The Bible contains much more than prophecy. It is a group of books that includes history, poetry, prophecy, law, letters, and wisdom literature. The wisdom literature of the Bible contains a great deal of ethical wisdom—principles and advice for daily living and how to live the best life. One book of the Bible that contains plentiful examples of this kind of wisdom is the book of Proverbs. This book tells us: “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding…” (Proverbs 3:13 NIV). Besides Proverbs, wisdom can be found in other books of the Bible—the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7) and the Epistle of James are examples of wisdom literature in the New Testament. Wisdom from the Bible covers topics that include:

* The value of integrity (Proverbs 28:6). 

* The importance of obeying one’s parents. 

* Advice for remaining teachable (Proverbs 10:23). 

* The danger of arrogance (Proverbs 14:16; 30:32). 

* The importance of listening to advice (Proverbs 12:15). 

* A foundation for morality—found in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). 

* Best practices for how to treat other people. 

* The importance of choosing good friends

* Practical tips for maintaining healthy sexual relations.

* Warnings about being lazy and the poverty it leads to (Proverbs 10:4). 

* Instructions for how to get to heaven (Romans 10:9-10).  

The above is a small sampling of the wisdom of the Bible that has been proved to be true across generations and cultures. Ultimately, the wisdom found in the Bible comes from God who is the source of all wisdom. It also tells us where wisdom begins: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9.10). This simply means that knowing that God is there is the starting point to living wisely. But “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 53.1). If you feel that you could use more wisdom in your life, open the Bible. God wants you to know how to live your life to the fullest. The Bible promises, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5 NIV). 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The Bible contains numerous prophecies about how Jesus, the Son of God, would come, what He would do when he came, and how He would be a Savior for sinful mankind. These prophecies were not written by one person at one time, but by different people over the course of the 1500 years before Christ came. The authors of the Old Testament were Jewish, and it was through them that God communicated the promise of a Savior. The Jews carefully passed down the prophecies about this Messiah who was to come. Like the early Christians with the New Testament, the Jewish scribes were meticulous in transmitting the Old Testament scriptures that contained these precious promises. As they transcribed them, they counted every word and every letter in every word to ensure that any changes or errors were caught. In these Old Testament scriptures there are over three hundred prophecies about the Messiah that were fulfilled in the details of the life of Jesus. Consider the following fifteen instances of Old Testament prophecies and their fulfillment:

The Messiah would be the seed of a woman. Prophecy: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15).  

Fulfillment by Jesus: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). 

The Messiah would be a descendant of the Old Testament patriarch Abraham. Prophecy: “In you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ…the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). 

The Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah (one of the twelve tribes of Israel). Prophecy: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49:10). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23). “For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:14). 

The Messiah would be a descendant of King David. Prophecy: “When your days [David’s] are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Samuel 7:12). “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 23:5). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David…” (Matthew 1:1). 

The Messiah would be born to a virgin. Prophecy: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son” (Isaiah 7:14). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34). 

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Prophecy: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1). “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son” (Luke 2:4-7).  

The Messiah would perform great miracles. Prophecy: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).  

The Messiah would be rejected by his own people. Prophecy: “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:10-11).  “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5).  “Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?” (John 7:48).  

The Messiah would be betrayed by a close friend. Prophecy: “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me” (John 13:21). 

The Messiah would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Prophecy: “So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: They asked Judas, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15). 

The Messiah’s hands and feet would be pierced. Prophecy: “…They pierced My hands and My feet” (Psalm 22:16). “Then they will look on Me whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12:10).

Fulfillment by Jesus: “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him” (Luke 23:33). 

The Messiah would be crucified with thieves. Prophecy: “And He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Fulfillment by Jesus: “With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” (Mark 15:27-28). 

The Messiah’s clothes would be gambled for. Prophecy: “They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:18). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore the soldiers did these things” (John 19:23-24). 

The Messiah would be buried in a rich man’s tomb. Prophecy: “And they made His grave with the wicked, But with the rich at His death” (Isaiah 53:9). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed” (Matthew 27:57-60).  

The Messiah would rise from the dead. Prophecy: “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10). 

Fulfillment by Jesus: “He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31).  “But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him’” (Mark 16:6). 

While it might seem that a person could fulfill prophecy by accident, the probability that a person could coincidentally fulfill this number of prophecies is nearly impossible. It has been calculated that the mathematical chances of a man fulfilling just eight of these prophecies would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. This number only exponentially increases with every additional prophecy fulfilled. Peter Stoner, a scientist and mathematician, calculated that the probability of a person fulfilling forty-eight of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah would be one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion. Such a number is basically incomprehensible. As big as this number is, consider that Jesus didn’t complete just forty-eight prophecies—his life fulfilled three hundred prophetic details from the Old Testament. 

The New Testament shows that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. The internal consistency is so improbable that it serves as proof of the divine origins of the book. The miraculous fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies by Jesus convinced many Jews to join the early church. The clear evidence that he did so continues to convince people that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God and leads them to put their hope and trust in him.

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The Bible is not written as a science textbook—and that is probably a good thing. As Oswald Chambers, the author of the classic Christian Devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, wrote: “If the Bible agreed with modern science, it would soon be out of date, because…modern science is bound to change.” Nonetheless, the Bible does contain many scientific concepts that agree with modern science. For example: 

The earth is a sphere. Many different cultures used to think the earth was flat, but the Bible describes the true shape of the earth in Isaiah 40:22. 

The construction of the cosmos. At one time, people in different cultures—Hindu, Chinese, and native American—believed the earth was supported on the back of a great turtle. Greek mythology gave this role to the Titan, Atlas. The ancient Biblical book of Job states that the earth and the cosmos are suspended in nothing (Job 26:7). 

The world under the oceans. Long before scientists were able to explore the oceans using submarines, the Bible describes underwater valleys (Psalm 18:15) and fountains and springs in the depths (Job 38:16). 

The hydrologic cycle. Referring to how water changes from a vapor in the atmosphere to become precipitation on land and water and then evaporates once again, Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 is understood to be an ancient observation of this scientifically important cycle.

Significantly, science owes a great debt to the Bible and Christian theology. The Bible teaches that the universe is orderly, because it was created by a God of order, who is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). This theological understanding of the world contributed to the beginning of modern science in the Renaissance. Other gods of the ancient world, like Zeus and Thor, were powerful, but they were capricious rather than consistent and orderly. The Biblical God provided a philosophical foundation for science to flourish. It is not an accident that Galileo was both a theologian and a scientist.

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

While we do not have the original manuscripts of the Bible, there is far more evidence for the reliable transfer of the New Testament then there is for any other ancient manuscript. For example, Plato died in 347 BC, but the earliest manuscript of his writings is from 900 AD—a gap of one thousand two hundred years. Unfortunately, only seven copies of his manuscripts are known to be in existence. We have forty-nine copies of the writings of Aristotle, the student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great. His earliest surviving manuscript is from 1100 AD, one thousand four hundred years after he died. Homer wrote the Iliad around 900 BC. The earliest Homeric manuscript is from 400 BC, five hundred years after he wrote. We have 643 known copies of his writings. The earliest bibliography that is available about the life of Buddha was written over six hundred years after his death.

In contrast, the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament are dated to around 130 AD, less than one hundred years after the Apostles penned the originals. It is likely that the entire New Testament was written during the first century. When Paul talks about the reality of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:4) he is writing only twenty years after the crucifixion took place (around 30 AD). There is one fragment of the Gospel of John that might date to the late first or early second centuries—within years of the Apostle’s death (around 96 AD). 

When the New Testament was being written, there were people still alive who had been eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. The New Testament is not a group of legends passed down over centuries; it is living history recorded by participants in the events.

