How Do We Know Anything Exists?

To answer the question of whether God exists, let’s first consider how we conclude that anything exists.

Let’s take wind for an example. We know that wind exists, but we can’t see it. It would be difficult to find somebody who believes that the wind doesn’t exist because we can’t see it. We know wind exists because we can feel it and see its effects. It blows through our hair and against our skin. We can hear it rustling the leaves in trees and watch it lift sand off the ground. Our sensory experience provides evidence that wind exists.

God also provided us sensory evidence for his existence. While we cannot see God, we know he exists through what we see and his effects on the world. The Bible explains that people worshiped nature in the past because they could see divine qualities in God’s handiwork (Romans 1:20-23). A volcano’s power and unpredictability are symbols of wrath. A river’s water brings life. The sun gives life and is the most constant thing we experience. All of these characteristics are dim reflections of our loving God. He is wrathful (Psalm 7:11), life-giving (John 1:3-4), and unchanging (Malachi 3:6). The organization, detail, complexity, and beauty of nature is the effect of an intelligent being’s creativity.

The scientific law of motion states that an object at rest will remain at rest unless it is acted upon by an external force. When you kick a stationary ball, you cause it to move by your external force. That ball can’t move on its own. Scientists will tell you that all the particles in the universe are moving, even if on a microscopic scale. Now according to science, itself, something had to be the initial cause of all this motion. Something that did not need to be put into motion initially has put everything else into motion.

God is the great First Cause. God is like the like wind that rustles through the universe, setting our experience into motion. He put everything into motion because he has existed since before time began—he’s eternal (Psalm 90:1-2). He did not need a jump start—for somebody else to kick him into motion. Even a “big bang” would need something to jump start the explosion into motion. Creation itself is evidence for God’s existence—we call it God’s general revelation.

God’s special revelation in the Bible provides us with explicit evidence of his existence—he spoke to us! Scripture claims to be the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). It includes all he desired us to know about him. God has plainly declared his existence in the pages of Scripture.

He has also confirmed his existence through his Holy Spirit. When people believe the good news of the Bible that God sent his son Jesus into the world to save us from our sins through his sacrificial death and resurrection (John 3:16), God promises to give them his Holy Spirit to make them new people (Ezekiel 36:27; John 14:16-17). The radical change we observe in people’s preferences, behaviors, attitudes, and words provide living proof of God’s existence.

Can you think of anyone who has experienced this kind of transformation after knowing Jesus? Check out our testimonies page to meet people who have!

Our skeptical world tries to ignore the Creator (Romans 1:19-20). But if we just look at nature with an open and logical mind, we can see the designer’s fingerprints. When we read Scripture, we hear God speak. When we meet converts, we perceive God’s work in the human heart.

At the end of all our reasoning, you must ask whether you believe. There are a great deal of things we take peoples’ word for—we accept many things based not on proof, but upon reasonable evidence. Sometimes it’s not logic that stops our belief, but rather our unwillingness to deal with the consequences and implication of that belief.

God’s existence is never defended in Scripture. It’s a fact assumed by the Bible, perceived by our conscience, supported by creation, arguable by reason, and testified to by loads of peoples’ personal experience. The question the Bible raises for us is not whether God exists, but whether you will believe these many testimonies to his existence.

If you still have questions about God’s existence, why not pick up a Bible or go to one online and start reading. Genesis 1 is a great place to start. It will tell you the creation story, and introduce you to the God who speaks. Give it a read today!