How Do You Know God Is Real?

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KNOWING VS. SHOWING
There is a large difference between these two words.  Showing God’s existence is incredibly important, and something that I firmly believe is missing in American Evangelical Christianity.  Showing God’s existence can be done through arguments and evidence.  Discussing archeological finds that support Bible history and using philosophical arguments supporting God’s existence are very important when it comes to loving God with our mind (Mark 12:29-31) and making a defense for what we believe (1 Peter 3:15).  However, it shouldn’t end there.

Simply showing that God exists, yet never truly knowing, is ultimately pointless.  Someone could intellectually understand that Jesus is God, died for the sin of humanity, and convert to Christianity.  But simply saying, “Jesus took away my sins,” is much different than, “I’ve been forgiven.”


HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD IS REAL?
Dr. William Lane Craig asserts that we can know God’s existence apart from arguments and evidence through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, we can know God through our experience of Him.  We can know God because the Holy Spirit lives in us (1 John 4:13; Acts 5:32; Ephesians 1:13-14).  We are perfectly rational for believing in God if we have experienced Him in our life (for more information on this, read my blog post: http://thewaymattseesit.blogspot.com/2014/04/lets-argue-immediate-experience-of-god.html).

So the question remains, how do you know God is real?  In what way have you experienced God?  What part of your life has changed after coming to the knowledge that God is real?  What has Jesus forgiven you of?  What has this done for you?

If you aren’t able to immediately answer this question, think about it.  If you’re at a place where you honestly don’t know God’s existence to be true, ask Him to come in and change your life.


SO IS SHOWING PROOF USELESS?
No!  Of course not.  This is perhaps more for those who become over-engaged with proving the existence of God.  God might be an intellectual concept for them, but nothing more.  If you aren’t sure about the existence of God yet, looking into arguments for His existence is something you should certainly pursue.  However, arguments for the existence of God can easily distract us from God Himself.  Take some time to get to know God today.

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
(1 John 4:13)

“We mustn’t so concentrate on the external arguments that we fail to hear the inner voice of God speaking to our own hearts.  For those who listen, God becomes an immediate reality in their lives.”
–Dr. William Lane Craig


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