Plus there are, not hundreds, but thousands of copies of the New Testament dating from the early centuries of our era. There are almost six thousand copies of the New Testament in the Greek language, and another twenty-one thousand copies in other languages—including Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic texts. While the copies are many, significantly, the differences between them are few. There is less than 0.5 percent variation between all early texts of the New Testament books. Most of these variations can be accounted for by differences in spelling, or by word repetition or word omission. These variations can be corrected easily by comparing the vast number of manuscripts that we have available. 

There is far more evidence for the accuracy and validity of the New Testament and its record of the life and words of Jesus than there is for any other historical figure or manuscript from His time period. The comparatively short time periods between the lives of Christ and the Apostles and the earliest manuscripts of New Testament writings means there is very little time in which their words could be distorted or their message compromised. While only seven copies of Plato’s writings are the basis of modern texts of his works—and those copies are far-distanced from his own period—few scholars question Plato’s existence or doubt the validity of his writings. If one rejects the evidence for the New Testament manuscripts and the words of Jesus, then one must equally reject as accurate the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Homer. Conversely, to be willing to accept the works of these authors as representative of what they said or wrote, the reader of the Bible can be so much more confident that the words of the New Testament, the words of Jesus, have been faithfully transmitted down the centuries. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The Bible is the starting point for Christian apologetics. While natural revelation clearly has a place in apologetics, even this natural revelation must be interpreted through the “spectacles of Scripture.” Natural revelation tells us there must be a God, the Bible tells us what kind of God He is. The written Scripture is how God has chosen to reveal Himself to humankind. 

The Bible contains sixty-six books written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) by thirty-nine authors over a period of one thousand eight hundred years (1700 BC to 100 AD). The authors of these books include shepherds, prophets, kings, priests, poets, students, musicians, philosophers, fishermen, a tent maker who was trained as a theologian, and a doctor. It is full of poetry, proverbs, letters, laws, histories, prophecies, philosophy, and stories. 

Despite being written by many different men and over a long time period, the entire Bible has remarkable unity. Imagine gathering five people in a room and asking their opinion on almost any subject. What are the chances that all five would agree? Probably very low. The chances of dozens of authors agreeing over a period of one thousand six hundred years is astronomical. The one thing Bible authors agree on and that unites their different writings is the theme of salvation for humanity through Jesus Christ. 

The reason for the unity within the Bible comes from the fact that the Bible really has only one author: God. While specific people throughout history wrote the books of the Bible, each person was inspired by God to write the words they did. “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV) writes the Apostle Paul. The Word of God “never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 NIV). So, while different men held the pens used to write the Scriptures, each man was guided by the Holy Spirit as he wrote.

If one does not believe the Bible is authoritative, then there is not much reason to refer to it in Christian apologetics. Christians do not read the Bible in the same way that other books are read. When people read the Homer or Shakespeare they read their books as literature. But the Bible is God’s word to humanity. Before you can grasp the Bible, you must choose to believe it. If you are not willing to kneel when you read the Bible, you will never fully understand it.

There are many reasons why you can feel confident that the Bible is true…

First, the Bible claims that what it says is true 

The Bible claims to be a source of ultimate truth. The author of the Bible is none other than the all-knowing God himself. If a book is written by God, one would expect to find that claim to be found within the book. On this point the Bible leaves its readers with no doubts, and it assures readers that, the Author being who he is, they can trust what is written. Here are a few things that the Bible has to say about itself as the Word of God:

God’s Word will last forever. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV). “But the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Newspapers change, scientific opinions change over time, but century after century, God’s Word endures the tests of time. 

God’s Word is pure. “The words of the Lord are pure words” (Psalm 12:6). The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit. There is no hidden agenda or malice to be found in God’s Word. It is pure and good for purifying the soul.   

God’s Word is useful. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is useful for many things. It teaches us about God and about ourselves. 

God’s Word is powerful. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Nothing can change a human heart faster than the Bible. God’s Word is like a mirror. When we hold it up to our faces and look, we see ourselves as we truly are. God’s Word reveals our sinful nature and points us to a forgiving God. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The term revelation refers to “knowledge about God.” Historically, theologians have distinguished between two different types of revelation, general revelation and special revelation. General revelation or natural revelation refers to what can be known about God from nature through reason. The two avenues of general revelation are creation and conscience. The Apostle Paul talks about these two avenues when he writes of how all of creation points toward God (Romans 1:18-20) and of the law of right and wrong that is written on the heart of each person (Romans 2:14-16). These two avenues have been covered in the preceding chapters.

Special revelation or supernatural revelation refers to what is known about God by divine intervention—such as through dreams, visions, theophanies, or a specific word from God. To discuss these two kinds of revelation, Thomas Aquinas divided truth into two categories: the realm of nature and the realm of grace. What the realm of nature could not teach, the realm of grace could reveal. It was through the realm of grace that God as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were revealed—a thing impossible to know simply through observation of the natural world or from logical deductions. John Calvin (1509-1564) essentially agreed with Aquinas, allowing that, while it is possible to know God from creation, what can be known by that means is limited. Only a special revelation through grace would enable people to have a clearer vision of God. Karl Barth (1886-1968) believed that the only way to know about God was through the most special, most supernatural revelation of all: the incarnation of Christ, the Divine and Eternal Word of God, in the man Jesus. 

Christians believe that Christ is the ultimate special revelation of God to humanity, and the reason they believe this is because the Bible says so. The Bible is special revelation too. It gives us information about God that is not available through any other means. It enables people who would only know God through nature or logic as the abstract, transcendent God of Aquinas’ Unmoved Mover, to have an understanding of a personal, imminent God and Savior. It is through special revelation found in the Bible that one can know that Jesus is the Son of God, that the Holy Spirit exists, that God cares for every person, and of God’s plan of salvation for humankind. 

In the discussion of apologetics, Christians return again and again to the Bible. In the same way that the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, so the one who comes to the Bible must believe that it is the Word of God, and that as such it is true and reliable. Jesus knew that the Bible was true, and He relied on what it said. When He was tempted by the devil, Jesus answered the great deceiver by saying “it is written”—and would quote the Bible. What is good enough for Jesus is good enough for Christians, and what Jesus felt was good enough for the devil must be good enough for atheists too. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Atheists reject God’s moral law because they do not want to be held accountable. 

Whether accusing God of some inconsistency or denying his existence, the atheist’s intellectual problems are often a smoke screen hiding the real issue: the atheist’s desire to escape the responsibility that the existence of God involves him in. By denying the existence of God, the atheist is absolved of his sins without incurring the smallest act of penance. After all, if there is no ultimate right and wrong, then there is no personal right and wrong. All is permitted so long as society is not outraged. Without the moral law, hedonism becomes the purpose of existence. But if such is the meaning of the universe, what motivation can there be for me to go to work in the morning, or to love my wife, or even to be alive? If I did not believe that God existed, I know I would behave in immoral ways because I wouldn’t be kept from doing them by a moral sensitivity. Many atheists have chosen not to believe in God, not because of intellectual reasons, but because they want to live life free of God’s moral laws. 

In his novel, The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) points out the reason that atheists reject God. “Without God and immortal life […] all things are lawful then, they can do what they like.” The same character, Dimitri, goes on to say: 

It’s God that’s worrying me. That’s the only thing that’s worrying me. What if he doesn’t exist? What if [atheists] are right—that it’s an idea made up by men? Then if he doesn’t exist, man is the chief of the earth, of the universe. Magnificent! Only how is he going to be good without God? That’s the question. I always come back to that. For whom is man going to love then? To whom will he be thankful? To whom will he sing the hymn? [Atheists] laugh. [Atheists] say that one can love humanity without God. Well, only a sniveling idiot can maintain that.

The truth is that everyone knows there is a God and the people who claim there is no God have suppressed the truth because they want to continue to sin. The Apostle Paul writes of those 

…who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20). 

All creation points to the existence of God. If this was not enough, He also wrote His law on the hearts of every person, giving them the moral compass of the conscience as further proof that He is there. Yet, even with the evidence in front of them and inside of them, people suppress the truth and deny God’s existence because they prefer to do what is wrong rather than repent and change. So Paul continues: 

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful… (Romans 1:28-31). 

