Debates have raged for centuries over the scientific proof for the existence of God. The same "evidence" has been used by some to claim that God exists and by others that he does not. I would like to offer a different type of evidence. Let's call it natural evidence.

Let me illustrate the argument. My wife and I had the privilege of visiting Florence, Italy with its great art museums. While gazing upon Michelangelo's David, suppose someone in the gallery of viewers said, "Wow, it's amazing what wind and water erosion can accomplish over millions of years!" The crowd would consider such a statement ridiculous, and reply that the work of art was produced by an artist, Michelangelo.

Now continue to imagine the preposterous scene if the man challenged their claim, and insisted that their belief in Michelangelo was simply a myth. History books could be produced giving the biographical information about the artist, but our doubter could easily question the reliability of the written testimony.

The issue here is really a simple one. The illustration just given is not only fiction, but we can hardly imagine such a scene. The evidence is this—the existence of the art demands the existence of an artist.

Now we must ask, "If the mere marble form of David could not have come into being apart from an intelligent creator, then how much more does the real, living David demand a Creator?" This real human being with eyes more complex than any optical instrument created by man must have as its source a Creator superior to itself.

Can we imagine a watch apart from a watchmaker? Can we, with any degree of intellectual honesty, look at an automobile and imagine that it came into being by mere chance? No, creation requires a Creator. The Bible mentions this "natural evidence" in several places.

In Psalm 19 we read, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge." This Bible passage teaches us that the creation is revealing the reality of the Creator.

Another passage in the Bible makes a similar declaration. In the letter of Paul to the Christians in Rome he writes, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." This is a very interesting verse. First, it claims, like Psalm 19, that the creation displays certain attributes of the maker. But it goes beyond this with the last phrase—"they are without excuse."

Just as a man would be deemed foolish to believe that a sculpture as intricate and detailed as Michelangelo's David could come into being by chance, so God holds man accountable to look into the sky and the wonders of creation and say, "There must be a maker." This natural evidence does not tell us who the maker is or how we can come to know him, but it does force upon us the reality that there is a Creator behind this creation, and leaves us "without excuse" for neglecting our pursuit of a clearer understanding of this glorious Creator.

Copyright © Bill Busshaus 2001.
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Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®,
Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1975, 1977, by the Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.lockman.org)