The Evidence Of The World
The first evidence that compels us to believe that God really does exist is that given by the world around us and above us
. The earth and the universe eloquently proclaim the existence of God.
We live on a planet which we call Earth. It is part of a solar system which revolves around the sun. This solar system has unquestioned order and design. All the planets stay in their orbits and never run into each other. They encircle the sun at the right speed and at the right distance. The earths relation to the sun creates day, night, and seasons. It is always at a proper distance from the sun. If we were any further away from the sun, we would freeze; if we were any closer, we would fry.
Scientists tell us that numerous other solar systems beyond ours exist in space. We do not even know for sure the dimensions of the universe. Our telescopes cannot take us to its edge; our minds much we don not know about the universe, one thing about it we know for certain-it is a universe characterized by order and design. It is not haphazard and chaotic; it is unified and organized.
The existence of the universe demands that we draw one of two conclusions about it: Either it was created or it just happened. If one argues that the universe just happened from nothing or that it resulted from some kind of cosmic explosion from already existing matter. Of the two major conclusions, the only reasonable one is that the universe was created. How could we believe with integrity that the universe came from nothing? How could we believe with rationality that the universe has resulted from a cosmic explosion and that matter is the only thing that has always been?
Suppose a man came to me with a book in his hand. He gave the book to me and asked me to look at it. I began to examine it. I noticed the book had on the front cover Crudens Complete Concordance. I also noticed that it had Zondervan printed in the place for the publisher. As I thumbed through the pages, I observed that it contained all the different names, places, and phrases of the KJV English Bible listed in alphabetical order, with the different references of thief appearance in the bible listed underneath them. On the cover of the book, it was stated that over 200,000 references were listed in the book. I might say to the man, I believe I will contact the publishing company and see if I can acquire a copy of this book.
The man then said, You cannot buy a copy of this book. This book was neither published by zondervan nor compiled by Alexander Cruden. The book just happened. We found it in its completed state. It came into existence from nothing. I would say to the man, Are you telling me that all these listings of the names, places, and phrases of the English Bible were not compiled by someone? Are you telling me that these over 200,000 references came into existence from nothing? Are you saying that this book was not typeset, printed, and bound?
If the man should reply, Yes, that is what I am saying, I then would say, I know that you are mistaken. I respect you as a human being, but my ability to reason will not allow me to accept your conclusion concerning the origin of this book. I can say without any fear of being disproven that this book did not just happen. I can be confident about my answer to this man, because my ability to reason will not allow me to draw any other conclusion concerning the origin of the book.
Suppose another man came to me and handed me a radio. The man said to me, I want you to look at this radio. An electrical cord may be plugged into the bottom of it, and through the use of electrical energy you can turn on this radio and listen to it. Inside the bottom part of the radio is a type of battery. While the radio is plugged into an electrical outlet, electric energy is stored in this battery for future use. Thus, when you are away from an electrical outlet, you may turn on the radio and it will run without being plugged into an electrical outlet. It can be used at home and also while you are traveling. I might say to the man, This would be a most useful item. I do travel some, and a radio like this would be very useful to me. I believe I will see if I can purchase a radio similar to this one.
Imagine that the man said to me, Oh, no. This radio cannot be bought. It was no created. It just happened. Not too far from here was a factory which contained all types of materials-plastics, metals, wood, etc. An explosion a few weeks ago thrown up into the air. While in the air, some of these materials came together, fused together in some way, and fell to the ground in the form of this item. Amidst the rubble and debris of the devastated building, we found this radio. It was no designed or manufactured; it resulted from this explosion. I would say to this man, Are you asking me to believe that this radio was not designed, engineered, and carefully put together? Are you affirming that this radio resulted from chaotic chance, not intelligence? If the man still insisted that the radio came from an explosion, I would say to him, You must be mistaken regarding the radio. No thinking person could draw such a conclusion. I cannot conceive of a radio coming into existence in this way. I would be absolutely positive about my response to this man. My ability to reason will not permit me to draw any other conclusion.
The conclusion which we have drawn with confidence regarding the book and the radio is a conclusion which we must draw with even more confidence about the universe. No amount of scientific rhetoric and terminology can make us believe that the universe came from nothing of resulted from an explosion. The universe is far more highly engineered and designed than a book or a radio. If we cannot believe that a book just happened of that a radio resulted from an explosion, how can we believe that the universe came from nothing or resulted from an explosion of mindless matter? All who have studied the universe in any detail have come away from such a study with the realization that the universe is a marvel of complex design and precision.
What we have concluded by reason, the Bible affirms. Psalm 19:1 says, The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. In other words, if we should sit down upon the ground on a clear night and look up into the starry sky, we will find ourselves in a wonderful worship service. The preacher will be the darkened sky with its myriad of stars. We will be the congregation. The auditorium will be the grass upon which we are sitting. The preacher will declare silently but eloquently that the stars did not just happen but were created. The starry sky will proclaim the glory of God. As we leave this worship service, we will say, The message I heard by this preacher has to be right. My reason will not allow me to accept any other message.
Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament, wrote, For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Roman 1:20). The visible, tangible things of the universe prove the existence of the unseen, invisible hand of God. They tell of His Almighty power and His supernatural character. We learn of the existence of God through general revelation-the world around us and the world above us. Paul also said. And yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17). The world of our planet and the world of the universe witness to the existence of God Almighty.
In a popular childrens story, Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on a deserted island. When he washed ashore from the shipwreck, he immediately looked around for other survivors. None were to be found. He alone had survived the wreck. He searched throughout the island for other human beings but found none. He concluded that he was all alone on the island. He made for himself a type of house out of branches and logs. He lived on the wild fruit which grew on the island. He trapped and killed wild animals for meat and clothing. One day as he walked across the seashore, he saw in the soft sand the footprints of another human being. He immediately knew that one of three conclusions would be true: Maybe someone had made those footprints and left. Perhaps the one who had made those footprints had died, and Crusoe would find him dead on the island. Maybe the one who had made those footprints was still alive on the island. The truth that someone other than himself had been on that island made his heart skip with joy. The footprints proved it. He could be absolutely certain about it. He searched throughout the island, and eventually, on the Friday, he found the native that had made the footprints. He named him Friday after the day on which he found him.
We are much like the storybook character Robinson Crusoe. We have before us the footprints of the earth, the stars, the sun, and the moon. These prints were made by an Almighty being. Crusoe would have been foolish to have looked at those footprints and concluded that they had come from nothing. Even so, we would be unwise to ignore reason and to conclude that the earth and the universe have just happened, that they have come form nothing.
The world around us and the world above us point to only one conclusion: An Almighty God is behind this physical earth and the physical universe which is beyond it. We can be confident about this, just as confident as we are that a book cannot just happen from nothing and an electric radio cannot result from an explosion.
by: Kumar.N
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