- Psalm 19 - read this passage online here »
- Philippians 2:5-11 - read this passage online here »
An increasing number of books, articles, interviews and statements from people eager to say they do not believe in God prompted me to set down (briefly) four reasons why I do believe in God!
First, I believe in God when I look at creation.
Every morning I turn up a page on my computer from NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I look at the Astronomy Picture of the Day and try to understand the astronomer’s explanation! The vastness of the still-expanding universe boggles my mind! So too the magnificent grandeur and microscopic complexity of the Earth. Geological formations, lavish vegetation of beauty and flavour, animal life and human beings. The observable order and delicate balance that make life possible. The human body – and DNA, all three billion “letters” of the human genetic code. It seems obvious and logical that the universe cannot have evolved by random chance without a Designer and Maker. However God did this, there has to be an intelligent Designer. There has to be a powerful Maker of the heavens and the Earth who initiated the Big Bang science points to, who created dependable natural laws allowing for scientific investigation and conclusions, who planned things to work with intricate precision. As minister and author Robert Morgan wrote, “We’re not accidental blobs of dying chemicals mysteriously evolving from primordial sludge without purpose or meaning.” Even Antony Flew, a world-renowned philosopher and atheist whom people of my generation studied and discussed, came to that conclusion. For years he relished publicly debunking the existence of God. But eventually he “followed the evidence” honestly and came to believe there has to be a God who designed and created the universe. In 2007 he wrote the book There Is a God with the publisher’s subtitle How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.
Looking at the world of nature helped author Philip Yancey change his perception of God. The strikingly beautiful desert wildflowers, the vibrantly colourful tropical fish and some of the comical creatures God created corrected his misconception of God as a “frowning Supercop.” “I began to see God as a whimsical artist,” he writes. I, too, smile with delight and awe at God’s creation. The animals show God’s love of diversity and fun. There are animals that are beautiful and odd, great and small, agile and lum-ber-ing, serene and frenetic! Some have fantastically long necks or long noses or long beaks or long tongues or long legs (or lots of legs)! But these beautiful and odd amazing creatures are all suited to contribute to and enjoy the Earth by God’s creative power and genius! They give evidence, Yancey says, that “The heart of the universe is a smile not a frown!”
So I believe in God for the same reason King David said in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And so does the extraordinary beauty and complexity of the Earth. All give clear, convincing evidence of a great and good Creator. And everyone on Earth can know this. Romans 1:19-20 states: “What may be known about God is plain to [people], because God has made it plain to them. 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.”
Second, I believe in God from studying the Bible.
After reading the Bible for many years and reflecting on what it says, I find it filled with realism and the ring of truth. Theologian John Stott writes: “Scripture is equally the Word of God and the words of human beings. Better, it is the Word of God through the words of human beings.” And that is how Jesus regarded Scripture.
Ancient historian Paul Maier at Western Michigan University says the Bible is unique among the books of all other religions because of its “solid historical base.” Its 66 books were written by more than 40 authors over 1,600 years, yet it has amazing unity. And when the Bible is examined like any other ancient historical document, the majority of scholars regard it as reliable and reporting the truth. Besides, the Bible is a historical record of God interacting with real people at specified times and places. So its documented events can be investigated. And over the past 100 years or so, much has been verified by archaeology. This gives me confidence in what the Bible states about God, about humanity and about Jesus. So I believe in the God who reveals himself in the Old and New Testaments as awesomely great and powerful, totally holy and good, amazingly gracious and compassionate, wonderfully loving and forgiving because there is convincing historical evidence that what the Bible states is true.
I have also found, again like King David in Psalm 19, that reading the Scripture every day “refreshes the soul,” “makes wise [or “wiser” at least!] the simple,” “gives joy to the heart,” “gives light to the eyes”! And God’s word, David said, is “sure,” “true,” “righteous,” “more precious than gold,” “sweeter than honey.”
So I believe in God from studying the Bible. And I find the Bible relevant to all situations of my life – the good, the bad and the ugly. Like Asaph, author of Psalm 73. There was a time in his life when he seemed to face a new problem every morning – “punishment” from God, he mistakenly thought at first. He says he almost lost his faith. But although he was confused, full of doubt and even bitter, he kept talking to God and listening for God. The psalm does not say God solved all his problems, but Asaph came to revel in his discovery that the God who created the universe and spoke through the Scripture was “near” him. He said: “As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my refuge.” I have too – and have sensed God near me and holding me in some difficult times.
Third, I believe in God after considering who Jesus is.
