March 2 I Friday

Numbers 23-25

Mark 7:14-37

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”  —Hebrews 11:3

The Bible unambiguously states the existence of God, but a question frequently asked is, Can God be proven? This is actually a poor question, because we cannot apply standards of proof to non-material things. What we can do is provide evidence, and belief or disbelief in God must be based on the evidence or lack of it. 

The scientific method of proving something deals with objective proof, which attempts to establish fact on the basis of observation, repetition and measurement.  We cannot apply the scientific method of proof to philosophical, historical, moral or religious issues because they are not measurable, not observable and not repetitive. For instance, no one can prove Julius Caesar by the scientific method, because we cannot repeat his life, observe it or record our findings. However, coins can still be dug up with his head embossed on them and many museums around the world display artifacts that give evidence to the existence of Julius Caesar, even though there is no objective scientific proof. 

We cannot prove God any more than we can prove Julius Caesar, but there is substantial evidence for the existence of God. The cosmological argument states that every effect must have a cause. The natural state is a resting position. Motion is unnatural and must have a cause. If a desk were to move, there must be something external that causes the movement. In the same way, if we trace the universe back to its beginning, we are left to explain what caused the universe to come into existence—the first cause, which as Christians, we know to be God.

There is also the argument for intelligent design. Our planet is just the right size and distance from the sun to maintain life. The earth rotates at precisely the right angle so we have night, day and the seasons. The incredible complexity of the human body and the perfect ratio of gasses in our atmosphere to sustain life are also evidence for intelligent design. While the scientific method may provide theories about the universe, it cannot explain why creation has such a specific order to it, and this overwhelming evidence for order has prompted many scientists and researchers to agree that there is a great mind behind creation.

As Christians, we believe by faith that God created the universe and all life within it, but this does not mean we have to believe blindly or naively. There comes a point where we say, “I’m going to trust this,” and we do not take a leap into the dark, but a leap into the evidence.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the evidence You give for Your existence. I pray that unbelievers would take a leap into the evidence and trust You too. Thank You, God.