Let's Argue: Immediate Experience of God

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We’ve been looking at several convincing philosophical arguments for the existence of God.  We’ve seen The Cosmological Argument, The Moral Argument, the facts concerning the resurrection of the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth, and examined The Problem of Evil.  These arguments show through sound logic and argumentation that the existence of God is more plausibly true than plausibly false, and shows that God is the best explanation for the argument.


EXPERIENCING GOD
This time, we are considering another thought, but is not quite the same as the other arguments we’ve looked at so far. 
God can be personally known and experienced.

This is the immediate experience of God.  We are claiming that we can know that God exists apart from just arguments, because God can be experienced.  This is what would be considered a “properly basic belief.”


PROPERLY BASIC BELIEFS
What is a “properly basic belief?”  Think of it this way: prove to me that everything in your past happened.

Just take a second.

Think about it.

That’s right, you can’t.  There’s no way to do this.

But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe in the past anymore.  Properly basic beliefs are beliefs that we hold that cannot be proven, but we are completely justified in holding to because they are grounded in experience.  Other examples include the belief in the reality of the external world, and belief that there are other minds besides your own.  When you think about it, there is actually no way to prove these beliefs!

However, you are completely justified in believing that the world exists, because of your experience.  This belief is not arbitrary, and not even basic, but is “properly basic.”  You have the right to believe this based on your experience.
Believing in the reality of the external world is a properly basic belief.

Belief in God is also a properly basic belief.  If you know God, this is a properly basic belief that you have, because your belief is grounded in your experience of Him.  Although this doesn’t “prove” God’s existence to someone else, you are completely justified in believing in God’s existence because of your personal experience of Him.

This is especially important to point out, because although these philosophical arguments are significant, they could distract our attention from God.  The Bible says to love God with all of our “heart, soul, mind, and strength,” (Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:30).  Researching these arguments are a great way to love God with our minds, but we cannot leave it there. 

Ultimately, God wants us to experience a relationship with Him by knowing and loving Him.

This is something I personally struggle with sometimes.  These types of arguments engage my brain and stimulate my mind.  However, sometimes I get caught up in the arguments and research and get distracted from my own relationship with Jesus.  These arguments should increase our love for God with not just our minds, but our heart, soul, and strength as well!



SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND
If you are sincerely seeking God, He will reveal Himself to you.  Listen to the inner voice of God speaking to your heart, and He will answer you!

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
–Jesus (Matthew 7:7-8)

“Come near to God, and he will come near to you.”
–James 4:8

Believing in God because you know He has spoken to your or changed your life is a properly basic belief; you have every right to do so.  If you have experienced God, you are completely justified in believing in Him.



CONCLUSION
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
–Jesus (Mark 12:30, quoting Deut. 6:4-5)

These philosophical arguments for God’s existence provide very compelling evidence to believe in God.  Researching these different arguments is a great way to love God with all of our minds.  The facts concerning the resurrection of the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth especially show that the claims of Jesus can be taken seriously, and that He is truly God, and He has the power to save us from our sins.

However, we see that it doesn’t end there.  These arguments aren’t just to show who is “better” or “smarter.”  Instead, these arguments point us to God Himself, who desires to have a relationship with us.

I hope that this study of philosophical arguments has not only stimulated your mind, but has also drawn you closer to Jesus and helped you to pursue a deeper relationship with Him.

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Now remain in my love.”
–Jesus (John 15:9)


*Much of the above content was borrowed from Reasonable Faith.  For more see this resource:
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-new-atheism-and-five-arguments-for-god

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