BiblicalInsights.net

In a recent debate between Michael Shermer (skeptic/atheist) and Kyle Butt (theist/Christian) held October 25, 2023 at Faulkner University, Shermer affirmed the argument from unbelief.  The proposition for the debate was, “The God of the Bible Exists.”  Shermer denied the proposition and Butt affirmed it.  During this debate, Shermer argued that since many Jews and Muslims do not believe in Jesus, there must not be sufficient evidence to prove that Jesus is the Son of God.  Therefore, the Christian God does not exist.  This is the argument from unbelief.  This argument states that the presence of sincere non-believers proves that God cannot exist.  It suggests that there are many people willing to believe in God if only enough evidence existed to prove that He is.  The argument is also called, “reasonable unbelief.”  The argument claims that if God is real, He would have revealed Himself so clearly that anyone who sincerely was willing to believe would accept that truth.  In short, those who make this argument affirm that there is inadequate evidence to support belief in God.
Two Assumptions Made by the Argument
The first assumption is that there are objective, sincere and willing unbelievers.  The true nature of unbelief reveals that it is grounded not in objective and sincere individuals, but those who have hardened their hearts against God by the deceitfulness of sin.  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-13).  Paul referenced this very thing in Rom. 1:18-32.   “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18).  To “hold the truth in unrighteousness” is a reference to the suppression of the truth by the deceitfulness of sin (unrighteousness).  The consequence of unbelief is more unbelief.  Unbelief is self-perpetuating and therefore becomes a powerful force in moving people away from God.  There is no redeeming aspect of sin.  Sin never produces righteousness, but it produces unrighteousness which suppresses the truth about God.  This is not innocent.  People who sin are deceived.  All unbelief is based upon a lie not the truth.  Unbelief therefore does not argue against the truth.  It stands as a negation of the truth which is based upon a lie.  Unbelief is inexcusable! (Rom. 1:20).  Paul declares that unbelief is the result of those who gave up their knowledge of God for vanity (idolatry) or lies (Rom. 1:21-23).  This was a willful, intentional, act of the rejection of the truth about God and the active pursuit of idolatry.  This is the true nature of unbelief. Unbelief can only be overcome with truth.  Truth changes both the mind and the heart.  This defines the pathway to transformation and redemption (John 8:32).
The second assumption is that God has not provided enough evidence for men to reason about correctly and come to the conclusion that God is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  Paul states, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20).  God existed before people existed.  God was known by the first man and first woman–Adam and Eve (Gen. 1-2).  There never has been a time in the history of man that God has not made Himself known to man.  Adam and Eve knew God “face to face.”  The Bible gives the historical accounts of the interactions of God with human beings.  These individuals had certain knowledge that God existed and passed down that knowledge to others.  God has revealed Himself in the creation of the universe.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1-3).  The creation speaks a universal language and that message is heard by all peoples everywhere.  Also, when God made man, He made him “in His image, in His likeness” (Gen. 1:27).  Man himself bears the image of God and is proof that God exists.  God has spoken to human beings through His written word.  The Bible stands as evidence that God is.  “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the world of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:1-3).  The writing prophets (such as Moses, Samuel, David, and many others) and the apostles and New Testament prophets (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James and Jude) have given us a body of truth the substance of which comes from the Triune God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).   Jesus reveals the Father to us.  “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?  the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (John 14:8-11).  Jesus’ life, teaching, miracles, death, burial and resurrection are all evidences that God is.  Luke records that the sacred knowledge that he gave to Theophilus consisted of many infallible proofs which were “most certainly believed” among us (see Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1-4).  Jesus predicted that He would build His church (kingdom) (Matthew 16:16-19).  The Lord’s church was established on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47).  The church is comprised of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  The existence of the church is proof that God exists and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  The transformation of millions of lives by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful voice for faith in God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.  In order for unbelievers to reject the sum total of all of the evidence for God, unbelievers would have to be able to falsify every piece of evidence in a conclusive way.  This would be impossible to do.  The existence of unbelief does not destroy the many infallible proofs God has given to us of His existence and goodness.
Belief in a Lie Does Not Make It True
Our unbelief in Jesus does not disprove who He is.  “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” (II Tim. 2:13).  If we deny Him, He also will deny us.  Jesus is faithful to Himself. He is essentially and eternally consistent. It is His nature to be so.  Jesus authenticates Himself by His nature, power, goodness, truth and holiness.  He bears witness to Himself (John 8:18). In order to deny Jesus, one must believe a lie and one must be able to falsify who Jesus is.   The former can be done, but the latter is impossible to do.  Believing a lie does not disprove the truth.  The argument from unbelief is false and must be rejected.  We are powerless to affect the eternal consistency of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Wonder is what takes your breath away, and gives your breath back again, to breathe again–transformed!” (William Brown, bible gateway.com).
Wonder is the quality of amazed excitement (Webster).  Wonder is inquisitive awe in pursuit of an understanding of the magnificence of God!  The noblest quest of the human mind is to know God.  Please consider making this your New Year’s resolution!  The wonder of God is the antidote to boredom.  The human heart needs noble quests that ultimately satisfy and enrich the soul.  This quest is one worth pursuing, so, do it heartily!
