The Evidence for God

Date: October 9^th, 2011

Text: Psalm 19:1

Presented by:  Dr. James Spiegel

Main Idea: Atheists deny God’s existence based on willful resistance, not lack of evidence.

Introduction

Bertrand Russell – there is not enough evidence

Is this so? Is there really “not enough evidence” to believe in God?

If there is plenty of evidence, then why do atheists deny this?

The Evidence for God

Antony Flew went from being an atheist to being a theist based on (1) the fact of the universe, (2) cosmic fine-tuning, and (3) the fact of life.  Three more pieces of evidence are (4) the mind/consciousness, (5) near death experiences and (6) biological systems unexplainable by Darwinian evolution.

Why Atheists Reject the Evidence for God

Atheists reject God based on willful resistance, not for intellectual reasons like lack of evidence.(Romans 1:18-20; Ephesians 4:17-18; John 3:19-20)

Unbelief is a consequence of disobedience because sin corrupts us cognitively, especially our thinking about moral and spiritual matters, and sin damages the sensus divinitatis (innate awareness of God) thus compromising a person’s ability to perceive the clear evidence for God.

The Blessing of Obedience

Obedience enhances cognition and thus moral-spiritual awareness. (Psalm 19:7; John 7:17)

Application Questions

1.     Which of the evidences for God do you find most compelling?  Why?

2.     Do you know anyone who does not believe in God?  What reasons does he/she offer against there being a God?  Does the evidence presented address the reasons he/she gives?

3.     In light of the corrupting power of sin on a person’s moral and spiritual awareness, what would you tell someone who said he planned to wait until he was older to be concerned about spiritual matters?

4.     How does the concept of sensus divinitatis show itself in your own life?

5.     How should my worship of God deepen through what I have learned today?