It’s one thing when we want to hang ourselves, it’s a more terrible thing when God hands us the rope.  To those who want to sin, God does not hold them back. Ultimately, sin leads to spiritual death: “…those who practice such things are deserving of death…” (Romans 1:32). But the good news is that “the goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). 

When I think about good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice; when my conscience tells me that I fall short of my own moral standard; when I realize that God is good and wants to help me be good, the truth comes home all the stronger:

God is THERE!

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Premise A: If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist. 

Premise B: Objective moral values do exist. 

Conclusion: Therefore, God exists. 

Imagine living in a world where there was no right or wrong. 

• • Someone could kill your loved one, but because there is no right or wrong, they would be considered not-guilty of injustice. There would be no law by which they could be apprehended or convicted as a murderer. 
• • You could walk into the nearest jewelry store, smash the glass, and fill your gym bag with as many diamonds and gems as you could manage to get away with. The owner of the store would have no moral reason to stop you from taking what is not yours.
• • A husband coming home from a tough day at work could start slapping his wife and abusing his children. But you wouldn’t be able to call the police about it, because spousal abuse wouldn’t be wrong. Besides that, there also wouldn’t be any police force to maintain law and order.

In a world without morality, a terrorist could kill hundreds of people, a modern Hitler could commit a new Holocaust, racism would be okay, misogyny couldn’t be condemned, corruption in government couldn’t be wrong, and it wouldn’t be bad to take away someone’s freedom. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to live in world where there is no right and wrong. Thankfully, I don’t have to. Right and wrong exist, and the conscience of everyone in the world is proof of this fact.  

An objectively moral universe

Have you ever felt you were treated unjustly? Perhaps someone broke a promise they had made to you; perhaps they cheated you in some way or stole from you; perhaps they told a lie about you or broke your trust in another way; perhaps they were violent to you and physically hurt you. How did that make you feel? When such things happen to us, or we see them happen to someone else, we know that those things are wrong and that they should not happen. In the same way that we know what is wrong, we also know what is right. It is right to be kind to people. It is right to be honest and sincere. It is right to be patient and generous. No one needs a law to tell them that patience or generosity or kindness are right. We know that these kinds of actions are right because, when we see people acting this way, or experience it for ourselves, we start to think that the world isn’t so bad after all. As the saying goes, “our faith in humanity is restored.”

We know right from wrong not just by how it makes us feel when we are treated rightly or wrongly, but also because of what we experience when we treat someone else rightly or wrongly. Inside of every person is a moral compass—the conscience. The word “conscience” comes from joining two words together. The first word, con, means “with”; the second word, science, means “knowledge.” Conscience means that when we do rightly or wrongly, we do it “with knowledge.” When we knowingly do what is right, it makes us feel good, but when we knowingly do what is wrong, it makes us feel guilty. The difference between humans and animals is morality. Animals do not have a conscience. Sometimes a mother dog will eat her own puppies with no pain or guilt. A female praying mantis consumes the male after mating with him. A lion does not feel remorse after killing a young zebra. But, if a human treats another human the way animals treat each other, we call that person a criminal—or worse, a monster.

This knowledge of right and wrong is what the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), called a “categorical imperative.” By “categorical”  he means that everyone has a category of understanding that some things are right and other things are wrong; by “imperative” he means that everyone is impelled to act upon this moral understanding. In fact, so strong is this universal moral sense, that even when someone tries to ignore or erase it, the moral sense remains. That is why we feel guilty when we do the things that we know are wrong even if they make us feel good in the moment. That is why we still feel good when we make a right decision, even if it costs us something valuable or makes us give up a pleasure. This sense of right and wrong, of guilt and goodness are experiences that both theist and atheist can agree on. For C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), failing to understand this innate moral sense is like failing to understand the basic laws of the universe: 

These then are the two points that I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.

By the term “Law of Nature,” Lewis means that our world is an objectively moral universe. The universe is observed to work in one way and not another—that is what is meant when anyone refers to the “laws” that govern it. These laws do not require us to believe in them for them to be true. Gravity does not exist because we believe in it, nor did it begin to exist when Newton discovered it. Regardless of what anyone believes about gravity, gravity exists and has always existed as a necessary part of the physical universe. Gravity is true everywhere and for all time—this is what makes it universal. Gravity exists independently of what anyone believes about it—this is what makes it objective. The same concepts of universality and objectivity apply to the ideas of right and wrong.

The law of nature, or natural law, refers to what is objectively true about all people as individuals and as societies. “The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” are the basis of the Constitution of the United States. When it is said that everyone has an innate sense of right and wrong, that means two things. First, because everyone has a moral sense, it is universal. Second, because people are born with this moral sense and have no control over whether they will have it or not, it is objective. In the same way that we don’t get to choose if gravity exists, we don’t get to choose the existence of right and wrong or if we have a conscience. Simply, we are part of a moral universe where there are objective moral values of right and wrong, good and evil, justice and injustice. 

Where does this moral law come from?

Just like the physical universe, the objective moral universe doesn’t come from nothing. All people have a conscience and are born with it. That conscience does not come from nothing. The knowledge of right and wrong comes from God. God is good and everything he does is good and just. Even if people have no knowledge of God, God has given people a conscience that tells them what is good and just. As it says in Romans 2:14-25: 

…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law [of God—that is the Law of Moses], by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them).  

God is the only possible source of an objective right or wrong. Atheists might reply that rules are created by society and that anything society approves of is right and what society disapproves of is wrong. To support their argument they point to examples of how morals can differ from culture to culture depending on the subjective will of the majority. Thus, while most cultures agree that cannibalism is wrong, in some tribes in Papua New Guinea it is considered noble to eat your enemy. But is that the same thing as believing that cannibalism is a moral good? While the cannibal chief may eat people, if we say to him, “Today, we eat your child,” he knows that eating his child is wrong. He does not celebrate the announcement as a victory for cannibalism. For thousands of years, cultures around the world have practiced the same moral values we practice today. In every society, some actions are considered good and some are considered bad. Murder, theft, and lying have all been considered wrong throughout human history. If there is a moral law, then there must be a moral lawgiver.

If there is true justice, there must be a just judge to dispense it. This judge must be morally perfect. In order to make perfect judgments, this judge must be all-knowing. In order to enforce his judgment, this judge must also be all-powerful. Thus, our innate sense of right and wrong and our inherent desire for justice requires a completely moral lawgiver who is all-knowing and all-powerful. This perfect, omniscient, and omnipotent judge we call God. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Premise A: God has all perfection. 

Premise B: Existence is a perfection.

Conclusion: Therefore, God exists.

Ontology refers to the area of metaphysics that tries to answer the question of what exists. This kind of philosophical discipline relies largely on abstract reasoning to arrive at its conclusions—abstract reasoning meaning that if all you could do was think, how could you prove that something exists? The famous statement by the French philosopher and scientist, Rene Descartes (1596-1650), “I think, therefore I am,” is an example of ontological reasoning. Apologists have used ontological reasoning to prove the existence of God  

Anselm and the perfectness of God

Anselm (1033-1109), Archbishop of Canterbury, was the first to articulate the ontological proof for God’s existence in his work, Proslogion: Faith in Search of Understanding. The book contains a prayer in which Anselm asks God to reveal an argument for his existence that would be convincing to the atheistic “fool” of Psalm 14:1. That prayer is as follows:^⁠

And so, Lord, do you, who do give understanding to faith, give me, so far as you know it to be profitable, to understand that you are as we believe; and that you are that which we believe. And indeed, we believe that you are a being than which nothing greater can be conceived. Or is there no such nature, since the fool has said in his heart, there is no God? (Psalm 14:1). But, at any rate, this very fool, when he hears of this being of which I speak—a being than which nothing greater can be conceived—understands what he hears, and what he understands is in his understanding; although he does not understand it to exist.

