Existence and Nature of God
Existence and Nature of God
I doubt that God appeared on earth in human form. great question; see notes below and section that deals with miracles
In the Old Testament, God seems more angry and in the New Testament, He seems more gracious. Has he changed? another great question; people often misunderstand what God is doing in the Old Testament. First, there are several thousand years of history that is discussed/covered - whereas in the New Testament - it is only 100 years if you include the birth and childhood of Christ in the Gospels. Second, God was dealing with humanity in different ways in the Old/New Testament. In the OT, He was dealing with a people (Israel) who were in a covenant relationship with Him and he dealt with them as a nation who interacted with other nations. There were promises/warnings given to the people of Israel and their political neighbors. In the NT, God deals with the church which crosses national lines and His dealings are based on what was accomplished in Christ. Has God changed? James 1 says that he never changes, so it would be difficult to rest in that conclusion. That being the case, it might be better to think that we see a different part of God's character at times in the OT because he had a different relationship with humanity. However, remember that God deals harshly with sin - and you can see that on full display in Acts 5 at the deaths of Ananias and Saphira. In addition, read through Revelation and the wrath that he will pour out in the end days. That makes a lot of OT scenarios look like childs play. God is always gracious - even in Revelation - because even though there are times when God has to bring discipline upon people - His heart is always that they would repent. And, if you examine the distance of time between the sin of certain people group in the OT and when He brings justice - it is often hundreds of years and several prophets who brought warnings later. He is a loving, gracious God but also a God of holiness and justice.
the following notes are from June 21, 2009 "Doubts about God's Existence/Christ's Deity" Dr. Ted Wueste (click here for audio)
Clues that lead us toward a belief in God’s existence …
1. The existence of the universe
“I have known for a long time that one of the implications of general relativity is that the universe is expanding. And if it is expanding, then clearly in the past it was once smaller. Extrapolate backward in time, and you end up with a universe that began at some finite time in the past as a super dense ball. And so, I have come to accept that the universe had a real beginning in time.” Albert Einstien
He then went on to discuss the following syllogism:
- If we observe an effect, then there must be a cause.
- If the universe had a beginning in time, that event must have a cause.
- A cause outside the universe.
2. The fine tuning of the universe
The universe’s complexity would argue for the existence of an intelligent designer. If you were walking one day in the forest and came upon a lawnmower, you’re first thought would be that someone made that lawnmower. The human eye alone is astronomically more complex than a lawn mower … The probability of a life-prohibiting universe is much more likely than a life-sustaining universe.
Stephen Hawking calculated that if the rate of expansion for the universe one second after the big bang was small by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have collapsed into a fireball.
The distance of the earth from the sun – the angle of rotation – the distance of the moon from the earth … and a lot of other issues hang on a razor’s edge and the sheer probability that any of these things could have come about by chance are virtually mathematically impossible … I say virtually because ---
It has been argued that perhaps there are trillions of universes out there and it just so happened that this one had everything come together. ALVIN PLANTINGA’s illustration of the poker player dealing himself 20 straight hands with 4 aces. Everyone wants to kill him but he explains that perhaps there are trillions of universes and in this one, he just happens to deal himself the same hand every time. It is technically possible but quite unreasonable … our reason tells us something different ---
Dawkins … it is possible that they just look created. He compared Mount Rushmore with a rock in Hawaii that casts a shadow that looks like John F. Kennedy … in other words, people just think that someone created it.
“The first step in evaluating the possibility of intelligent design is to examine closely the characteristics (or artifacts) of the natural world in order to assess whether all external "appearances" of design are merely "designoids," or whether they are, in fact, true examples of design by an intelligent Creator.”
Walter L. Bradley
“If a few portions of the Mt. Rushmore monument had been made incorrectly, the impressions of the four presidents would not be completely lost, just less accurate. But, if any one of the five fundamental laws of nature is lacking, if any of the universal constants is outside the permissible range of values, or if any of the many initial conditions is not met, then any potential for life in our universe would be obliterated.
“The design requirements for our universe are like a chain of 1000 links. If any link breaks, we do not have a less optimal universe for life -- we have a universe incapable of sustaining life! The evidence I have present is daunting, but still short of "proof". I must conclude that it takes a great deal more faith to believe in an accidental universe than to believe in an intelligent creator, or God who crafted such a marvelous universe and beautiful place of habitation in planet Earth, and then created life (including human beings) to occupy it.” Walter Bradley
3. The presence of beauty and desire
The idea here is that when you look at a piece of art and amazing sunset – there can be something transcendent about it … it transports you and gives you a desire for something more. Sometimes this even happens when you watch a great film …
Some would argue that beauty is just a response in our brains that has some kind of evolutionary purpose attached to it … for example, looking at a sunset relaxes you and lowers your cholesterol --- so … the idea that there is any meaning attached it is just an illusion. Love would fall into this category as well --- just an illusion --- your mind is playing a trick on you in order to further the human species ---
Here’s the problem with that --- if meaning and purpose and transcendence wasn’t real, then we wouldn’t long for it … we would just do certain things and say “I don’t know why but I love the color purple” and it would be our mind playing a trick on us and if that is the case --- how do we know anything? We can’t know that anything is real or that even science isn’t our minds playing a trick on us ---
C. S. Lewis said it this way:
“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning; just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know if was dark. Dark would be without meaning.”
