A Study of Basic Christian Doctrine: How Do We Know God?

This week we will begin answering the second basic question in our study of basic Christian doctrine. The first question was, "Why is it important to study doctrine anyway?" We have answered that question in a satisfactorily way, I think. We looked at 9 reasons that one should study doctrine. If you wonder what these are, then look back at the previous posts at your leisure. Remember: we are going to answer (Lord willing) eight basic questions. So let's get started on this second one, for it is in many ways foundational for the rest of the questions and their answers.

Now let me just point out to you from the get go that this could be a confusing question if we allow it to be. However, I am never interested in shrouding things in mystery to appear intelligent, so let me explain. We are not speaking specifically when we ask this question. The specific answer to this question would be- "Jesus Christ", right? Many of you reading this already knew that answer. That is, in fact, the right answer. But it is the right answer to the wrong question because I am asking something different than one might initially think. It is obviously true that it is only through Jesus Christ that we truly come to know God in personal relationship (Jn. 14:6; 17:3). However, when I ask the above question, I am speaking generally, not specifically. Therefore, the answer to the question in the strictest sense is not "Jesus Christ". The general answer to this question looks differently. In fact, we are not even discussing (at this point) what we might call the “salvation knowledge” of God. That will be taken up later in the questions, “Who is Jesus Christ?”, and “What is salvation?” Really, we are talking about a different topic altogether.

One could ask the above question proposed this way, “How do we know God exists?” Or, maybe we could ask it this way, “How do we know God exists, and furthermore, how do we know what we know about God, and furthermore, how do we know what we know about God is true?” All of these questions get at the heart of what we will be discussing in the next few posts. This is similar to the question proposed by Zophar (Job's "kind of" friend) when he asked, "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7). In other words, is there any sense whatsoever in which man can understand God, and be confident that what he understands about God is certain fact? The proposed question is important because Scripture does clearly teach us that there is a sense in which all men “know” God. This is encouraging in one sense. But it is also dreadful in another sense. In one sense, Scripture teaches us that the knowledge about God that all men possess reveals that He is indeed there. This could be looked at as a good thing if it were not for sin. And that is where the dreadful part enters in. Scripture tells us that man, on his own, cannot recognize this knowledge of God due to the effect of sin (affecting everything including our minds and general perceptive abilities/ see 2 Cor. 4:4; I Cor. 1:21; 2:5). And the result is that, rather than leading them to a true (salvation) knowledge of God it leaves them simply “without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). In fact, Paul uses some dreadful language in 2 Cor. 4:4 when he explains that the god of this world (Satan) has aided in blinding the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. It is through Jesus Christ (specific answer to our question) that we truly come to "know" God. But we will never seek Jesus on our own. Our minds will never view that as a rational, logical, needful reaction to our sin. It takes a special operation of the Spirit to remove the scales from the eyes of our mind and reveal Jesus Christ to us (Jn. 3:1-8).

But regardless of the fact that man's condition is sadly wrapped up in his own sin to such a degree that he is incapable of seeing the beauty of God in Jesus Christ, he is still culpable and without excuse. And furthermore, this sad affair does not change reality. This is not a movie that has the potential to have a different ending. This is reality: God has revealed Himself to man, and man categorically refuses to read God's handwriting on His creation, or listen to the spoken Word of His own Son.

Let me point out at this point that God’s existence is not dependent upon evidence for His existence. In other words, though the evidence is overwhelming that God exists, His existence is not dependant either on this evidence, or our ability to perceive this evidence is there. Even if we could not prove the existence of God (which we can), it would not make belief in God irrational. Belief in God is rational simply because He exists. The world depends on logic and rational senses in order to prove the validity of something. However, we must understand from the beginning that though the arguments for the existence of God are rational and logical, they are ultimately shrouded in mystery. The Gospel is not completely mystical, but largely rational. Nevertheless, it is not dependant on logic as understood through the eyes of the world (Compare Is. 1:18; Rom. 10:17; and I Cor. 1:21 with Rom. 11:33-36). Therefore, arguments for the existence of God (and the value of Christ) will appear irrational and illogical at some point because of the element of mystery. Nonetheless, this does not take away from the evidence for God’s existence. Rather, it affirms the wondrously complex and incomprehensible God that we serve. In addition, it points to our finiteness, which in turn points to God’s infiniteness.

In addition, to say that evidence for the existence of God must be established in order to prove the rationality of God’s existence is to place believers in an unfair box. It corners the believer in the one true God (the one who actually possesses truth) and demands him to prove the rationality of his belief according to standards of measurement that God Himself did not invent. In fact, that notion is the notion of the atheist and agnostic. The atheist, or agnostic says, “God cannot exist without proof”. Or they will say, “Religious belief must be based upon empirical evidence and logical arguments in order to be rational”. A Christian who says, “The existence of God must be based upon clear proof” is saying the same thing. He comes to a different conclusion than the atheist and agnostic, namely that God exists. Nevertheless, he begins with the same presupposition, namely that proof is paramount for belief in God to be rational. Scripture never demands proof. It gives proof, but it never demands proof for the existence of God. Rather, Scripture assumes God exists everywhere and throughout. One has to look no further than the first verse of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created..". Did you notice that? There is evidence given (read the creation account) that God exists. But there are no arguments for it. The Biblical text simply assumes that God exists. This is an important difference that I am making between "the reality of evidence" and "the need for evidence". I am not denying that there is sufficient evidence that God exists. In fact, I have been affirming rather robustly that there is evidence for God's existence. But I am also asserting that this evidence does not have to be there for God to exist. His existence is not dependant on evidence. And I will notch it up a little and also affirm that our ability to perceive the viability of this evidence is also not something that His existence is dependant upon. What the world thinks is wisdom is not. Paul said this very thing in 1 Cor. 2:4-5, "...my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

Let me close with a quote from a Christian philosopher:

“God has created us in such a way that we have a strong tendency or inclination toward belief in God. This tendency has been in part overlaid or suppressed by sin. Were it not for the existence of sin in the world, human beings would believe in God to the same degree and with the same spontaneity that we believe in the existence of other persons, an external world, or the past. This is the natural human condition; it is because of our presently unnatural sinful condition that many of us find belief in God difficult or absurd. The fact is, Calvin thinks, one who does not believe in God is…like a man who does not believe that his wife exists, or thinks she is like a cleverly constructed robot and has no thoughts, feelings, or consciousness” (Alvin Plantiga).

Trusting the Scales Have Fallen From Your Eyes to See Christ,

Pastor Andy