the earth and the sun is slight in comparison to the distance between our solar system and other stars. The distance between stars in the universe is measured in terms of light-years. Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second. If we multiply 186,000 miles by the number of seconds in one year, then the distance associated with one light-year is slightly less than 5,865,700,000,000 miles. The shortest distance between the sun in our solar system and another star in the sky is approximately 4.24 light-years. If this is the shortest distance, the distance to faraway stars is almost incomprehensible. If it is difficult to understand the vastness of the universe, one should not quickly assume that his determination of the nonexistence of God is correct.
The mystery of God is much greater than the vastness of the universe. Consequently, it is amazing that people would dare to conclude that there is no God. Their denial of God’s existence is too bold. Even though the universe is vast and we see so little, some people are willing to boldly assert that there is no God merely based on what they see. This is not reasonable.
The vastness of the universe is a strong argument for the existence of God. Another strong argument relates to the origin of the universe. If there is no God, how did the universe come into existence? Those who say that there is no God can only say that the universe came into being naturally, but this is a weak and irresponsible argument. Clearly, the source of the universe is God. Rather than admitting this, they can only say, “It came into being naturally.” It is easy to rebut the point that the universe originated apart from God, because Romans 1:19 and 20 speak of the invisible things of God being manifested within man and to man, and that these invisible things are perceived by the things made. The very fact that some people deny the existence of God when they speak of the creation of the universe shows that there is an understanding deep within them that the universe manifests the invisible things of God. If God does not exist, there would be no need to deny His existence when looking at the things of the universe, because there would be no perception within people that these things come from God. Please look at the universe, and consider all the wonderful details of its astronomical arrangements and physical laws. Those who study astronomy and physics know that there is much that is unknown about the universe despite numerous observations and theorems. It is truly pitiful and ignorant to try to argue against the existence of God by saying, “The universe came into being naturally.”
I was in Tsingtao twenty-three years ago, and a cook in one of the hotels told me a story about a relative who came to visit him from her home in a rural area. When she saw an electric lamp for the first time, she was amazed, and she even asked the cook to give her a light bulb so that she could use it in her home in the country. She thought that the light and the light bulb “came into being naturally,” but she had no idea about the many complicated matters that made electric light possible.
D. L. Moody once climbed a mountain with a young man who did not believe in God. Moody asked him, “Where did these big rocks come from?” The young man answered, “From small rocks.” Moody then asked, “Where did the small rocks come from?” He answered, “From atoms.” When Moody asked him where atoms came from, the young man could not answer. The most he could say was that they “came into being naturally.” People who say it is superstitious to believe that God created the universe are truly superstitious when they say that all things came into being naturally.
A young student once asked a pastor about the origin of the earth, and the pastor spoke of the account in Genesis. When the student said that this account was mere superstition, the pastor asked, “Then how did the earth come into existence?” When the student said that the earth was formed from a nebulous cluster, the pastor asked him about the origin of the nebulous cluster. In response the student could only say that it came into being naturally. Then the pastor asked, “Who is being superstitious, you or me?”
When we see the orderly operation of the universe, how can we say that there is not a sovereign Lord? When country people see a train, they may think that trains move naturally, because they know little about the many mechanisms involved in the operation of a train. Some may laugh at their simple-mindedness, but those who say that there is no God, who have little understanding of the operation of the universe, are just like these country people. There are differences that we do not understand between morning and night and between the four seasons in a year, and there are even changes in weather conditions. Nevertheless, these differences and changes are truly wonderful! When we see these things, who has the boldness to arbitrarily say that there is no God? The vastness of the universe and the marvels and order of all things in the universe are strong arguments for the existence of God.
Even the structure of our body argues for the existence of God. All doctors know that the human body is structured in a wonderful way. For example, if our nostrils were pointed up or our eyebrows were underneath our eyes, what would happen? The direction of our nose and the placement of our eyebrows speak of the wonder of man’s creation. Every organ operates according to its own profound principles. A doctor once told me that the hairs on our body grow downward, but that the hairs in our trachea grow upward. He said that these hairs help keep unhealthy things from entering into our body and help eliminate unhealthy things from our body.
Once, I talked with some doctors who worked in a hospital about the wonders of the human body. Although some of them despised preachers, they were not willing to deny the existence of God, because of their specialized knowledge of the wonderful structure of the human body. Doctors who dissect dead bodies for research truly know that the human body is designed in a wonderful way. The circulation of blood, for example, supplies all the organs of our body, and it also facilitates the elimination of harmful things from our body. The circulation of blood helps to keep a body healthy and free from sicknesses. This is truly fascinating!
Things in general can be modified, but the structure of the human body needs no modification. If it were modified, it would create problems and look unpleasant. If our hands were in the position of our legs, and our legs were connected to our shoulders, this would look quite terrifying. God’s creation is perfect, and there is no need for modification. Even a minor modification would result in an imperfection.
Not only does our body argue for the existence of God, but our heart does as well. Paul says, “That which is known of God is manifest within them, for God manifested it to them” (Rom. 1:19). These words clearly point to an experience within man’s heart. The existence of God is supported by the tendencies in man’s heart. For every inward need in man, there is a corresponding supply outside of him. For example, the appetite for food within man is met by the supply of a variety of foods outside of man. From the beginning of human existence, man has engaged in a search to know God. This tendency to seek God proves that there is God. Even those who deny God with their words will call on God spontaneously when they are weak, when they face insurmountable obstacles, or when they are physically weak. They spontaneously seek God because in their hearts they know that God exists.
Power, position, wealth, knowledge, and pleasures cannot satisfy man’s needs. The only true satisfaction for man is God. Spiritual needs cannot be satisfied with material things. A person who is spiritually hungry will be satisfied only when he receives God. Man needs fresh air, and he will be satisfied when he breathes fresh air. Man also needs God, and he will be satisfied when he contacts God.
God exists. Our conscience testifies of this. Some are willing to say that there is no God because they do not feel an immediate need for God. This is a common situation among young people. Sooner or later, however, we are all confronted with our need for Him. We may not feel a need for God when we are young, but we will feel a need when we get older. Someone who is young and strong can have a hard heart that fools him into thinking that he does not need God. One day, however, when he realizes his limitations and weaknesses, he will realize his need for God. Often, saying that there is no God reflects only a temporary state of mind. The more one says that there is no God, the weaker and more fearful he becomes. In contrast, the more one says that there is a God, the stronger and more powerful he becomes, because God has both strength and power.
People who have God are quite bold. Generally speaking, a twenty-year-old may say that there is God, but his assertion may not be very bold. When he reaches the age of thirty, he will be much bolder, and as each year passes, he will become bolder and bolder. When he reaches fifty to sixty years of age, his speaking about God will be loud and quite forceful.
In contrast, one who says that there is no God is quite forceful in his speaking when he is twenty years old. When he reaches the age of thirty, he will still have some strength to deny God’s existence, but as each year passes, he will be less and less bold. When he reaches fifty to sixty years of age, he will begin to be afraid and to wonder if God truly does not exist. He will also begin to worry about what will happen to him if God does exist. These two examples are related to the testimony of man’s conscience concerning the existence of God.
There was once a father and a son who were atheists. One day the father was feeling quite sick, and his heart began to soften toward God. Sensing this, his son asked him to hold on more firmly to his atheistic belief, but the father answered, “What can I hold on to? There is no strength in holding on to such a belief.” This is another example of man’s conscience testifying that there is a God.
The universe and the human body are strong arguments for the existence of God. Moreover, our conscience also testifies that there is a God. Dear friends, there is proof all around us. Why are you still hesitating?
