The Existence of God: A Rational Defense for the Biblical Worldview

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The question of the existence of God remains the most significant issue in philosophy, theology, and apologetics. It undergirds every aspect of human understanding about origin, purpose, morality, and destiny. Within the context of conservative evangelical Christianity, the defense of God’s existence is not founded on emotional appeal, subjective experience, or philosophical speculation alone but on verifiable facts, sound reasoning, and the self-authenticating witness of Scripture. The God we speak of is not an abstract force or impersonal first cause but the personal, infinite, eternal Creator revealed in the Bible—Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

This article presents a thorough examination of the evidence for God’s existence through philosophical arguments, scientific observations, historical analysis, and biblical testimony, consistent with a high view of Scripture and a literal, grammatical-historical approach to interpretation. The focus is on rational, objective analysis, avoiding speculative theology or liberal critical methods that undermine the inerrancy and authority of the Bible.

The Necessity of God’s Existence: Addressing the Fundamental Question

The question of why there is something rather than nothing is foundational to the discussion of God’s existence. If the universe had a beginning, it necessitates a cause. The law of causality—recognized universally in science and philosophy—teaches that every effect has a cause. Since the universe is not eternal and had a point of origin, as both Scripture and modern cosmology affirm, it requires an adequate cause external to itself.

Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This statement is not mere religious assertion but a concise affirmation of what philosophy recognizes as the cosmological principle. The universe, comprising time, space, and matter, cannot bring itself into existence. Thus, the cause must be outside of time, non-physical, and immensely powerful—characteristics only attributable to a personal, self-existent Creator.

The scientific consensus regarding the beginning of the universe, supported by the Second Law of Thermodynamics and the evidence of cosmic expansion (the Big Bang theory), corroborates the biblical teaching of creation ex nihilo (creation out of nothing). The Kalam Cosmological Argument, formulated as follows, highlights this necessity:

Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore, the universe has a cause.

While this argument does not specify the identity of the cause, the biblical witness identifies this cause explicitly as Jehovah, the eternal God.

The Teleological Argument: Evidence from Design

The observable order, complexity, and fine-tuning of the universe offer powerful evidence for an intelligent Designer. Psalm 19:1 affirms, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” This is not a poetic flourish but an assertion of empirical reality observable by all humanity.

Scientific discovery has revealed that the universe’s fundamental constants (such as the gravitational constant, the electromagnetic force, and the strong nuclear force) are fine-tuned to an extraordinary degree. If these constants varied even slightly, life could not exist. The Anthropic Principle acknowledges this fine-tuning, though secular scientists attempt to explain it through speculative theories like the multiverse, which remain unobservable and unfalsifiable.

Further evidence is found within biological systems. The complexity of DNA, a digital code carrying immense amounts of information, cannot reasonably be attributed to random chance or unguided natural processes. Information, by definition, requires an intelligent source. The specified complexity in biological systems is consistent with the assertion of design, as Romans 1:20 states, “For his 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.”

The Moral Argument: The Basis for Objective Morality

Objective moral values and duties exist. If atheism were true, morality would be subjective, reducible to social convention or individual preference. However, humanity universally recognizes certain moral absolutes, such as the wrongness of murder, theft, and deception, regardless of cultural or societal norms.

The Moral Argument is structured as follows:

If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
Objective moral values and duties do exist.
Therefore, God exists.

Atheistic worldviews lack a sufficient foundation for objective morality. In contrast, the biblical worldview asserts that morality is grounded in the holy nature of God himself (Leviticus 19:2: “You shall be holy, for I, Jehovah your God, am holy”). Human beings, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), possess a moral conscience that reflects the divine law written on their hearts (Romans 2:14-15). The existence of this universal moral law requires a transcendent moral lawgiver.

Ontological Argument: The Concept of a Maximally Great Being

The Ontological Argument, originally proposed by Anselm and later refined by Christian philosophers, asserts that the very concept of God as a maximally great being entails his existence. If it is possible that a maximally great being exists, then such a being exists necessarily, because necessary existence is a component of maximal greatness.

Critics often dismiss this argument as abstract, but it remains logically valid. It underscores that the concept of God is not contingent or imaginary but necessary and self-existent. The biblical declaration in Exodus 3:14, “I am who I am,” expresses this necessity and self-existence, consistent with the concept of a being whose nonexistence is impossible.

Historical and Archaeological Evidence Supporting the Biblical God

The biblical record is rooted in history, not mythology. Its claims about God’s acts in history are verifiable against the backdrop of archaeological and historical data. The existence of ancient Israel, the monarchy under David and Solomon, the Babylonian captivity (587 B.C.E.), the return under Cyrus the Great (537 B.C.E.), and the historical life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (33 C.E.) are not merely theological claims but historical facts supported by external evidence.

The fulfillment of predictive prophecy further corroborates the existence of the biblical God. For example, Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1) concerning Cyrus by name as the one who would release the Jewish exiles was written over a century before the events transpired. Such specific, detailed prophecy defies naturalistic explanation.

Internal Consistency of Scripture and the Witness of Revelation

Another line of evidence for God’s existence is the remarkable internal consistency of the Bible over approximately 1,600 years of composition, through about 40 human authors from diverse backgrounds, in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), across different geographical regions. Despite this diversity, the Bible presents a unified message concerning God’s nature, human sinfulness, salvation, and the coming kingdom.

The self-authenticating nature of Scripture, as affirmed in passages like 2 Timothy 3:16 (“All Scripture is breathed out by God”), does not rest on circular reasoning but on the internal evidence of fulfilled prophecy, historical accuracy, and doctrinal coherence.

Answering Common Objections to God’s Existence

Skeptics often raise the problem of evil as an argument against the existence of God. However, the reality of evil does not negate God’s existence; rather, it presupposes it. Without an objective standard of good, the category of evil loses meaning. The biblical worldview provides the only coherent explanation for both the existence of evil (as a result of human rebellion against God) and the hope of its ultimate defeat through divine justice (Revelation 20:10-15).

The claim that science explains everything and leaves no room for God misunderstands both the nature of science and the scope of its explanatory power. Science describes how processes work within the natural world; it does not account for the origin of those processes, nor does it address metaphysical realities.

The assertion that belief in God is irrational or unscientific ignores the fact that many of the founders of modern science, including Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler, were theists who viewed their scientific work as exploring the rational order established by the Creator.

Conclusion: Rational Grounds for Belief in the Biblical God

The existence of God is not a matter of blind faith but of reasonable, evidential belief. The cumulative case from cosmology, teleology, morality, ontology, history, archaeology, and the internal witness of Scripture leads logically and rationally to the conclusion that the God of the Bible exists. This conclusion does not rest on speculative philosophy or mystical experience but on objective facts consistent with sound reason and confirmed by divine revelation.

The God who exists is the God who speaks, the God who acts in history, and the God who invites humanity to know him through his revealed Word. The biblical declaration remains unchallenged by serious scholarship: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1).

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).