In 2010 we had a wall calendar called Bible Tails (t-a-i-l-s). It’s about things in the Bible from the animals’ perspectives! The cartoons made me smile or laugh out loud! But one made me sad. June showed a mother fish out for a swim with her seven little ones. Suddenly, one youngster looks up and shouts: “MOM! That man is walking on water!” Mom’s response? “That’s nice, dear.”
For many people today, Jesus is a nice man to be admired but no one to be really excited about. But the Jesus I read about in the Bible and believe in is someone to be very excited about. And I have to consider seriously how I respond to him. Like everyone else, I must answer the question Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?”
C. S. Lewis suggested three alternatives. He said Jesus is either the Lord, or he was a liar or he was a lunatic. Jesus, a liar? when his teaching and life give evidence of such genuine integrity? Jesus, a lunatic? Yet listen to some of the astonishing claims Jesus made about himself:
So I believe in God because Jesus did. And I stand in awe of who Jesus is because I believe the ancient eyewitness documents of Jesus’ life that are regarded as truthful and accurate by most scholars. And I believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead because the evidence is so convincing – even for some authors who originally set out to disprove his physical resurrection!
The universal hope for life after death could be regarded as only a sentimental hope were it not for Jesus’ resurrection. The reality is, Jesus’ resurrection gives humanity our only substantiated hope for life after death in real, recognizable, transformed bodies. To religious sceptics 2,000 years ago, Jesus clearly stated there is real resurrection life for us [Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-38]! And when Lazarus died, Jesus said to Martha [John 11:1-44]: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die … Do you believe this?” I join Martha saying, “Yes, Lord, I believe!”
Fourth, I believe in God because I am experiencing God!
Having a relationship with God was not something I expected. For years, I believed my standing before God had changed when I accepted Jesus’ death on the cross for my sin: I was forgiven! But I did not seek a more personal relationship with God because I did not think more was possible. Then about 13 years ago, I became starving hungry and thirsty to know God better. And about 10 years ago, I was surprised to begin enjoying God in very personal ways! I have experienced Jesus’ promises [John 14:15-27, Revelation 3:20]: to reveal himself to us personally, to be with us as our helper through the Holy Spirit and even to be our friend when we invite him, believe in him, love him and obey what he says (in the Scripture). William Barclay wrote: “God’s voice comes to those who listen for it.” And Our Daily Bread: “God speaks to those who take time to listen.” Most often I hear God’s voice in the Bible – in helpful timely Scripture passages and in amazing converging passages. But God’s voice comes to me in other ways too. And I record it all in my journal. So I believe in God because God keeps convincing me he exists!
Do I ever have doubts? Sure! Author and minister Frederick Buechner says: “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep [faith] awake and moving.” How? When a doubt catches me off guard, I don’t want to wallow in doubt; instead, I rethink the evidence, and my faith is refreshed. I DO believe in God (1) because the heavens and the Earth need a Designer and Maker, (2) because the Bible has proved reliable historically and personally, (3) because what Jesus said about himself and about God and what the eyewitnesses wrote about him all ring true and (4) because I am experiencing a relationship with God. So what does this mean for my life?
I have a few books by Alister McGrath, former professor at Oxford University, now chair of theology, religion and culture at King’s College, London. McGrath also has a background in molecular biology and has debated well-known atheists about the existence of God. One of his books is entitled What Was God Doing on the Cross? What was God doing on the Cross? It leaves me absolutely stunned that God the Creator loves humanity so much God himself in Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins! And in Isaiah 43:25, God says he forgives us “for [his] own sake”! Astounding!
So I do believe in God and I also love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Not merely because this is “the first and greatest commandment,” as Jesus said [Matthew 22: 34-40, Mark 12:28-34], but because the better I get to know God the more I want to love God with my whole being!
With all the loud talk these days from people who are eager to say they do not believe in God, do we give much intentional thought to God and to why we do believe in God? If God does exist, we need to seek the truth about God because the truth about God matters. If God does exist, God is too important to virtually ignore in our daily lives, or treat casually or take for granted. If God does exist, we need to respect God seriously, listen to God carefully and respond to God wholeheartedly, with reverent and joyful faith and worship. And If God does exist and did reveal himself in Jesus, what more could Almighty God have done to show how much he loves us?
And us? How much do we love God?
Margaret Miller,
May 15, 2011
OYM Oriole-York Mills United Church, Toronto
First, I believe in God when I look at creation.