You can’t think of something that doesn’t exist …
e.g., pink elephants – (pink exists and elephants exist)
We may not be able to determine the exact nature of the thing – but the presence of desire that is evoked in us and the reality of beauty that transports us into desiring something more argue for the presence of something more.
4. The existence of human morality
Simply, if there is no God, then morality is purely subjective – much like people’s differing opinions on which ice cream flavor is the best. However, we know that some things are just wrong …
From an evolutionary standpoint, it could be argued that some things become taboo over the process or human development but it could also be argued that something like rape could have evolved as an advantageous act for the survival of the species … scientific study cannot account for the existence of morality which might in fact hurt the survival of a species. For example --- sacrifice … or protecting the weak …
Keller argues extensively on this point … the fact that we believe that humans have rights and the defenseless should be protected is hard to explain except that there is a higher law --- and practically, we can’t live as though there isn’t ---
FOR MORE … Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments, Alvin Plantinga
www.philofreligion.homestead.com/files/theisticarguments.html
great resource …
How to Think About God, Mortimer Adler
Any of these clues can be explained away rationally – there are other options but when you take them together – it is quite compelling … what is most likely? What is most probable? You have to look at that and then make a faith decision …
It becomes a heart issue:
Psalm 14:1 … “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’”
It is a heart issue --- not an intellectual one.
People often say – but if there is a God --- why doesn’t He make himself more known? Ok, perhaps there are clues but why doesn’t He just put it out there – why doesn’t He sign His name to His work? What if He popped His heads out of the clouds every morning and threw a couple of lightning bolts down? This is something that theologians have referred to as the hiddenness of God ---
And, much like the issue of why a God would allow or cause bad things to happen – this is a bit of a mystery but there are a few things to remember … 1. just because you can’t imagine that God wouldn’t do something, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t exist. 2. He likely has His reasons … first and foremost, where would it end? The need to prove Himself? It is quite possible that God hides himself because He wants to have a relationship with us that is based on our choice not Him forcing Himself on us --- not making it too easy --- 3. Christianity claims that He has revealed Himself …
AND, this is where Jesus comes in --- the claim of Christianity is that Jesus is God – that God took on human flesh … so ---
Understanding Christ’s nature is essential to understanding God’s nature.
THE IDEA? You understand Christ and you understand God ---
What is Christ’s nature?
He is fully God and fully man … two natures united in one person. This is a claim that we find in the Bible (we’ll look at this next week, but for now --- assume that the Bible accurately reflects reality)
John 8:56-59
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Exodus 3:14
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
John 10:24-33
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Of course, may have said that Jesus was just a good guy – a great moral teacher – a great example for how to live --- like a Ghandi or Confucius … but here is the difference, Jesus claimed to be God – very clearly … and He either was who He claimed to be OR as C. S. Lewis contends, he was “a madman or something worse”
How is that possible?
It is a mysterious thing that our finite minds have a difficult time with … it would be a miraculous event … last week we discussed the miraculous and the reality that while hard to believe, the miraculous is not impossible …
Why does it matter?
First, He came on a rescue mission --- to deliver us --- He died for our sins … Romans 5:8, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Second, He came to show us the Father … Hebrews 1:1-3:
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
So, putting it all together – here’s the deal – if you want know God … look at Jesus, investigate Him – study Him … He is unique among all other religious/historical figures. Study it – investigate it, because if that is true – you would not want to miss it – it changes everything. I would encourage you to open your heart and read what He did and what He said.
But it can’t stop there … for some of us, we’ve come to understand something about Jesus – but maybe it doesn’t change everything for you … why? The reason that God revealed Himself in a person is because we were made for relationships – we are not computers where the right programming fixes things and the right information. Sometimes, people simply stop at the information … has it become personal for you?
If there is a God – then everything only makes sense in light of Him … we have to look at our desires – our design – why we do what we do through the lens of Him. What often happens is that we look to the concept of God as something to help us when times are tough --- so, rather than Him being the lens through which we look at life, He is simply a technology/a device that we use (like a GPS) …
Matthew 14:28-31
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Two incredibly significant things:
1. He says “why?” Not don’t – but why?
“How do we befriend our inner enemies anger and lust? By listening to what they are saying. They say, ‘I have some unfulfilled needs’ and ‘Who really loves me?’ Instead of pushing our lust and anger away as unwelcome guests, we can recognize that our anxious, drive hearts need some healing. Our restlessness calls us to look for the true inner rest where lust and anger can be converted into a deeper way of loving ... there is a lot of unruly energy in lust and anger! When that energy can be directed toward loving well, we can transform not only ourselves but even those who might otherwise become the victims of our anger and lust. This takes patience, but it is possible.” Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
Second, notice that Peter started to become afraid when He stopped looking at his life through Jesus …
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Is Theology Poetry? C. S. Lewis