There Is A Creator
If one takes an honest look at the world around them, there can be no other logical conclusion than that there is a creator. The interdependent complexity found in atoms all the way up to the universe itself testifies to an incredible and possibly incomprehensible design, and therefor an awesome designer.
Alternative theories have been proposed to explain existence, but to date they are all lacking. Over the years issues have been found with the popular Big Bang Theory and Darwinism. Any attempt to resolve them is often met with new mathematical problems or a failure to explain how they fit with all of the hard evidence we currently have about how the universe works. And if they’re honest, scientists will tell you that it is all simply speculation anyway. We have no tools capable of measuring data from the beginning of existence, so we have to go by what can be observed now. (Side note, do you ever find it odd that they would say the universe flashed into existence in an instant but never consider that a creator might have been the originator of that sudden burst?) I love science, and I believe that the further science advances the more it will show the truth already revealed by God. I’m not a fan of people claiming science as evidence and then standing on theories as fact, such as the Big Bang Theory. Scientifically speaking, it just isn’t fact (it’s literally a theory).
In the end you’re exercising faith one way or another. You choose to have faith in people to observe, calculate, and discern the evidence properly. To do so with no personal motives guiding them (like not wanting God to exist). And to report their findings with full transparency no matter the pressures they receive from the scientific community or the culture as a whole (of which there are many). Or, you can see by your own observational skills and logic that we live in an extremely complex world and universe. If you’ve ever built anything you know that this doesn’t happen by accident, and conclude that there must have been a creator.
For further reading about creationist science, see Answers In Genesis.
The Bible Is True and Authoritative
So there is a creator, but WHO is that creator? There are numerous religions representing thousands of deities. What leads us to one vs the other(s)? Just as nature directs us to the fact there is a God, the Bible is a time-transcending utility for knowing who that God is. For clarity, when I say “Bible” I mean that of the Christian religion containing the old and new testaments. I’ll explain why as we proceed.
The Bible can be counted on as a trustworthy source because of its historical accuracy. Many of the events mentioned within it can be cross-referenced by records from other sources. Because of this we have an outside indicator that it is a truthful record. Another proof is its unity. Though it contains many chapters and was compiled over hundreds of years there is a cohesiveness and unity to it that is unmatched. What many find as “contradictions” are often found to be consistent when taking the entire book into account, not just one small selection. Also, the Bible has survived despite the passing of centuries and the efforts of many such as the Roman Empire. It’s clear that it has been preserved as God’s testament to man of who He is.
Since the Bible is indeed proven to be true and accurate, I treat it as the very Word of God. It is to be respected, meditated on, and honored in every part of my life. No other book from any religion can have the same said of it, and therefore the same reverence given to it.
All Have Sinned
The Bible, which we have established as a reliable source of knowledge about God and men, tells us that God made everything perfect. The first man and woman were in a literal paradise with nothing to fear, but then they listened to Satan and sinned. Because of that, all who came after them are born with a sin nature too, including me. And God, being completely holy, cannot have sin in His presence. So we were eternally separated from God, destined to Hell.
There is no way to pay for our own sins. Our imperfection is simply not sufficient. In the old testament God asked people to sacrifice as a sign of faith in Him to deliver them, but it was not a permanent solution. An eternal sacrifice needed to be made.
Jesus Christ Is God, and Our Savior
Jesus Christ is the answer to our sin problem. He is God, descended in the form of man to save us from ourselves and from Satan’s evil plan to trap us. God is not like us, He is three in one (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). So though Jesus was fully man He was also fully God.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Bible, which we have already established is a reliable and trustworthy message from God. His birth was so transformative that we have made it our biggest celebration, songs about it have reached all corners of the earth, and we literally divide time by when it happened (B.C vs A.D.). By all accounts He lived a perfect life and was well respected, even as recorded in secular texts. And then He died like all men. But what happened next changes everything.
Jesus rose from the grave three days later. All the leaders of all other religions are still buried, but not Jesus. His tomb is empty. Despite being guarded by soldiers from the toughest army of the day, with a heavy stone rolled over the entrance, Jesus came back to life and exited the tomb. On the cross He became the sacrifice for all of our sin, a debt we could not pay, and rising again He defeated death and gave us the promise that we too will be resurrected. His sacrifice was sufficient for all men in all time. This one man brought redemption from the damnation that came through the first man. Not only are we now guaranteed eternal life with God through Jesus Christ, He joins with us in a way only God can through the Holy Spirit and transforms our minds, hearts, and lives while here on earth.
For more on the evidences of Jesus’ authenticity see The Case for Christ and works by Dr. Gary Habermas.
Salvation Is A Gift You Choose To Accept Or Reject
The work of salvation is a done deal. Jesus has paid for all sin once and for all, including yours. Like any gift, though, it’s not yours unless you accept it. We do that by confessing we are a sinner and asking Jesus to save us, placing our faith in Him to redeem us from our sinful state and place us in a justified position by Jesus’ sacrifice. We then seek Him every day through Bible reading, prayer, and earnestly seeking God. He guides us by the Holy Spirit to know Him better and become more like Him. It’s literally light and life in a dieing world.
All Of Life Is In Him, For Him, and Through Him
Bringing together all that is listed above, God is the creator of all, He is the Savior of mankind, and He alone is worthy to guide us. I feel privileged on a daily basis to know Him, to fellowship with Him in prayer, and to see His work in my life. Outside of all the historical, textual, philosophical, scientific, and other proofs (of which there are many), I know that God is real because of what He’s done in me. I’ve never been a “bad person”, but I know the darkness of my heart. I know where my thoughts have taken me and the selfish ways that guided me, even if I didn’t appear that way to others. God has changed my heart to be more like His and to want what is of His kingdom. Left to myself I would have never even wanted the change, much less accomplished it. Praise God that He didn’t leave me to myself!
So now everything I do is to know God more and to help others know Him more. I treat other people as though they were created by a magnificent God, because they were. I love others not because of what they do but because of who they are to Him, because that’s how He loved me. This drives every facet of my life including my family and technology work. I live in confidence that He has made me who I am for a purpose, and that He wants to use that for good in the lives of others.
You might say that to believe all of this takes a lot of faith. It does. In fact, the Bible tells us that too. “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.” (Hebrews 1:6) I fully admit that you will never find 100% absolute physical evidence in this life. I also recognize that it takes faith for any other belief as well, including atheism. Be careful who you place your faith in.
I’d Love To Chat
I welcome discussion with people of other viewpoints and faiths. I fully believe that the more people investigate, the more they will believe in the God I profess. All I ask is that it be a sincere discussion with the goal of mutual edification. Anything else is just arguing, and life’s too short for that.
NOTE: This is a very condensed version of very important topics. The Bible itself is over 600,000 words long. People have devoted their entire lives to the study of it and each of the subjects touched on here. I do not claim to make an exhaustive study here, but more of a high-level abstract.