Every morning I turn up a page on my computer from NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I look at the Astronomy Picture of the Day and try to understand the astronomer’s explanation! The vastness of the still-expanding universe boggles my mind! So too the magnificent grandeur and microscopic complexity of the Earth. Geological formations, lavish vegetation of beauty and flavour, animal life and human beings. The observable order and delicate balance that make life possible. The human body – and DNA, all three billion “letters” of the human genetic code. It seems obvious and logical that the universe cannot have evolved by random chance without a Designer and Maker. However God did this, there has to be an intelligent Designer. There has to be a powerful Maker of the heavens and the Earth who initiated the Big Bang science points to, who created dependable natural laws allowing for scientific investigation and conclusions, who planned things to work with intricate precision. As minister and author Robert Morgan wrote, “We’re not accidental blobs of dying chemicals mysteriously evolving from primordial sludge without purpose or meaning.” Even Antony Flew, a world-renowned philosopher and atheist whom people of my generation studied and discussed, came to that conclusion. For years he relished publicly debunking the existence of God. But eventually he “followed the evidence” honestly and came to believe there has to be a God who designed and created the universe. In 2007 he wrote the book There Is a God with the publisher’s subtitle How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.
Looking at the world of nature helped author Philip Yancey change his perception of God. The strikingly beautiful desert wildflowers, the vibrantly colourful tropical fish and some of the comical creatures God created corrected his misconception of God as a “frowning Supercop.” “I began to see God as a whimsical artist,” he writes. I, too, smile with delight and awe at God’s creation. The animals show God’s love of diversity and fun. There are animals that are beautiful and odd, great and small, agile and lum-ber-ing, serene and frenetic! Some have fantastically long necks or long noses or long beaks or long tongues or long legs (or lots of legs)! But these beautiful and odd amazing creatures are all suited to contribute to and enjoy the Earth by God’s creative power and genius! They give evidence, Yancey says, that “The heart of the universe is a smile not a frown!”
So I believe in God for the same reason King David said in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And so does the extraordinary beauty and complexity of the Earth. All give clear, convincing evidence of a great and good Creator. And everyone on Earth can know this. Romans 1:19-20 states: “What may be known about God is plain to [people], because God has made it plain to them. 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.”
Second, I believe in God from studying the Bible.
After reading the Bible for many years and reflecting on what it says, I find it filled with realism and the ring of truth. Theologian John Stott writes: “Scripture is equally the Word of God and the words of human beings. Better, it is the Word of God through the words of human beings.” And that is how Jesus regarded Scripture.
Ancient historian Paul Maier at Western Michigan University says the Bible is unique among the books of all other religions because of its “solid historical base.” Its 66 books were written by more than 40 authors over 1,600 years, yet it has amazing unity. And when the Bible is examined like any other ancient historical document, the majority of scholars regard it as reliable and reporting the truth. Besides, the Bible is a historical record of God interacting with real people at specified times and places. So its documented events can be investigated. And over the past 100 years or so, much has been verified by archaeology. This gives me confidence in what the Bible states about God, about humanity and about Jesus. So I believe in the God who reveals himself in the Old and New Testaments as awesomely great and powerful, totally holy and good, amazingly gracious and compassionate, wonderfully loving and forgiving because there is convincing historical evidence that what the Bible states is true.
I have also found, again like King David in Psalm 19, that reading the Scripture every day “refreshes the soul,” “makes wise [or “wiser” at least!] the simple,” “gives joy to the heart,” “gives light to the eyes”! And God’s word, David said, is “sure,” “true,” “righteous,” “more precious than gold,” “sweeter than honey.”
So I believe in God from studying the Bible. And I find the Bible relevant to all situations of my life – the good, the bad and the ugly. Like Asaph, author of Psalm 73. There was a time in his life when he seemed to face a new problem every morning – “punishment” from God, he mistakenly thought at first. He says he almost lost his faith. But although he was confused, full of doubt and even bitter, he kept talking to God and listening for God. The psalm does not say God solved all his problems, but Asaph came to revel in his discovery that the God who created the universe and spoke through the Scripture was “near” him. He said: “As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my refuge.” I have too – and have sensed God near me and holding me in some difficult times.
Third, I believe in God after considering who Jesus is.
In 2010 we had a wall calendar called Bible Tails (t-a-i-l-s). It’s about things in the Bible from the animals’ perspectives! The cartoons made me smile or laugh out loud! But one made me sad. June showed a mother fish out for a swim with her seven little ones. Suddenly, one youngster looks up and shouts: “MOM! That man is walking on water!” Mom’s response? “That’s nice, dear.”
For many people today, Jesus is a nice man to be admired but no one to be really excited about. But the Jesus I read about in the Bible and believe in is someone to be very excited about. And I have to consider seriously how I respond to him. Like everyone else, I must answer the question Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?”