For, it is one thing for an object to be in the understanding, and another to understand that the object exists. When a painter first conceives of what he will afterwards perform, he has it in his understanding, but be does not yet understand it to be, because he has not yet performed it. But after he has made the painting, he both has it in his understanding, and he understands that it exists, because he has made it.

Hence, even the fool is convinced that something exists in the understanding, at least, than which nothing greater can be conceived. For, when he hears of this, he understands it. And whatever is understood, exists in the understanding. And assuredly that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, cannot exist in the understanding alone. For, suppose it exists in the understanding alone: then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which is greater.

Therefore, if that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, exists in the understanding alone, the very being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, is one, than which a greater can be conceived. But obviously this is impossible. Hence, there is doubt that there exists a being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and in reality.

The prayer proposes that God must exist because He is the greatest being that can be imagined, the being “which nothing greater can be conceived.” As Anselm unfolds the ontological argument for God’s existence in the chapters that follow the prayer, he proposes that if a being exists in the mind, but not in reality, then a greater being could be imagined who would exist in both the mind and in reality. But God, by definition, is infinitely great; no one can surpass his greatness. The Bible anticipates Anslem’s proof in Psalms 95:3, where it reads, “For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.” Psalms 145:3 again speaks about the greatness of God: “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.” Since God is infinitely great, Anselm concludes, He is great in every conceivable way—including in the reality of His existence. 

Consider: As humans, we understand the concept of “good.” It is “good” for me to have a warm place to lay my head at night. It would be “bad” for me to be outside freezing in the cold. I can also imagine a “greater good” than having an indoor place to sleep. If I am sleeping on a floor, I can imagine the “greater good” of sleeping on a mattress. As I am sleeping in my house, I can imagine the “greater good” of sleeping in a beautiful palace. For each good that I can imagine, I can always imagine still greater and greater degrees of goodness—even if I have never experienced them. For instance, kindness is a form of goodness. If I am a “good” person, then I am kind to those around me. I have been kind on occasion, but I am not as kind as I could be. Nonetheless, I can imagine a being who is perfectly kind. If the concept of “good” is extended in all areas to its farthest possible extent, we come to the concept of “perfection.” Anselm argues that if there is a being who is perfect in all ways of being, that being must exist because one of the qualities of perfection is actual existence. This Being who is perfect in all ways of being, including of existence, is the One we call God. 

The Christian concept of God is one of a God who is “maximally great.” He is like a baseball player who bats 1.000 and always hits a homerun. He is like a bowler who bowls a perfect 300 on every game. He is like a contestant who could not lose on a game show. If He was on Jeopardy, He would answer every question exactly. If He was on Wheel of Fortune, He would know the exact weight to give the wheel so he could never lose money, and He would be able to solve all the puzzles without even asking for a letter. The God of the Bible is such a God. He is perfectly powerful (omnipotent), perfectly knowledgeable (omniscient), perfectly good (omni-benevolent), and perfectly present (omnipresent). He is a perfect being because He possesses to the maximum level all the qualities that are better to have than to not have. And God is maximally great in all areas without slipping over into logical fallacies. In the same way it is impossible for to have a “square circle” or a “married bachelor,” it is impossible for God to create a rock so big that he cannot move it. To speak of a perfect being, is to speak of God. As existence is a perfection of being, then God must exist. 

Does the perfect unicorn exist?

There are critics of the Ontological Proof.^⁠ Gaunilo of Marmoutiers (eleventh century), one of Anselm’s contemporaries, made fun of his argument by proposing an “island that is greater than any other island that can be conceived.” Since such an island does not exist, he said that God’s existence couldn’t be proved by Anslem’s kind of reasoning. Similarly, the non-existence of unicorns could be seen to invalidate Anselm’s proof. My daughter is eight years old and, like many little girls, she loves unicorns. One day we talked about the perfect unicorn. According to her, the perfect unicorn is pink and has a purple mane and a sparkling white horn. This unicorn would also be magical and sentient. Of course, no matter how perfectly she imagines this perfect pet unicorn, my daughter knows the unicorn will never actually exist. Why can’t my daughter’s perfectly imagined unicorn or the perfect island of Gaunilo exist, but the perfect God of our thoughts be proven to exist by the very fact that he can be imagined? 

Anselm responded to his critics by replying that his proof only applied to concepts with necessary existence. Anselm meant that his argument only works for God’s existence because only God’s existence is necessary—certainly more necessary than the existence of a magical unicorn or a great island. A maximally great being grounds concepts like kindness and goodness that are part of perfection. A unicorn or island could not be the ground of perfection except by having all perfections. The perfect island, in order to be the perfect island doesn’t need all perfections, such as kindness or moral goodness for instance. If it had all perfections, it would no longer be an island, but something else (in fact, God). The ontological proof only works for God because there can only be one maximally great being or entity in existence. 

A modern defense of the Ontological Proof

Alvin Plantinga, an American philosopher, has offered a robust modern defense of the Ontological Proof.^⁠ His argument is as follows:

Premise A: It is possible that a maximally great being exists. 

Premise B: If it is possible that a maximally great being exists, then a maximally great 

being exists in some possible world. 

Premise C: If a maximally great being exists in some possible world, then it exists in 

every possible world. 

Conclusion: If a maximally great being exists in every possible world, then it exists in the actual world.

In his discussion of the Ontological Argument, Plantinga brings in a hypothesis of modern physics that proposes the existence of multiple or parallel universes. He argues that the existence of God is not logically contradictory and is therefore possible. God being a logical possibility, it is possible that He exists in one of the possible universes proposed by multiple universe theory. Since it is possible for God to exist in one possible universe, then being maximally great, God must also exist in every universe—including ours. As a consolation to my daughter, Plantinga’s thinking makes it possible for my daughter’s unicorn to exist in some world that multiple universe theory makes possible. But since a unicorn is not a maximally great being, it does not exist in every possible world, and certainly does not exist in the one we can verify. 

When I think about God—in all the maximum perfection of his greatness and goodness—just the fact that I can think about Him in this way tells me that: God is THERE! 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

When the kind of fine-tuning that makes earth habitable is seen in living organisms, it is called irreducible complexity. Irreducible complexity refers to the concept that certain biological systems, in order to exist functionally, must have occurred as complete systems, and could not be the product of successive modifications brought about by natural selection. To go back to the example of a Rolex watch, if one part of the watch is missing, the watch will not work. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) alluded to the problem of irreducible complexity when he wrote, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” Darwin thought the cell was a simple organism, but with modern microscopes the cell is revealed to be a complex machine with many interconnecting parts. Today, human DNA is seen by some as an example of what the father of evolutionary theory believed did not exist.

DNA is the basic building block of life. It is a molecule that contains encoded instructions for the growth and operation of every living organism. The twenty-three pairs of chromosomes in each DNA molecule are the blueprint of a unique individual. DNA molecules consist of two strands of nucleotides that coil around each other to form a double helix shape. These nucleotides are composed of one of four bases: guanine (G), adenine (A), thymine (T), or cytosine (C). The sequence of these bases encodes biological information. As the double helix separates and forms a new molecule (DNA replication), it passes its precise programing to a new cell. All in all, the human DNA molecule is composed of over three billion bits of information in a precise sequence. A single cell has more digital information encoded in its DNA then an entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica. Like a Rolex watch, the complexity of DNA is evidence of design.  

Richard Dawkins claims there are a “billion billion” planets in the universe. Then he gives the chance of DNA arising from nothing as one in a billion. He concludes that “even with such absurdly long odds, life will still have arisen on a billion planets—of which Earth, of course, is one.” In reality, the chances of DNA forming into usable information are vastly lower than one in a billion. In their book, Answering the New Atheism, Scott Hahan and Benjamin Wiker write that even for a “small DNA strand of 100 bases—much, much smaller than we find in any actual cell—the odds against getting a particular combination is a staggering 4-100 [4 to the 100^th power] to one against.” The difference between Dawkins’ information and that of Hahan and Wiker, bears spelling out. 