The wonder of God begins with a pursuit of the knowledge of His Creative Acts.  In Genesis 1-2, we have an inspired, written record of those acts which we embrace by faith (Heb. 11:3).  This is none other than the pursuit of origins.  It is the pursuit of our own identity which is rooted in God’s creative acts.  It is the pursuit of God’s power, genius, and beauty.
The Power of God
“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” (Ps. 33:8-9).  “And God said….”  Gen. 1:3.  The Word of God is powerful!  God spoke the universe into existence.  “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3).  God spoke the universe into existence out of nothing physical that existed before.  He created by divine fiat.  That is wonder working power!  That is omnipotence!
The Genius/Design of God
Ps. 139:14-16, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”  The human body produces wonder.  Here are some facts to consider:
-The largest bone in the human body is the femur.  It can support 30 times the weight of a person’s body.  Ounce for ounce, that’s stronger than steel.
-Messages from the human brain travel along nerves at up to 200 miles an hour.
-In an adult human, 25% of their bones are in the feet.
-A human’s ears and nose never stop growing.
-There are more bacteria in a human mouth than there are people in the world.
-A human’s little finger contributes over 50% of the hand’s strength.
-If a human’s DNA were uncoiled, it would stretch 10 billion miles, from Earth to Pluto and back.
-For an adult human, taking just one step uses up to 200 muscles.
-A human skeleton renews itself completely every 10 years.
-By the time of person reaches 70 years old, he or she will have consumed over 12,000 gallons of water.
-The body can detect taste in .0015 seconds, which is faster than the blink of an eye.
-Every hour, humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin, or about 1.5 pounds every year.  By the time a person is 70 years old, they will have lost about 105 pounds of skin.
Ps. 19:1-3, “The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”  Just consider the Astronomical Calendar for 2024 as an example of the display of God’s genius.  January 3-4, we began with the Quadrantis Meteor Showers.  January 12 is the best time to see Mercury because it is at its greatest Western Elongation.  February 20 is the best time to see Venus because it will be at its greatest Eastern Elongation.  Don’t forget to take in the New Moon and the Full Moon for every month.   March 25 will be a Prenumbral Lunar Eclipse (the moon passes through the earth’s penumbral shadow).  April 8 will bring a total Solar Eclipse.  April 22-23 will bring the Lyrics Meteor Showers with meteor surges up to 100 per hour.  May 6-7 will be the Eta Aquarius Meteor showers and May 14 will bring a total Lunar Eclipse and the moon will take on a reddish appearance.  June 20 is the summer solstice and the longest day of the year.  July 21 will be the Buck moon which coincides when Buck’s antlers are at full growth.  Also July 28-29 will bring the Aquaria Meteor showers with about 20 meteors per hour.  August 12-13 will bring the Perseus Meteor showers with about 60 meteors per hour.  September 18 will bring a Supermoon and on the 18th there will be a partial lunar eclipse.  September 22 will be the fall equinox and fall will begin in the Northern Hemisphere.  Oct. 17 will bring a supermoon.  Oct. 21-22 will bring the Orionids Meteor Shower which originates from Hally’s Comet (about 20 meteors per hour).  In November, you can see the Taurids meteor showers with a higher than usual percentage of fireballs and the Leonids Meteor showers which provide a glimpse of the most intense meteors in history.  December will bring the Geminid Meteor showers (13-14) with up to 120 colored meteors per hour.  The night sky is a light show beyond imagination and God’s genius and design is behind every astronomical phenomenon.
God’s design is seen in practically every aspect of the universe.  There is much to discover!  So, open your eyes, get excited about the process of discovery and enjoy God’s creation!
 The Beauty of God
In Genesis 1:31, the Bible declares that God gave His evaluation of the creation and pronounced it “very good.”  This pronouncement indicates that everything God created functioned exactly as God designed it.  All created species were actualizing the functions for which they were made, in relation to the totality of being: the consequence was, of course, harmony, order and peace.  The “heaven and the earth” were designed as a suitable habitat for man. Indeed, the world created by God was a “value of soul-making.”  In addition, to the created excellence of the design God brought into being, human beings were virtuous having been created morally perfect.  God’s initial creation was perfect.  This high excellence was part of the beauty of the created world which mirrored the beauty of God.   The Garden of Eden reflects this beauty.  The human form and design reflects this beauty.  The earth before the “curse” reflects this beauty.  Today, we still marvel at the beauty of the earth.  The Seven Natural Wonders of the World stand as a testament to his beauty.  The world atlas.com lists the following geographical areas as natural wonders:  Mount Everest (tallest peak on earth at 8,848.86 meters); Parcutin Volcano (a cinder volcano); The Grand Canyon (446 km long; 29 km wide and 1.8 km deep); Victoria Falls (the largest waterfall in the world, located in Southern Africa); The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro (the world’s largest natural harbor located in Brazil); the Great Barrier Reef (the largest coral reef located near Queensland, Australia) and the Northern Lights (a light show of dancing colors seen near the Arctic Circle).  Much more could be included.  Wonder is all around us!  God is at the center of all wonder.  When we consider His Creative Acts, we are filled with inquisitive awe in pursuit of an understanding of His magnificence!  Now, that’s the cure for boredom!!!