Theology Proper: The Existence of God

Bavinck. The Bible begins with the account that God created man after His own image and likeness, in order that he should know God his Creator aright . . . And the Bible ends with the description of the new Jerusalem, whose inhabitants shall see God face to face . . . Between these two moments lies the revelation of God in all its length and breadth.[1]

Bavinck. The Bible begins with the account that God created man after His own image and likeness, in order that he should know God his Creator aright, should love Him with all his heart, and should live with Him in eternal blessedness. And the Bible ends with the description of the new Jerusalem, whose inhabitants shall see God face to face and shall have His name upon their foreheads. Between these two moments lies the revelation of God in all its length and breadth.[1]

Bavinck. The Bible begins with the account that God created man after His own image and likeness, in order that he should know God his Creator aright, should love Him with all his heart, and should live with Him in eternal blessedness. And the Bible ends with the description of the new Jerusalem, whose inhabitants shall see God face to face and shall have His name upon their foreheads. Between these two moments lies the revelation of God in all its length and breadth.[1]

The title of this class is “Theology Proper.” What does that mean we are studying? “Theology proper” is a formal study of God. We study the person and attributes of God as we study “theology proper.” All other theologies are specific studies into other aspects of scripture.

Bibliology – study of the Bible

Christology – study of Christ

Pneumatology – study of Holy Spirit

Anthropology – study of man

Hamartiology – study of sin

Soteriology – study of salvation

Angelology – study of angels

Ecclesiology – study of the church

Eschatology – study of end times

What does a study in “Theology Proper” assume? We begin with the base assumption of belief in God.

Is it possible to know God? As Christians, we believe in a God that is both transcendent and incomprehensible. He is above and separate from us and He cannot be understood, and yet we spend a good portion of our lives trying to understand Him.

Why? Because we believe Him to be as well imminent and personal. He is beyond us, but He has chosen to interact with us. He is beyond our comprehension, but He wants us to understand some of Him.

Ryrie. The Scriptures attest to two facts: the incomprehensibility of God and the knowability of God. To say that He is incomprehensible is to assert that the mind cannot grasp the knowledge of Him. To say that He is knowable is to claim that He can be known. Both are true, though neither in an absolute sense. To say that God is incomprehensible is to assert that man cannot know everything about Him. To say that He is knowable is not to assert that man can know everything about Him. [2]

His desire for us to know him resulted in him revealing himself through various means. God has revealed himself most clearly by means of the written Word and the incarnate Word. As we read his Word, we observe the work and interaction between God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and in so doing, we better come to understand all that God desires for us to understand about Himself.

Dagg. What probability is there that further proof will produce its proper impression and effect on our minds, if that which is already in our possession is unheeded or abused? If, from what we already know of God, we admire and love him, we shall desire to know more of him, and shall prosecute the study with profit and delight; but, if we have already shut him out of our hearts, all our intellectual investigations respecting him may be expected to leave us in spiritual blindness.[3]

Biblical Rational Regarding God’s Existence

God’s existence is assumed. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (). “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ().

This assumption dramatically affects how you would read the rest of scripture. If you approach scripture with the assumption that God is real, you then accept what He says as significant and important. If you deny or doubt God’s existence in the beginning, your interpretation of every passage is going to be suspect.

Rejecting the existence of God makes one a fool. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good” (, cf. ). “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” ().

Humanity senses the existence of God. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them”().

According to this passage, what venue has God used to reveal himself to mankind?

What truths did God reveal about Himself through this venue?

According to verse 20 what is the result of this revelation?

Is this knowledge enough for man to come to salvation? Why? (, )[4]

A denial of God’s existence is due to sin and results in further bondage to sin. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” ().

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. . . . 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. . . . 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. . . . 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. ().

What did God do to those who rejected Him according to verse 28?

According to verses 29-31 what was the result of God’s actions?

2. According to verses 29-31 what was the result of God’s actions?

Believer’s embrace God’s existence. (1) Their inner awareness becomes stronger. “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ().

(2) The Holy Spirit reaffirms our belief that we are children of God. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ().

(3) We come to more fully understand Christ’s presence and work in our lives. “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (). “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (). “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” ().

(4) We love Him whom we have not seen. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” ().

Extra-Biblical Rational for the Existence of God

While the following rational is not inherently incongruent with biblical truth, nowhere does scripture unfold these “proofs” in such a systematic way. In Scripture, the existence of God is assumed, and the reader must simply move on with that premise.

Each of the following lines of rational carry irreconcilable weaknesses. Some of these logical arguments carry more weight than others, but none of them convince an unbeliever whose heart is already antagonistic toward God.

These arguments are not only found to be invalid by unbelievers but many believers as well. No person should base their belief in God on any of these arguments.

With that said, a simple understanding of these arguments may be beneficial as one discusses the existence of God with an unbeliever. These arguments may prove to be useful discussion starters but must lead to the scriptures to be at all effective in drawing an unbeliever to the truth of Christ.

The Argument from Creation (Cosmological Argument) (1) Everything has a cause. (2) There cannot be an infinite number of causes. (3) Therefore, there must be a first uncaused cause and this ultimate cause is God.

The Argument from Design (Teleological Argument). (1) There is harmony, order and design within creation. (2) The creation has many non-man-made things that are incredibly complex. (3) There must be purpose behind complex design and order. (4) If there is purpose there must be an intelligent designer. (5) The intelligent designer is God.

This argument will often use the idea of a clock maker. By looking at a clock you can tell there is a designer and you can rightly assume he is intelligent, creative and meticulous. Creation is by far much more intricate than a clock and therefore must have had an even greater designer.

The Argument from Morality. (1) All people hold to some moral code (there are things which are right and others which are wrong). (2) Holding to a moral code necessitates a higher law that man assumes everyone is aware of and cannot change. (3) Since this moral code transcends humanity there must be a universal lawgiver. (4) Therefore, there is God.

One could argue the following. The necessity of a lawgiver does not necessitate only one law giver. There could be multiple gods. This logic would explain why there appears to be so many different moral codes. Some would argue that different cultures have extremely different moral codes.

While on the surface this may seem true, there are many things that are true of most cultures that lead one to observe similarities in moral codes regardless the culture.

Most cultures will care for the aged and feel guilt when they don’t.

Caring for sick people.

Murder with in one’s culture

Stealing

Lying

While some of these moral dilemmas are held differently in different cultures, throughout history these have been held in a similar fashion by all cultures.

This argument seems to have some biblical validity.

For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus ().

The scriptures acknowledge that there is something in men that acknowledge a law outside of themselves. While scripture acknowledges that this is the law of God written on their hearts, one would be hard pressed to prove this by simply a logical manner.

[1] Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1956), 8.

[2] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular, Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Moody Publishers, 1999), 26–27.

[2] Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular, Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Moody Publishers, 1999), 26–27.

[3] J. L. Dagg, Manual of Theology, First Part: A Treatise on Christian Doctrine, vol. 1 (Charleston, SC; Richmond, VA; Macon, GA; Selma, AL; New Orleans: Southern Baptist Publication Society; S.S. & Publication Board; B. B., & Colporteur Society; B. B., & Book Depository; B. B. Depository, 1859), 44.

[3] J. L. Dagg, Manual of Theology, First Part: A Treatise on Christian Doctrine, vol. 1 (Charleston, SC; Richmond, VA; Macon, GA; Selma, AL; New Orleans: Southern Baptist Publication Society; S.S. & Publication Board; B. B., & Colporteur Society; B. B., & Book Depository; B. B. Depository, 1859), 44.

[4] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ( ESV).

[4] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ( ESV).

because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. ( ESV).