The probability of dealing a perfect hand in bridge, where each of the players receives a complete set of cards, is 2,235,197,406,895,366,368,301,599,999 to 1. But the improbability of DNA randomly assembling is much higher—not Dawkins’ chance of 1 in 1,000,000,000, but a chance of 1 in 1,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000, 000,000, 000,000, 000,000,000, 000,000. The chances of human DNA randomly assembling are as good as the odds that a deck of cards thrown up into the air in the middle of a hurricane will fall to the ground and form a four-story house of cards with each story being a perfect suite of cards in order from high card to low card. 

With such odds, it is impossible for the precise encoding of DNA information to have happened by chance. When one looks at the complexity of DNA, it is obvious there is a Creator. Intelligent design suggests an intelligent designer. The God of Jeremiah says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). 

The law of biogenesis tells us life only comes from preexisting life. Worms come from worms. Mold comes from mold spores. Human children come from human adults. No science lab has ever been able to create life. Science has never been able to get something living from something non-living. No scientist has been able to recreate replicating DNA in a laboratory. The inability of scientists to create life from non-life is not just a “god-of-the-gaps” problem, it is an insurmountable roadblock to the theory of evolution. When I look at my body and all of its intricacies, millions of cells working together in perfect harmony, I say, “Yes, God is there!” 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The earth is amazingly fitted to sustain human life. There are a narrow range of values in a variety of different categories that permit life to exist on planet earth. The probability that these perfect conditions appeared by chance is astronomical. For that reason, the finely tuned nature and situation of the earth is evidence of design.

Premise A: The fine-tuning of the earth for the existence of all life is due to either chance, 

necessity or design. 

Premise B: The fine-tuning of the earth is not due to chance or necessity. 

Premise C: Therefore, the fine-tuning of the earth is due to design. 

Premise D: If there is design, there must be a designer. 

Conclusion: Therefore, a designer exists. This designer is God.   

Scientists have discovered more than seventy-five different finely tuned details in our world that are each essential for life to exist. If even one of these conditions were slightly “out of tune,” life on the planet would be rendered impossible. Mathematicians have calculated the probability of all seventy-five of these details happening perfectly by chance is less than 1 in a hundred thousand trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. Here are some of those conditions that make life possible:

1. The distance between earth and the sun. This planet is set at precisely the right distance from the sun. If the earth was a million miles closer to the sun, we would all burn up. If the earth was a million miles further away from the sun, we would all freeze. 

2. The composition of the atmosphere–oxygen. The atmosphere is 21% oxygen. If oxygen was 25% of the atmosphere, fires would spontaneously combust. If oxygen was only 15% humans would suffocate.  

3. The composition of the atmosphere—carbon dioxide. If there was more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect would quickly overrun humans and there would not be enough oxygen to breath. If there was less carbon dioxide, plants would not be able to handle photosynthesis. 

4. Gravity. The gravitational force acting on the earth is so finely tuned that if it was changed by 1 part in 10⁴⁰ (10 followed by forty zeros), the sun would run out of fuel and be unable to sustain life and the moon would either crash into the earth of escape into space.   

5. Centrifugal force of our Solar system. If the centrifugal force of the solar system did not exactly match the gravitational pull of the sun, no planets would be able to maintain their orbits. 

6. The placement of the Solar system in our galaxy. If our solar system was farther from the middle of the galaxy, solid planets would not be able to form. If we were closer to the center of the galaxy, stellar density would make our orbit impossible. 

7. The situation and size of Jupiter. The planet Jupiter is in the perfect orbit to act as a gravitational field that protects earth from asteroids and comets. 

8. The size of the moon and its distance from earth. If the moon was larger or closer to the earth, tides would be much stronger and would wash away our coast lines. If the moon was smaller, or farther away, the plants along the coastline would be unable to survive the lack of nutrient movement. 

9. The surface gravity of the earth. If the surface gravity of the earth was stronger, too much ammonia and methane would be retained. If the earth’s gravity was weaker, the atmosphere would lose too much water and would soon be unable to sustain life. 

10. The thickness of the earth’s crust. If the crust was thicker, it would absorb too much oxygen for life to be supported. If the crust was thinner, there would be so much volcanic activity and movement of the tectonic plates that life would be rendered impossible. 

11. The precise tilt of the earth’s axis. The tilt of the axis is perfect for maintaining earth’s temperature and gives us the seasons of the year. If the earth was tilted a few degrees more in either direction, life on earth would become impossible. 

12. The rotation of the earth. If it took more than twenty-four hours for the earth to rotate, it would cause huge temperature swings between day and night. If the rotation of the earth was accelerated, it would cause substantial atmospheric wind velocities.

13. The planetary ecosystem. The rain falls, waters the plants, runs down rivers to the ocean, evaporates, and falls again. This water cycle is just one of many cycles including the nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon cycles. There are cycles of summer and winter, and cycles of birth and death. The consistency of these cycles is necessary to make life possible.

14. Proton decay. If a proton decayed any faster, humans would die from radiation. If protons decayed any slower, there would not be enough matter in the universe for life to exist. 

15. The polarity of water molecules. If a water molecule had any greater polarity, life could not exist. If a water molecule had less polarity, ice would not float, and it would continue to build up until the whole planet was frozen over. 

And that is just fifteen of seventy-five necessary conditions for life to exist. How did such precision come about? There are only two possible explanations: random chance or intentional design. The mathematical probability of life’s conditions arising by random chance are so astronomically small as to approach impossibility. So great is the improbability that it takes more faith to believe in random chance than it does to believe in an intelligent Creator. 

Atheists respond to the evidence of the finely tuned universe by pointing to the anthropic principle. This principle proposes that the appearance of fine-tuning is only an idea that humans have who can observe their universe. If no humans existed to observe the fine-tuning, the fine-tuning would effectively not exist. Therefore, life exists in the universe, not because of design, but because the universe had the capacity to eventually support life in one of its solar systems (or where multiverse theory is brought in, in one of any possible universes). Richard Dawkins referred to this principle when he wrote, “However improbable the origin of life might be, we know it happened [without God’s help] on Earth because we are here.” 

An early response to the argument of design was written by Voltaire (1694-1778) in his short novel, Candide. Leibniz (1646-1716), a contemporary philosopher and mathematician, optimistically argued that the universe was the best possible world that God could have created. In rebuttal, Voltaire penned his satire in which the protagonist air-headedly asserts, “Everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” One character, the naive professor, Pangloss, points out that the existence of noses proves there is a creator because noses are perfectly designed to fit glasses. With similar irony, Douglass Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, mocks the argument from design when he tells the story of a puddle of water that wakes up one day and is pleased to find that his hole is perfectly designed to fit him. 

But such responses, rather than dealing with the facts of fine-tuning, simply avoid them. Imagine standing in front of a ten-gun firing squad. the command rings out: “Ready!—Set!—Fire!” All ten guns report, but you are not hit by any bullets. Undoubtedly, you would be surprised to find yourself still alive. Now, if the ten soldiers reloaded and fired again, with the same result—that you were still standing and in good health–you might start to feel that the odds were on your side. If this happened ten times over and over again, surely you would start to ask yourself why no bullets were hitting you and how it could be possible that you were still alive. 

The truth is that the chances of this world accidentally evolving into a perfect home for the human species is so astronomically small that it would be equivalent to surviving a firing squad of ten thousand rifles, not just once, but over and over again, for many years. In the face of such odds, surely, we have to start wondering why this world is so perfectly situated for human life. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

If you want to know if God exists, just look up. The existence of the stars points to the existence of a great Creator. In ancient times, man tried to number the stars. With the invention of the telescope, galaxies composed of numerous stars were discovered. In 1900, scientists estimated that there were one hundred thousand galaxies. As telescopes became more powerful, the sheer size of the universe became more evident. Now, using the Hubble Telescope, we can see over fifty billion galaxies from earth. With even the smallest galaxy containing more than ten billion stars, the vastness of the cosmos becomes staggering.

