12.02.2020 | THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

The theistic God exists.

3 major arguments for the existence of God

The goal is to strengthen your personal knowledge of God, and to equip you to logically show His existence as you seek to minister the Gospel.

Ephesians 4:11-12 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.

Two kinds/ways of knowing God:

Experiential (heart) - Hebrew “yada” - Greek “gnosis”: This knowledge is an intimate union between persons. 

Rational (head): This knowledge has to do with information and is a mental awareness and understanding of truth. This is where logic and reasoning become relevant and necessary.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

Apologia – Apologetics

Formal Argument: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Cosmological Argument: Everything that had a beginning had a cause. The universe had a beginning. Therefore, the universe had a cause.

Teleological Argument: Everything that shows anticipatory design has an intelligent designer. The universe and life show anticipatory design. Therefore, the universe and life have an Intelligent Designer. 

Moral Argument: Every law has a lawgiver. There is an absolute moral law. Therefore, there is an absolute Moral Lawgiver.

God has put enough in the universe to make faith a most reasonable thing.  But He has left enough out of the universe to make faith a necessary thing. – Ravi Zacharias