C. S. Lewis suggested three alternatives. He said Jesus is either the Lord, or he was a liar or he was a lunatic. Jesus, a liar? when his teaching and life give evidence of such genuine integrity? Jesus, a lunatic? Yet listen to some of the astonishing claims Jesus made about himself:
- Jesus said he existed before Abraham and before the world was created.
- He said no one has seen God except him.
- Jesus said he is the only way to God.
- He said “the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms” all speak of him.
- Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!”
- Jesus said he has “all authority” in Heaven and on Earth.
- He said whoever has seen him has seen God for he and God are one. (And people then understood his meaning. They replied, “You, though only a human being, are making yourself God!”)
- Jesus told people to honour him as they honour God, and he let people worship him.
- He said whoever believes in him believes in God and whoever rejects him rejects God.
- Jesus rose from the dead with flesh and bones, demonstrating this by eating broiled fish and inviting people to touch him.
- He included himself in the Triune revelation of God, telling his followers to baptize people of all nations “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
- Jesus said he will raise people from the dead to new life forever with God.
- And Jesus said he will come again in all his greatness and he will judge the whole world, deciding everyone’s eternal destiny – he said his judgment will be right and fair.
So I believe in God because Jesus did. And I stand in awe of who Jesus is because I believe the ancient eyewitness documents of Jesus’ life that are regarded as truthful and accurate by most scholars. And I believe in Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead because the evidence is so convincing – even for some authors who originally set out to disprove his physical resurrection!
The universal hope for life after death could be regarded as only a sentimental hope were it not for Jesus’ resurrection. The reality is, Jesus’ resurrection gives humanity our only substantiated hope for life after death in real, recognizable, transformed bodies. To religious sceptics 2,000 years ago, Jesus clearly stated there is real resurrection life for us [Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-38]! And when Lazarus died, Jesus said to Martha [John 11:1-44]: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even though they die … Do you believe this?” I join Martha saying, “Yes, Lord, I believe!”
Fourth, I believe in God because I am experiencing God!
Having a relationship with God was not something I expected. For years, I believed my standing before God had changed when I accepted Jesus’ death on the cross for my sin: I was forgiven! But I did not seek a more personal relationship with God because I did not think more was possible. Then about 13 years ago, I became starving hungry and thirsty to know God better. And about 10 years ago, I was surprised to begin enjoying God in very personal ways! I have experienced Jesus’ promises [John 14:15-27, Revelation 3:20]: to reveal himself to us personally, to be with us as our helper through the Holy Spirit and even to be our friend when we invite him, believe in him, love him and obey what he says (in the Scripture). William Barclay wrote: “God’s voice comes to those who listen for it.” And Our Daily Bread: “God speaks to those who take time to listen.” Most often I hear God’s voice in the Bible – in helpful timely Scripture passages and in amazing converging passages. But God’s voice comes to me in other ways too. And I record it all in my journal. So I believe in God because God keeps convincing me he exists!
Do I ever have doubts? Sure! Author and minister Frederick Buechner says: “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep [faith] awake and moving.” How? When a doubt catches me off guard, I don’t want to wallow in doubt; instead, I rethink the evidence, and my faith is refreshed. I DO believe in God (1) because the heavens and the Earth need a Designer and Maker, (2) because the Bible has proved reliable historically and personally, (3) because what Jesus said about himself and about God and what the eyewitnesses wrote about him all ring true and (4) because I am experiencing a relationship with God. So what does this mean for my life?
I have a few books by Alister McGrath, former professor at Oxford University, now chair of theology, religion and culture at King’s College, London. McGrath also has a background in molecular biology and has debated well-known atheists about the existence of God. One of his books is entitled What Was God Doing on the Cross? What was God doing on the Cross? It leaves me absolutely stunned that God the Creator loves humanity so much God himself in Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins! And in Isaiah 43:25, God says he forgives us “for [his] own sake”! Astounding!
So I do believe in God and I also love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Not merely because this is “the first and greatest commandment,” as Jesus said [Matthew 22: 34-40, Mark 12:28-34], but because the better I get to know God the more I want to love God with my whole being!
With all the loud talk these days from people who are eager to say they do not believe in God, do we give much intentional thought to God and to why we do believe in God? If God does exist, we need to seek the truth about God because the truth about God matters. If God does exist, God is too important to virtually ignore in our daily lives, or treat casually or take for granted. If God does exist, we need to respect God seriously, listen to God carefully and respond to God wholeheartedly, with reverent and joyful faith and worship. And If God does exist and did reveal himself in Jesus, what more could Almighty God have done to show how much he loves us?
And us? How much do we love God?
Margaret Miller,
May 15, 2011
OYM Oriole-York Mills United Church, Toronto
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