It was from this–“the order of the motion of the stars and all things”—that Plato (427-348 B.C.) argued for the existence of God.” In a surviving fragment of one of his works, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), argued:

When the night had darkened the lands and [people] should behold the whole of the sky spangled and adorned with stars; and when they should see the changing lights of the moon as it waxes and wanes, and the risings and settings of all these celestial bodies, their courses fixed and changeless throughout eternity—when they should behold all these things, most certainly they would have judged both that there exist gods and that all these marvelous works are the handiworks of the gods. 

The Roman orator and statesman, Cicero (106-43 B.C.), wrote, “What could be more clear or obvious when we look up to the sky and contemplate the heavens, than that there is some divinity of superior intelligence?” Abraham Lincoln said, “I never behold them [the heavens filled with stars] that I do not feel I am looking in the face of God. I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” 

More important than the words of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, or Lincoln, the Psalmist of the Bible wrote that “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2). “When I consider the heavens,” another Psalm says, and “the work of Your hands, the moon and the starts, which you have ordained” (Psalm 8:3), the existence of God is obvious. 

The Apostle Paul uses the same argument in Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world [Gods] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [people] are without excuse.” In other words, the existence of creation leaves us with no excuse for not believing in a Creator.  I like what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” Like so many before me, when I gaze up to the heavens on a dark night and behold the star-filled skies, I say, “Yes, God is there!” 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Premise A: What is designed cannot randomly exist.  

Premise B: The universe and living organisms bear evidence of design.

Conclusion: Therefore, a designer of the universe and of life exists. This designer is God.

A cathedral, a computer, a painting, a symphony, a light bulb…what do all these things have in common? The answer: design. Cathedrals are designed for religious experience. Computers are designed to make calculations. Paintings are designed to please the eye as symphonies are designed to please the ear. A light bulb is designed to produce artificial light. All this design suggests designers. None of these things self-assemble. A cathedral has an architect and builders. A computer has a technician. Paintings have painters. Symphonies have composers. Light bulbs have inventors. 

Consider a watch

As an example of complex design, consider a Rolex. Inside the watch are one hundred and fifteen individual pieces fashioned with meticulous care. To name a few of the parts, there is a crown, a crown stem, a ratchet wheel, a barrel bridge, a mainspring, a minute wheel, an escapement wheel, a balance bridge, a tourbillon, a spacer, a yoke spring, setting levers, setting springs, a clutch, perpetual wheels, barrels and weights. All these delicate parts work perfectly together to make three hands move around a dial divided into 60 parts that count for seconds, minutes, hours and half a day. When I look at such a watch ticking every second in perfect synchronization I know it exists because of a skilled watchmaker.  

The Watchmaker Analogy is the classic proof from design to designer. This argument was proposed in 1802 by William Paley in his book Natural Theology. Paley writes:

In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there, I might possibly answer that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it had lain there forever […] But suppose that I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place. I should hardly think of the answer which I had before given—that, for anything I knew, the watch might have always been there. Yet why should not this answer serve for the watch as well as for the stone? […] For this reason, and for no other [that] when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive (what we could not discover in the stone) that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose […] This mechanism being observed […] the inference, we think, is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker: that there must have existed, at some time, and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction, and designed its use.

By the same logic, when the balance and beauty of the universe is understood, it becomes apparent that it was made by an intelligent designer. Creation tells me there is a Creator. This is the argument from design, or what is referred to as the Teleological Proof. The word “teleological” comes from the Greek word telos that means “end,” “completion,” or “purpose.” The Teleological Proof for God’s existence argues that the universe and all life is full of design and purpose. 

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

The classic formula for the Cosmological Proof presented in my previous blog post starts with the premise, “Everything that exists has a cause.” However, it has been pointed out that if God exists, then God also must have a cause. But, since God has always existed, an alternative argument has been proposed. William Lane Craig calls this the Kalām Cosmological Argument. It goes as follows: 

Premise A: Everything that begins to exist has a cause.

Premise B: The universe began to exist.

Conclusion: Therefore, the universe has a cause.

It can be demonstrated scientifically that the universe had a beginning. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that “Things left to themselves tend towards disorder.” In a closed system (like the universe), the total amount of usable energy is decreasing and will eventually run out. Scientifically, this is referred to as entropy. Because of entropy, the universe moves irresistibly towards disorder. Because of entropy, the batteries in my flashlight stop working. Because of entropy, a perpetual motion machine is impossible. Because of entropy, the sun will eventually run out of energy and become a cold, dark ball. The fact that the sun is shining proves that the universe had a beginning. Since the universe moves towards disorder, the fact that there is order in the universe today proves the universe had a beginning. And since the universe had a beginning, it must have had a cause. 

That something could be caused by nothing is not an answer that Science accepts in any field of knowledge except in the case of the existence of the universe. If an explosion happens in a science lab, the scientists try to figure out which two chemicals reacted together to cause the explosion. They don’t  throw their hands up in the air and say, “That explosion was caused by nothing.” Such an answer would be unsatisfactory as an explanation for the explosion. Equally as unsatisfactory should be Science’s answer to question of existence. Saying that creation does not need a Creator is an explanation that is unjustified by the evidence of the universe. 

Nothing that comes into existence has done so without a cause. A painting needs a painter. A house needs a builder. A watch needs a watchmaker. An egg needs a chicken. The beauty of arguing that God is the Uncaused Cause is that he really is the only satisfactory answer to the question, “Where did it all come from?” When applying the Kalām Cosmological Argument to God, this rationale follows:

Premise A: Everything that beings to exist has a cause.

Premise B: God did not begin to exist.

Conclusion: Therefore, God does not have a cause. 

The chain of causation ends with God because he alone has no beginning. But God is larger than simply a Being without beginning. As Craig goes on to propose, “If the universe has a cause, then an uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists, who, unlike the universe, is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless and enormously powerful.” All this about God can be known through the nature of the universe that he brought into existence. Consider:

1. 1. The cause of the universe must transcend the universe in the same way that a painter is not part of his painting. 
2. 2. The cause of all matter must be immaterial because to create matter one cannot be bound by matter. 
3. 3. The cause of all space must be nonphysical or else the cause would be bound by space. 
4. 4. The cause of all time must be timeless or else the cause would be limited by time. 
5. 5. The cause of energy must be infinitely powerful or it would not be able to create so much energy 
6. 6. The cause of all meaning must be personal in nature because meaning cannot arise from non-meaning. 

These observations from the universe reveal much about God.  When I think about the universe and everything in it, when I think about the world I live in and the creatures I share it with—from infinitely complex human to not-so-simple amoeba—all of it convinces me of this: 

God is THERE!

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Premise A: Everything that exists must have a cause. 

Premise B: This cause must be a great causer.

Premise C: The only causer great enough would be God.

Conclusion: Therefore, God exists.

Imagine a group of friends. Angela needs a jacket because she is cold. She turns to Luke and asks, “Can I borrow a jacket from you?” 

Luke says, “Of course, but I don’t have a jacket. Let me borrow one from my friend Dalton.” He turns to Dalton and asks to borrow a jacket. 

Dalton is willing to lend Luke a jacket, but he does not have one either. So he turns to Matt and asks him if he can borrow a jacket. Matt says, “I don’t have one but I know someone who does.” He tries to borrow a jacket from another member of the group. That person tries to borrow a jacket from another person. 

This series is made up of “borrowing lenders.” If there is an infinite series of borrowing lenders, no one will ever get a jacket. If everyone in the group has to borrow a jacket, then no one actually has a jacket. In order for the circle of borrowing to come to an end, someone has to actually own a jacket. In other words, you have to stop the series with a “first lender” who has a jacket.   

