God Exists, Whether We Can Prove It or Not
In the first post I wrote for A Clear Lens, I talked about faith, science, and fear. I delved into the Church’s general lack of understanding of evolution and “the other side,” and why that is. I called us to leave behind our fear of what we will uncover and to boldly explore God’s creation through science.
This is easier said than done, and I was 100% preaching to myself.
We as the Church have mostly-unwittingly built this idea that “(certain) science can’t be right or else God must be wrong.” We’ve taken the link between science and faith so far that we’ve built a life-or-death situation. We’re losing the understanding that the prevailing scientific theories don't determine God’s existence. Science was created by God; its existence is dependent on Him, not vice versa. So why are we scared that science will “kill” God?
Sometimes, we get so caught up in “debunking evolution” that we make it seem like if for some reason we are unsuccessful, then that’s it—it’s curtains for God. Of course it’s important to critically examine ideas and do that debunking when necessary. But we must realize that God isn't dependent on our efforts to accomplish His purposes.
1. The power of God’s Word is not dependent on our ability to defend or explain it.
His Word is a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), not mere human words! In Romans 1:16, Paul says: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (ESV, emphasis added). Even if we bungle our attempts to explain it and share it, God's Word can change hearts and lives.
2. God’s salvation plan is not dependent on our ability to spread the gospel.
If we do not speak, the rocks will cry out in praise of Him (Luke 19:40). Romans 1:19-20 describes how God's invisible qualities are clearly seen in what He has made. Finally, when Mordecai was urging Esther to speak with the king about the edict to kill the Jews, he said to her: "
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place" (Esther 4:14a NIV). God has graciously chosen to use us in His redemption plan, but even if we fail, He will prevail.
3. God’s existence is not dependent on our ability to prove it.
Truth is truth, even if you can't see it or don't believe it. Accepting salvation is an act of faith because we have no way of 100% proving the existence of God. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). There are reasons to believe, but at some point, you must make the decision to believe. Sometimes in our rush to quote 1 Peter 3:15, we forget to pay attention to what we are giving an answer/defense for. It is not God’s existence. It is not science. It is not our interpretation of what the Bible says on baptism, communion, women, alcohol, or any number of other things we may have strong beliefs about. No. We are simply called to give a reason for the hope that we have. And what is that reason? It’s the gospel. It’s “God sent His Son as the perfect sacrifice to pay for my sins, so I could live eternally with Him.” That’s why we have hope, and that's what we are called to speak.
God exists, whether we can prove it or not. And He is not dependent on anything we do. His purpose and His truth will overcome, even when we falter. So take heart--there's no need to fear. Our efforts are important, but after all, it's God who grows the harvest. And nothing is a threat to Him.
