Think Like Jesus:
Make the Right Decision Every Time
Part 2: Developing a Biblical Worldview
Chapter 4: Questions I: Does God Really Exist?
Your worldview hinges on whether or not you believe that God exists. If you do not believe in God, then your worldview is freed from any ties to the nature and purpose of God. Your perspective will fall in line with one of the atheistic worldviews (naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, or postmodernism). If however, you believe that God does exist, then you must wrestle with what that means for your life. (Pg. 57)
Does Barna’s assertion that our worldview hinges on whether we believe God exists make sense to you? Why? Why not?
If you are a Christian, your entire faith depends on the reliability of the existence of the God whom you claim to be your Creator, Guide, Comforter and Savior…What is the compelling and irrefutable evidence that God lives?.....one of the most interesting discoveries I’ve made on my journey is that the Scriptures do not present a comprehensive, well-constructed argument regarding His existence. Instead, Scripture seems to assume that any thinking person will recognize His existence….If you think about it, it is impossible to prove God’s existences. That does not negate His existence; it merely acknowledges the fact that we cannot provide irrefutable evidence of a spiritual Being who is timeless, infinite, and invisible. This is not because of any deficiency on god’s part; it is due to the fact that we human beings are time-bound, finite and mortal. By definition, we are incapable of fully comprehending and demonstrating the existence of a deity whose nature is so foreign to our own experience. (Pps. 57-58)
Is Barna’s assertion that we cannot prove God’s existence true? Why or Why not?
The most important questions are these: What do you believe about God’s existence? Why do you believe that? And what difference does that belief make to how you think and behave? (Pg. 58)
How would you respond to Barna’s “most important questions” regarding God’s existence?
GOD IS STILL POPULAR
Currently, about nine out of ten adults contend that God exists. The proportion of individuals who say that He is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe who is still involved in that creation is less prolific—about two out of three adults describe God in that manner. The other one-third are divided among three camps: those who say there is not God (about one out of every ten adults), those who have a different understanding of God’s nature, and the remaining group who believe that they and all people have divine qualities inherent within them. (Pps. 58-59)
What do you make of the above statistics about American’s belief in God?
THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Christians believe that God always has, does presently, and always will exist. Why? The dominant reason is that the Bible teaches this perspective, although it is supported by a variety of philosophical arguments as well as conclusions based on tangible evidence. For the most part, our knowledge and confidence regarding the existence of God is based on our faith in God and His words to us. We may buttress that faith with various musings and inferences, but our contention that God is real and the He lives today is an aspect of our trust in the Bible as a reliable source of truth. Relying upon faith does not diminish the significance of the position that faith leads to….Identifying faith as the basis of our assertion that God exists is simply a matter of intellectual honesty…..Keep in mind that the Bible tells us if we begin with faith in Him, then He will reveal Himself in unambiguous ways. (Pg. 59)
Do you agree that our “knowledge and confidence regarding the existence of God is based on our faith in God and His words to us”? Why or Why not?
After all, there are four unique ways of considering God’s being; through biblical statements, logic and human reasoning, Church tradition, and personal experience….As Christians we posit that everything we believe about God and reality must be totally consistent with Scripture, as His revealed words to us, but we do not contend that all knowledge must initially or primarily be derived from the Bible...In addition, there are two fundamental ways in which God is revealed to us; through “special revelation,” such as personal communication from God, the physical presence of God, and the recorded words of God; and through “general revelation,” which includes nature as well as human existence and experience. (Pg. 60)
Can you think of any other ways of considering God’s being than the four offered?
How have you experienced God through special revelation and through general revelation?
What We Can Perceive: The General Revelation of God
The universe was created by God (a claim we will consider more extensively in a subsequent chapter) and provided tangible evidence of His existence. How do we affirm His existence as a result of what He created? Through Scripture, logic, and experience. (Pg. 60)
How do Scripture, logic and experience affirm that God exists?
What God Tells Us about Himself: Special Revelation
For some people, however, recognizing the handiwork of a profoundly creative and powerful being is not enough. (In fact, many refuse to recognize those products as extraordinary works but write them off as explainable in ways that do not require the existence of an omnipotent deity.)….But because of His good intentions for humankind and His loving nature, God has facilitated the continuation of a relationship with His favorite creation by personally Interrupting the human experience to make His presence known….This second type of revelation, labeled special revelation by theologians, represents God’s activities designed to provide us with personal access to Him through various means. Nobody is likely to encounter Him through all of these means, but everyone has multiple ports of access that foster intimacy with Him. It is through that highly personal intimacy that every human being has the opportunity to discover God’s existence. (Pg. 62)
Historical Events. During the past four thousand years or so, God has intervened in human history countless times. [Examples offered include: 10 plagues of Egypt, virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus, Barna escaping injury in a serious car accident, etc…
How have you experienced God’s existence in this manner?
Special words: There are at least three ways in which God speaks to us in direct communication. Probably the most common means of direct communication is the “still, small voice” through which God speaks to us….Sometimes He speaks in an audible voice to individuals during special moments or situations….Finally there are times when God communicates to us through dreams and visions… (Pg. 64)
How have you experienced the assurance of God’s existence through “special words”?