In the same way, if one thing causes another thing, and that thing is caused by something else, eventually, one has to come to a “first mover” or a “first causer.” A first causer is someone who exists by his very nature. If we don’t stop this chain with a being who simply has being simply in and of his own existence, then nothing else could exist. There has to be a being in the chain that has being in and of Himself. He cannot gain His being from someone else. We call this being “necessary” because without His existence nothing else would exist. So eventually we come to an Unmade Maker, an Uncreated Creator, or an Unmoved Mover. This necessarily first cause is what we call God. 

The Uncaused Cause

To address what seems to be a natural and perennial interest in causation, serious thinkers throughout history have developed the Cosmological Proof. This proof states that everything in the universe has been caused, one cause after another, all the way back to a great Uncaused Cause, called God. Importantly for Christians, this argument is validated by the first verse of the Bible which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). 

The argument also bears similarities to Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. The First Law states that, “A body at rest stays at rest, unless moved upon by outside forces.” The Second Law states, “The change of momentum of a body is proportional to the impulse impressed on the body, and happens along the straight line on which that impulse is impressed.” The Third Law states, “To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.” Newton’s Laws of Motion tell us that every movement has a cause. 

Consider a pool table. The black eight ball stays at rest on the table until it is hit by another object. No matter how long the ball sits there, it will never fall into the corner pocket unless a chain reaction from player to cue to cue ball knocks the eight ball into the hole. Every movement has a cause. The cause itself is a movement. The movement of the cause has its own cause, and so to a chain of causes. But a chain that hangs on nothing is impossible to conceive. Hence the concept of an Uncaused Cause or an Unmoved Mover. 

Aristotle (384-322 B.C), was the first to propose the idea of an Unmoved Mover. He did not know of the Christian God, but he did understand that someone must be the cause of the universe. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274 A.D.), the greatest Western philosopher of the Medieval Age, thought “the first and more manifest way” to prove God’s existence was the proof from motion. 

His reasoning is as follows: 

Premise A: Things move. 

Premise B: Nothing moves itself, since everything that is moved must be moved by another. 

Premise C: If that which causes the motion is itself being moved, then it must be moved by another. 

Premise D: This process of movement cannot go on to infinity. 

Conclusion: Therefore, there must be a first Unmoved Mover, which people call God. 

When Aquinas talks about motion, he means more than movement from one place to another. Rather, he is referring to change of any kind—whether of life, death, growth, learning, heating, cooling, or any other possibility. All kinds of motion or change or development must have an ultimate unmoving, unchanging, complete cause. 

The importance of understanding causation led Aquinas to develop further logical proofs, including  another version of the Cosmological Proof: 

Premise A: Things are caused.  

Premise B: Everything that is caused is caused by something else.  

Premise C: An infinite regress of causation is impossible. 

Conclusion: There must be an Uncaused Cause of all that is caused. This Uncaused Cause is God. 

In a third version of the Cosmological Proof, Aquinas argues for a Necessary Being. 

Premise A: Things exist.

Premise B: Since out of nothing, nothing comes, there must be a Being who caused things to come into existence.

Conclusion: Therefore, this Necessary Being, called God, exists.

Why is there something rather than nothing? 

Once there was a child who asked his father, “Where do apples come from?” 

The father explained, “Apples come from a tree.” 

Without skipping a beat, the budding philosopher said, “And where do trees come from?” 

“Trees come from a seed.”

“Where do seeds come from?” asked the child. 

“Seeds come from apples,” said the father. 

After thinking for a while, the boy asked, “Where did the first apple come from?” 

The father replied, “God created the first apple.” 

“So, where did God come from?” asked the little boy. 

Where God comes from is a question not only asked by little boys. If things are caused, it’s natural enough to ask, “What caused the first cause?” To the question of “Where did God come from?” the Christian’s answer is, “He didn’t come from anywhere. God is just there.” When Moses asked God, “Who are you?” God’s reply was simply: “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). God didn’t become, He didn’t happen. God is the great “I AM”—the One who simply, necessarily, eternally IS. Jesus claimed the same present tense title when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

Christian philosopher, J.P. Moreland explains that to ask “Who created God?” is to make a category fallacy. The God that I am arguing for in this chapter is a necessary being. If the cosmological proof is sound, then an Uncreated Creator is a necessary being. I am not arguing for a finite being like a unicorn that could be created. I am arguing for a necessary “first cause.” By definition, a necessary first cause cannot not exist. 

What do atheists say? 

Bertrand Russell said, “If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause.” Stephen Hawking wrote, “Does [the universe] need a creator; and, if so, does he have any other effect on the universe? And who created him?” Daniel C. Dennett says, “If God created and designed all these wonderful things, who created God? Supergod? And who created Supergod? Or did God create himself? Was it hard work? Did it take time? Don’t ask!” Stephen Hawking and Lenard Mlodinow claim, “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God…to set the Universe going.” If you ask an atheist, “What caused the universe?” he will likely say, “The Big Bang” If you ask “What caused the Big Bang?” he might reply, “It just happened.” For the atheist, everything ultimately comes from nothing. 

Atheists criticize Christians for believing in a “magical being” who created everything, but it is surely more absurd to believe that everything came from nothing. “From nothing, nothing comes,” or in Latin, ex nihilo nihil fit. Imagine a magician who pulls a rabbit out of a hat. A young child might think the rabbit appears from nowhere, but an adult knows that a rabbit does not just materialize from thin air. But this is exactly what the atheist is asking people to believe about the existence of the universe. The atheist is proposing that the universe popped into existence by magic. But not any kind of magic—this is magic without a magician.

The Creator-creation narrative of Christians and the Big Bang of atheists have this in common: both require faith to be believed. It requires faith to believe that everything came from nothing, that order came from chaos, that life appeared from non-living matter (abiogenesis), and that consciousness appeared from non-consciousness. It is this problem that physicist and atheist, Lawrence Krauss, tried to reconcile in his book, A Universe from Nothing. To the question of “How did something come from nothing?” he answers by redefining the word “nothing” to mean “something.” He does not know exactly what that nothing-something is, but he hopes that someday science might figure it out. Ironically, Krauss should have titled his book, A Universe from Something.

When it comes to answering the question of why there is something rather than nothing, there are only two options:

1. Everything exists because of some inexplicable accident.

2. Everything exists because a Creator caused it to exist. 

The evolutionist says that from absolutely nothing, prompted by nothing, and for no particular purpose or reason everything came into existence. As atheist and scientist Carl Sagan wrote, “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” The Christian, putting faith in the claims of the Bible, and supported by the rational argument from causation, knows that there is an eternal Creator who created everything for a specific purpose. “God said, ‘Let there be…and there was’” (Genesis 1:3-31).

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Jim Burkett teaches, “Everyone has a worldview or ‘belief system.’ A belief system is a worldview. A worldview is a set of presuppositions, (that may be true, partially true, or entirely false) which we hold about the makeup of the world.” According to one apologist, a worldview should answer four important questions: origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. 

There are many different worldviews or philosophies that influence people’s thoughts and behaviors. Some people are liberals, others are conservatives; some are Christians, others are atheists; some choose to follow Mohammad, others follow the teachings of Buddha; some are vegetarians, others eat meat. In any given philosophy of life, it is important to interpret facts consistently across an entire system of belief. Each person looks at the world through a particular paradigm. The paradigm through which you see life is like a pair of tinted glasses that colors everything you see. If you wear a pair of green colored sunglasses, everything you look at becomes green. 

Every person develops a life paradigm (lenses) through which he or she interprets life, arguments, and experiential evidence. The more studious the person, the better his life philosophy will be articulated. The more creative the person, the better her life philosophy will be seen as something new and worthy of attention in the world at large. The more honest the person, the more he will try to live consistent with his own paradigm. 

