This week’s devotions are based on the Week 2 “Explore God” – Is there a God? (WATCH HERE)
Wednesday evening in our group discussion of this question, a couple thoughts were shared in the video we were watching caused me to think.
- If God is real, science will not be able to prove or disprove his existence.
- If God is real, he will have to reveal himself to us because by definition he is outside the realm of human experience or comprehension.
What made these statements thought provoking is it humbled my arrogance, or the arrogance of anyone else who thinks that they can use human reason to fully define, discover, or disseminate who the true God is.
Earlier in the week, I mentioned a debate I watched where the Bible was eliminated as a source to be quoted during the debate. This left the debaters (both atheist and Christian) the sole resources of human reason and logic to prove or disprove the existence of God.
To be sure, human reason and logic allow us to think rationally about the topic and come to some conclusions. However, only when God reveals himself will he be known more completely and more fully. When he reveals himself, one would expect that there were things that couldn’t be explained by science or couldn’t be explained by human reason, because humanity and our observational abilities pale, by definition, to God who is the “supreme or ultimate reality” (Webster.com).
What this means then is we have to look for where God reveals himself.
We’ve seen evidence of God in the nature he created…and we can know his power, wisdom and design.
We’ve seen evidence of God in the reality of morality and the conscience…and we can discover a bit about his perfection and an inherent accountability to him.
We’ve seen evidence of God in the reality of love and goodness…and we can discover a bit about his character and attributes.
But what fills out the picture of who God is are the very words that God inspired men to write about him. These weren’t men’s ideas, but God revealed himself to them and they wrote.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
The Bible is full of times where God reveals himself to people…not just one, but many. Each encounter revealed both more detail and yet never contradicted previous encounters. Finally, he revealed himself by coming to live with mankind. Jesus was God in flesh. He is the greatest evidence of God that ever interacted with mankind, proved by his resurrection from the dead.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Is God real? He certainly is.
He is known partially by observation, reason, and conscience. God is known fully as he has revealed himself in the pages of Holy Scripture.
Apply: To continue to pursue this question, take time to read the BIble and ask God to reveal himself more fully to you. Other authors that have written on this topic are Lee Strobel (The Case for Faith) or Josh McDowell (Evidence that Demands a Verdict). This is a key question. Take time to read, research and reflect to settle the question for yourself once for all.
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for revealing yourself to me through your Word. Lead my not just to know you exist and are real, but you are personal and love me deeply. AMEN.