Pastoral Musings

Seeking Proof of God

The following statement is very interesting. It is in reference to what would convince this person of the existence of God.

“Another such example would be a holy man that could, repeatedly and under the harshest testing, perform a miracle. There’s lots of ways that stage magicians can ‘magically’ pour a clear acidic substance into a glass laced with a PH sensitive chemical that will turn red, and thus turn ‘water’ into ‘wine’. But if you got a holy man that could actually turn real, drinkable water into real, drinkable wine, and that could do all that whilst being tested in a laboratory environment, that would be extremely persuasive and would probably win the researcher involved a Nobel prize. In short, a repeatable and testable miracle worker would do the trick.

Once again, the absence of a testable miracle worker doesn’t disprove God either. But this very absence is a prediction of the atheistic/naturalistic worldview, and the existence of such a miracle worker would be powerfully falsifying for the atheistic/naturalistic worldview. And on the other hand, the theistic worldview makes no falsifying prediction in this case whatsoever.”

First of all, let me reiterate that God will not necessarily reveal Himself to us on our terms. He is God and we are man.

As far as verifying it in a laboratory, that is the very epitome of attempting to get God to reveal Himself to us on our terms. One thing that must be realized is the fact that, should one be able to see these things verified, he would not necessarily believe it. Seeing is not always believing. More on that in a moment.

Is the absence of a testable miracle the prediction of an atheistic/naturalistic worldview? I imagine that is so. The reality is this: there was a testable miracle of water being turned into wine. It was taste tested. People poured water into large pots. They KNEW it was water because they drew it themselves. They pulled the water out of the pots into smaller containers and delivered it to the feasting people. The servants knew that they took water out of the pots, but delivered wine to the ones whom they served. There is no absence of a testable miracle. We have eyewitness accounts of it having happened. It was something that was verified by those who were there, many of whom were not followers of Jesus and had no vested interest in validating Him and His works.

After having seen many miracles, the majority of the people of Jesus’ day did not believe Him. Why? Simply because they were not inclined to do so. They wanted God on their terms, not on His terms. God is rejected, not because He has not performed miracles, but because men don’t want to accept Him.

“Though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:37-50) KJV

You see, in the end, people in Jesus’ day did not reject Him for want of a miracle. They rejected Him because they did not believe what He had to say.

Why?

It is an issue of human nature and the fact that man loves what is wrong instead of what is right.

“This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3;19,20) KJV

In fact, a statement was made that, if a man would not believe God’s Word, he would not believe if he saw a miracle. When the rich man we call “Dives” was crying out of torments to his father Abraham he asked for Lazarus to be sent from the dead and preach to his family. The response was that the family had the Word of God (Moses and the prophets). Dives replied that they would believe if they saw one who was resurrected. Abraham said, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31) KJV

Ultimately, the real test is not whether or not God will show Himself. He has already done so. (I plan to deal with this more in the future.) The real test is whether we will humble ourselves to accept the evidence He has given us and believe His Words.

The issue isn’t the lack of evidence  The issue is not accepting the evidence because we don’t like the conclusion that it will lead us to.