Present and personal involvement: The pinnacle example, of course, of how God demonstrated His existence was through the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ….How do we know that Jesus Christ was really God and not just another person who claimed to be divine? There are several possibilities, as described by both the Bible and other historical documents from the era. First, he claimed to be God, and His track record on telling the truth, and through His death and resurrection support the veracity of the claim. Second, others who had no prior interest or belief in His divinity were moved to proclaim Him to be God…Third, His ability to do miracles on command differentiates Him from all other people and suggests that there was something supernatural about Him. (Pps 64-65)
The Bible: The Bible itself is a document that has been recorded on God’s behalf by writers He chose for that purpose. … The Bible reflects the certainty of God’s existence through stories of His intervention in the affairs of humankind, His guidance of historical events; the life of Jesus; and the trust that people through the ages have placed on the content of the Scriptures.
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
After assessing the evidence described, it is possible for someone who does not have a conviction that Jesus Christ is God who came to earth to save people from their own bad choices to conclude that there is a mighty and amazing God who is responsible for all we see and experience. The same reasoning capacities that would enable a person to posit an alternative explanation of reality would support the discernment of the truth about God’s existence by identifying the relevant facts, objectively analyzing them and honestly interpreting the information But God has made it even easier for us to know of His existence. He has spoken to us in various ways; He has written to us and ensured the survival of those words against outrageous odds; and He has even come to live among us, first through the person of Jesus Christ and subsequently through the presence of His Spirit within those who follow Him….His existence is still a matter of faith—but it is certainly not an unfounded, illogical, or ignorant faith. (Pg. 66)
How do you respond to the conclusions that Barna draws in the paragraph above?
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR LIFE?
Let’s assume that you accept the existence of the biblical God. You must still address the matter of the significance of that knowledge. What difference should it make to you that there is a transcendent deity who has created the universe and all it contains—including you? How should this knowledge affect the decisions you make today? I encourage you to think this through for yourself. Unless you want to be a reflection of other people’s ideas, which may or may not be true and consistent, you must invest some of your ability to reason in the issue of God’s existence. Your worldview must be your take on reality, not the most comfortable or accessible argument that someone else has offered for your consumption. (Pps. 66-67)
Discuss Barna’s questions and his encouragement to us.
Will the Real God Please Stand Up?
If He is God, then you are not….This has some dramatic implications. First, it insinuates that I am not in control of my life except insofar as He entrusts control to me. But unless He gives me authority, I have none….Second, I may expect to receive the consequences of my choices even when made within the exercise of His authority. His rules matter, my preferences and expectations do not…. Third the ultimate purpose of my life is not up to me. As the one who created me, God determines my reason for existence. (Pps. 67-68)
What would be the difference if we lived with a full understanding of these implications?
Protecting Your Best Interests
If God, the superior Being, does exist, then it is also in our best interests to understand more about His nature and purposes so as to enjoy His favor. There are only three logical responses to God that you may pursue in life. Insofar as you have the freedom to pursue these options, you may choose to live in defiance of His authority; in ignorance of His authority; or in compliance with His authority.
What are the results of each course of action—defying, ignoring, or complying with God’s authority?
What the Process Tells Us
Think about the nature of anything that creates something else. There is always some manner of relationship between the creator and the created object….This pushes us to consider the nature of God the Creator’s relationship with each of us, His creative products. What is His responsibility in reference to humanity?...To answer such questions, we must dig deeper into the character and purposes of the Creator. (Pps. 68-69)
The Burden is Ours
Isn’t it interesting that the One who could create everything around us—obviously a potent and intelligent Being—has intentionally not provided some manner of “irrefutable proof” of His existence, at least in terms of human standards?...Perhaps this is simply a tactic designed to facilitate a meaningful relationship with us….. it wouldn’t be much of a relationship if He forced us into it. So He waits to see what we will do. If we pursue Him, He is willing—yes, even wanting—to be found and to further reveal Himself to us. (Pg. 69)
Do you think God waits for us to pursue Him before revealing Himself more fully to us? Why or why not?
The Frailty of Alternative World Views
The initial evidence of His existence reveals that He is not, as the deists would claim, a dispassionate creator who made the universe then disappeared to pursue other endeavors…In fact the accumulated evidence of God’s existence pretty much rejects the atheistic worldviews of naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, and postmodernism. While each of these systems of belief is appealing in some ways and contains some truth—don’t most lies?—none can be considered a useful life lens because all are based on a foundation that says God does not exist. A bad foundation brings on the collapse of the structure built upon that foundation.
How do you respond to Barna’s logic in the above statements?
TAKING THE NEXT STEP
If you conclude that God does exist, then you should address the next logical question in our seven core questions: What is the character and nature of God. That is precisely what we will confront in the next Chapter. (Pg. 71)
FOR NEXT WEEK: Read Chapter 5: Pages 73-87 in Think Like Jesus