Is God real?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible never tries to prove God’s existence—it assumes it. From the first verse, Scripture says that God has always been (Genesis 1:1). His reality is the foundation of everything else. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), and His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through what He has made (Romans 1:20). Because we are created in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), we are also personal testimonies to His reality. That testimony is seen in our conscience’s innate knowledge of right and wrong (Romans 2:15) and our inner sense of eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

However, though we know some things about God in creation and within ourselves, that knowledge is only enough to show us that we are under His wrath (Romans 1:18). Fortunately, God has kindly revealed more about Himself through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1) and Jesus (John 1:18), as recorded in His Word, so that we can respond rightly to Him (2 Timothy 3:16–17). All who seek Him in His word will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13; Acts 17:27). Faith is not blindly believing that some kind of god exists—it is confidence grounded in the true God’s character, promises, and self-revelation (Hebrews 11:1).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Bible begins with an assertion of God’s existence through His creative work (Genesis 1:1). Everything exists only because He exists and caused everything else that exists to be.
• Creation’s existence is evidence of the Creator. Creation is the “voice” (the words or song) that declare the Creator’s existence (Psalm 19:1–4). Despite creation having “no speech,” its “voice goes out through all the earth.” Creation perpetually declares not only that God exists, but also part of His character.
• Because creation makes it clear that God exists, we learn that “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). In other words, as contrary to modern thinking as this may sound, denying God is not rational logic, but morally corrupted, willful blindness.
• Not only is God known generally in creation, but He is known personally within each human (Genesis 1:26–27). While theologians may disagree on what exactly that means, at a minimum, it means that we are like Him. Our love, wisdom, moral sense, creative abilities, and so forth are all faint echoes of our Creator. This means that we each are also walking testimonies to the reality of God. Despite sin tainting this, we still know deep within ourselves that our Creator exists.
• Ecclesiastes 3:11 noted that God “has put eternity into man’s heart.” Within each of us is a recognition that there is something—and Someone—beyond ourselves.
• God also revealed Himself verbally and directly to key individuals in the Old Testament. A prime example of this is when God commissioned Moses to rescue the Israelites from captivity (Genesis 3:14b). God revealed His eternality—that He is.
• God also revealed that He, alone, is God, saying, “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isaah 45:5). To be God, alone, means there is nothing bigger, stronger, or otherwise greater than He is. He is the only God.
• God also showed Himself to be real through His miracles (Deuteronomy 4:33–34). Moses declared why He did those miracles: “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him” (Deuteronomy 4:35). God is real, and He makes Himself known.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• God clearly makes Himself known (Romans 1:18, 20). He is real.
• God has made evident within us, in our conscience, that He is real. This is why Paul can say that we are “without excuse” (Romans 1:20b). We will not be able to declare ignorance when He judges us at the end of time.
• In the Old Testament, God revealed that He is real through prophets like Moses. However, He finished by speaking to everyone through His Son, Jesus (John 1:1–3; Hebrews 1:1–2).
• God is made known through Jesus (Matthew 11:27; John 17:3).
• The apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus and relayed what He taught to the rest of us (2 Peter 1:16): God is real and came to earth to die and rise again, conquering sin and death for all who trust in Him.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The question, “Is God real?” is not just philosophical—it is personal. If He is real (and He is), then everything changes. You are not alone in the universe, nor are you the result of time and chance. You were made by a real, personal, and holy God who knows you and sees you. This also means that you are responsible for how you handle that knowledge.

His reality means there is meaning in your suffering and purpose in your life. While this world calls us to try to have it all before we die, God has set eternity within us, and He calls us to know Him rightly before we die. This is because we will all live eternally. Those who deny Him now will spend eternity under the wrath they suppressed in this life. However, those who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus will be called God’s children and live in eternal peace with Him as their Father.

You don’t need to “find” God as if He were hiding. He has revealed Himself in creation, in you, and most clearly, in Jesus. The real question is not whether God is real, but whether you will acknowledge His Son as Lord. Those who seek Him with a humble heart will find that the living God has drawn them near and has given them an eternity to enjoy Him!

UNDERSTAND

• God is real; His existence is assumed and foundational in the Bible.
• Creation itself testifies to God’s reality.
• God has revealed Himself personally and clearly through prophets, through His Word and ultimately, through Jesus Christ.

REFLECT

• How does the reality of God shape your understanding of your own purpose and meaning in life?
• How have you experienced or sensed the reality of God’s existence?
• How do you personally respond to the idea that God’s existence is foundational and assumed by Scripture, rather than proven?

ENGAGE

• How does knowing that creation testifies to God’s reality influence the way we view the natural world?
• What are the implications for human identity and morality if we are created in God’s image as a testimony to His existence?
• How does the personal revelation of God through Jesus affect our relationship with God?