Yes, most definitely. The question is: are you willing to believe it? Paul says in Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Paul is saying that the evidence for God’s existence is the existence of living creatures and nature itself, because only God could have caused them to come into existence. Should we accept this as evidence? What if we don’t want to?
From a scientific point of view, evidence is “empirical data collected through systematic observation, measurement, and experimentation that supports, refutes, or refines a scientific claim, hypothesis, or theory. This information is gathered using rigorous methods, analyzed, and subjected to peer review to ensure its validity.”
This means science cannot help us to assess the veracity of Paul’s claim.
If God created the world, this was a singular event that can never be replicated by anyone on Earth. We cannot observe it, measure it, experiment with it, and there are no peers available to review its validity. Evidence for God requires a different approach.
We should note that it is not Paul’s claim that is the issue here; it is the limitations presented by human science and how it defines ‘evidence’ that are the problem.
If Paul’s evidence for God’s existence that is closest to us all (ourselves: our bodies and how they work, and our minds — what they are capable of in terms of thought, creativity and imagination) were to suffice, the matter would already have been settled.
Is Paul wrong to offer ‘nature’ as evidence?
Even the cheapest plastic toy has a designer and manufacturer, and not even the simplest meal can gather its own ingredients and cook itself. Paul is essentially arguing that nature and life must have a cause and, in principle, this is a scientific argument.
We must therefore be very careful not to impose excessively complicated requirements on what the ‘evidence for the existence of God’ should look like.
If we deny God’s existence
If we deny God’s existence it will have no effect on Him, but it will have a huge effect on us, as described in Romans 1:21-22, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” The result of failing to honor God, this foolishness, will have very serious consequences. The Bible contains many verses on the fate of those who refuse to believe in God.
If these verses are true, it is absolutely essential that we continue to look for truthful answers in this matter. Because if we get it wrong, we may find ourselves greatly disadvantaged.
Alternative ways to prove or disprove God’s existence?
As mentioned above, we cannot prove the existence of God in a scientific way. Neither can it be proven in a scientific way that God does NOT exist.
What other ways do we have at our disposal? Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and René Descartes (1596-1650) contemplated God’s existence extensively. Descartes, a French philosopher, said: “The mere fact that I exist and have within me an idea of a most perfect being, that is, God, provides a very clear proof that God indeed exists….. It is no surprise that God, in creating me, should have placed this idea in me to be, as it were, the mark of the craftsman stamped on His work.”
Kant basically argued that morals can only exist if God exists, and as morals do exist, God must therefore exist, as well.
The Bible tells us about prophets, who saw God in a vision. Many people would consider a personal vision to be ‘proof for the existence of God’, but unfortunately for us, we cannot ‘make God prove Himself to us’. He already did so once — prove Himself to mankind — and none of us were present when that happened. Some two thousand years ago, God became a man of flesh and blood. His name was, and is, Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus is an icon of God, the Father. In Hebrews 1:3 we read: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.”
When we look to Jesus we see God, the Father. We see His loving character, His will to save people.
Jesus was a historical person. We know a lot about Him through the Bible. He said: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
Where is the evidence, today?
The evidence for the existence of God can be found in Jesus, and in you, yourself. Not primarily in science, philosophy or the visions of others, but in you.
Today Jesus is alive and well and He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of His children. Millions of people experience His power, His love, His comfort. Through the ages, people have testified of God’s help in their lives. Today God is there for you as well. You can talk to Him. Ask Him for help and guidance. The way to contact Him is through prayer. This is where the evidence can be found.
The question remains: are you willing to accept the challenge of believing it?