Most people do not create a life philosophy from nothing; instead they borrow thoughts and ideas from others. Who you choose to believe determines how you live your life. For example, if you read the books of a certain author, you begin to wear the sunglasses they are wearing and the way you see the world is reinterpreted through that author’s paradigm. The true disciple adopts his mentor’s paradigm. 

There are as many paradigms as there are people. Some paradigms can be dismissed easily. Others are clearly copies of another’s paradigm. But, occasionally, you run across an original paradigm that helps you understand the world in a clearer way or a different way. 

Every legitimate paradigm that is clearly communicated on a broad enough platform eventually becomes common knowledge and everyone accepts that paradigm as truth. Future generations build on that revelation with their own creative ideas, often working overtime to plug up the holes in any given paradigm with a newly modified paradigm. Unfortunately, every paradigm is incomplete and has holes. But, all paradigms hold truth as well. 

Each person views life through his or her own colored sunglasses. Many people will go through multiple paradigms over the course of their lives. Each new idea corrects the holes in a previous paradigm. The truth is that no one paradigm is completely accurate or internally consistent with itself or externally consistent with experiential evidence. Paul said, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).  

Your paradigm (the glasses you are wearing or your worldview) determine what you see. To see how this works, let’s compare the Christian viewpoint with the worldview of an atheist. 

What is the difference between a Christian and an atheist? 

The difference between the Christian and the atheist is that each one has a different paradigm through which he or she interprets life. Because I believe in the Bible, I see everything through a pair of Christian glasses, but the atheist sees everything through a pair of atheist-tinted glasses. Because we have different sets of glasses on, we can look at the exact same evidence and come to two totally different conclusions. 

For example, I see God everywhere; the atheist sees God nowhere. Once there was a philosophy professor who wrote on the chalkboard the topic of his lecture, “GODISNOWHERE.” The atheist students in the class might read the phrase as, “God is No Where.” But, a Christian student raised his hand and said, “Amen! God is Now Here.” The glasses we wear determine what we see. The presuppositions one brings to the discussion determines how one interprets evidence for God’s existence.

I see creation and think of a Creator; the atheist peers through his evolutionary glasses and sees random chance. I see a miracle; the atheist witnesses the same event and remains skeptical. The problem is that we are wearing different colored glasses. It does little good for me to try to convince the atheist the world is tinted green when he feels he can clearly see it is tinted red. 

The atheist and I could spend all day arguing about the evidence, but at the end of the day we will both be frustrated with the other because we both interpret the evidence differently. No matter what supposed inconsistencies or inaccuracies from the Bible or his life experience that the atheist throws at me, I can come up with a good theological explanation to explain away his arguments. Of course, he won’t accept my arguments because he is looking at them through a different colored pair of glasses. 

For example, no matter how many arguments he throws at me that says morality is evolutionary, or belief in God is simply a gene, it will do no good. If the atheist rejects the concept of God, then he is forced to look for another explanation for what he sees. But I don’t need another explanation, because I already have an explanation (i.e. God is the source of morality) that fits the facts perfectly well. In fact, I think the Bible provides a better explanation for the facts of life than any other paradigm. 

The point of this book about apologetics is to get you to remove your old glasses and to put on a pair of Christian glasses. Strictly speaking, I don’t think the Christian has any glasses on. To the extent that he believes the Bible, the Christian is the only one who sees the world as it truly is. 

So, instead of putting on any new glasses, I invite you to take off the glasses you are wearing and see the world in its untinted condition for the first time.

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About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What is the meaning of life?” Or, “What should I accomplish with my life?” Or perhaps you have asked “What should I study in school?” or “Who should I marry?” Or perhaps you have gone through personal trauma or a heartrending experience, like a death of a loved one or dear friend, and you have cried out, “Why did this tragedy happen?” All of these are important questions, but there are three questions that are even more important for you to ask. 

The three most important questions in life

In fact, I propose that there are three questions so vital that the way you answer them will shape how you answer all the other important questions you ask in life. Your answers to these questions will determine your worldview and life philosophy. They will help you decide what is most important to you; they will influence how you live your life every day; your eternal destiny depends on how you answer them. 

So, what are the three questions that are so important? Consider the following: 

1. Is there a God? 

2. If there is a God, does He care about me? 

3. If there is a God who cares about me, what is my response to Him? 

We could restate these questions as:

1. Is there a God? 

2. If there is a God, does He care about me? 

3. If there is a God who cares about me, what is my response to Him? 

These are the three most important questions anyone can every ask. The answers to them will give the basic shape to a person’s life and priorities and inform decisions great and small. How have I answered these three questions? One profound verse from the Bible gives me the answer: 

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

This passage tells me three things about God: that He exists, that He rewards those who seek Him, and that I need to have faith in God. To put it another way, the answers to the three vital questions can be stated as follows:

1. God is THERE.  So I believe there is a God. This first answer confirms my observations of nature and myself. Because there is order in the universe, something must have given this universe order. Design requires a designer. Inside me there is a sense of right and wrong. Morality requires a moral law giver. These two reasons, more than any others, convince me there is a God.  In the first section of this book, I will unfold seven proofs that convince me that God is there.

2. God does CARE. I know that God cares because life itself is mind-bogglingly wonderful. That I can think and feel and laugh and share life with my wife and my children and other family and friends—experiencing what it means to care for others and be cared for in turn by them—tells me that God must be caring too. But He didn’t leave it to me to guess about that. He revealed Himself through the Bible and through Jesus Christ to show me what He is like, and how much He cares for me. 

The Bible is the starting point of Christian apologetics. But what makes the Bible unique? There are many different religions with many different holy books. To leap from the belief that there is a God to the belief that this God is the who speaks in and through the Bible requires faith. But there are many rational reasons for taking this step of faith. The evidence for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus sustains my faith that the Bible is true. In the second section of this book, I will present evidence to prove that God cares for every person, including you.

3. I must DARE to put my trust in him. Since God cares about me, He wants to have a relationship with me. According to the Bible, this relationship with God begins when I make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. A “sinner” is someone who, left to themselves, doesn’t give a thought to God. The sin of humankind is obvious. People lie, cheat, steal, and have hate in their hearts for their fellow humans. G.K Chesterton said, “Original Sin is the only church doctrine that can be empirically verified.” Original Sin is what the Bible means when it says, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). All people are sinners, and “…the wages of sin is death (Romans 6.23). 

Get your copy of Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3kIEOyA 

Buy a Study Guide for Proof God is Real: https://amzn.to/3ozDlfq 

Enroll in the Proof God is Real School of Apologetics: https://www.danielkingministries.com/proof 

About the Author:  Dr. Daniel King is a missionary evangelist who has traveled to over seventy nations in his quest for souls. His goal is to lead 1,000,000 people to Jesus every year through massive Gospel Festivals, distribution of literature, and leadership training. Because of his experience and research on evangelism, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in mass evangelism. As an evangelist, he has a deep interest in using apologetics to convince skeptics that God is real. Learn more about King Ministries: https://kingministries.com/ 

About Proof God is Real: In this powerful, easy to read book, Daniel King answers the most important questions you will ever ask: 

Is God THERE? Atheists say there is no God. Evolution claims we are here by chance. People wonder if God is real. In this book, Daniel provides seven convincing proofs of God’s existence. You will learn about the evidence of cause, design, logic, morality, Scripture, miracles, and religious experience. 

Does God CARE? If God does exist, is He interested in your life? Are miracles possible? Is God up there in the sky ignoring you or does He have a plan for your life? If God is there, why do bad things happen to good people? Did Jesus really live? Was Jesus the Son of God or just a crazy preacher? How can we know Jesus really rose from the dead? What does the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus tell us about the God who cares? In this book, Daniel proves that God cares for you. 

Do I DARE? If God is there and if He does care about you, are you willing to put your trust in Him? In this book, Daniel shows you how to take a leap of faith and start a relationship with a God who deeply loves you. You will discover how to take the first step on your adventure with a God who is there and who cares for you.