Faith 103: Proof of God's Existence with excerpts from:
Conversation with an Atheist
God and Evolution: An Exchange
Answering the Big Questions of Life 
The Folly of Denying God

Question: Hi, I am 17 and am in my final year of school. I am Greek Orthodox and have been a strong believer of God since my birth. Though over the past few months I have come across something new and different. My Endlish teacher tells the class that there is no God. I have no problem with that, thats her opinion. Though when she says that you can prove philosopically thats there isn't a God, but you can't prove there is a God, I began to argue with her. She challenges me and says that she could win any debate over this issue. I dont know what to do??? thanks for your time

Answer:
Dear Friend, I would challenge you to grow in your faith in Jesus Christ first of all. The evidence for Christianity is vast, unlike other religions, we have a Savior Who changed the course of history for all time, Who provided a supernatural proof of His deity through miracles, fulfilled prophecies, a life of purity, authoritative teachings and finally through His death and resurrection.
Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days in the grave proving He was all He claimed to be: God, the Son of God, the Messiah, Lord & Savior of all, one with the Father. Conquering death, He showed us His power to save us from our sins, and then bring us safely to heaven. He offers Himself as a gift to anyone who will trust Him . John 20:31 says: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name". (NIV)
St. Paul writes in 1 Cor 15:3-8: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born". (NIV)
Jesus' resurrection from the dead was verified by hundreds of witnesses.  Today His grave still remains empty.
The apostle John writes in John 20:3-9: "So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.  Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
The question for all people is: Who do you believe Jesus Christ is? In the end, Jesus will judge all people and only through faith in Him can one be assured of eternal life. Here are some links for many articles on proofs for Christianity...... get ready to investigate and get ready to grow....
In Conversation with an Atheist Rick Wade writes:
"Of course, there are a number of reasons or grounds for believing. These include direct experience of God, the testimony of a people who claim to have known God, written revelation which makes sense (if one is open to the supernatural), philosophical and scientific corroboration, the historical reality of a man named Jesus who fulfilled prophecies and did miracles, etc...."

In God and Evolution: An Exchange between Howard Van Till and Phillip Johnson, Mr. Johnson argues:
"Perhaps the best way to start is by answering Howard Van Till's question: just what would biological history have been like if left to natural phenomena without God's participation? If God had created a lifeless world, even with oceans rich in amino acids and other organic molecules, and thereafter had left matters alone, life would not have come into existence.
If God had done nothing but create a world of bacteria and protozoa, it would still be a world of bacteria and protozoa. Whatever may have been the case in the remote past, the chemicals we see today have no observable tendency or ability to form living cells, and single-celled organisms have no observable tendency or ability to form complex plants and animals.
Persons who believe that chemicals unassisted by intelligence can combine to create life, or that bacteria can evolve by natural processes into complex animals, are making an a priori assumption that nature has the resources to do its own creating. I call such persons metaphysical naturalists. Throughout this reply, as in the original paper, I use the term "naturalism" in what Van Till would call the broad sense.
Of course, theists recognize that experience has shown that a great many phenomena have natural causes that are accessible to scientific investigation. To a theist there is nothing surprising about this, because the universe is a product of the mind of God and the inquiring mind of man was created in God's image..."

In Answering the Big Questions of Life Sue Bohlin writes: "There are two things in life you can be sure of.
1.There is a God.
2.You are not Him." Christian Theism answers the question, Why is there something rather than nothing, by confidently asserting that first there was God and nothing else, then He created the universe by simply speaking it into existence. The Bible's opening sentence is an answer to this most basic of questions: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth....
Theism says that there is such a thing as absolute truth, and absolute right and wrong. We can know this because this information has come to us from a transcendent source outside of ourselves and outside of our world.
Christian Theism says that the God who created us has also communicated certain truths to us. He communicated generally, through His creation, and He communicated specifically and understandably through His Word, the Bible. We call this revelation. Christian
Theism says that absolute truth is rooted in God Himself, who is an Absolute; He is Truth. As Creator, He has the right to tell us the difference between right and wrong, and He has taken great care to communicate this to us.
That's why Steven Covey's illustration was so powerful. When he pulled out a compass, he showed that we need a transcendent source of information, something outside ourselves and which is fixed and constant, to show us the moral equivalent of "North."
We are creatures created to be dependent on our Creator for the information we need to live life right. God has given us a compass in revelation....
The Christian world view gives the most satisfying answer to the question, How do you explain human nature? The Bible teaches that God created us to be His image-bearers, which makes us distinct from the entire rest of creation. But when Adam and Eve chose to rebel in disobedience, their fall into sin distorted and marred the sacred Image. The fact that we are created in God's image explains the noble, creative, positive things we can do; the fact that we are sinners who love to disobey and rebel against God's rightful place as King of our lives explains our wicked, destructive, negative behavior. It makes sense that this biblical view of human nature reveals the reasons why mankind is capable of producing both Mother Teresa and the holocaust. "

In The Folly of Denying God from the Christian Research Institute we read:
"Clearly, theism – the belief in a personal God who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe – is the only viable option on the question of God’s existence. Once this is established, it can be pointed out that only a personal God can account for human personality, thought, and morality. Furthermore, this personal God has manifested Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, who demonstrated His deity through the undeniable fact of the Resurrection. Additionally, God has provided His written Word which can be shown to be divine rather than human in origin."
Other articles on Probe:
How do we know God Exists? Other articles on Probe and Response to a Skeptic: How to Know God Personally
Other sites for information on Christianity to answer many questions: Gospelcom's Apologetics
ChristianAnswers.net
See Phillip Johnson's site for articles such as: Unraveling Scientific Materialism

These are just some articles and sites to help you investigate for yourself and begin to base your faith on the evidence that God has provided for His existence.
I encourage you to study the Bible as well .......read this historical book which is inspired by God to discover real faith in Christ, the prophecies He fulfilled, the miracles of His life and resurrection. Holy Bible : The NIV Study Bible Read the gospel of John in the New Testament and make the decision to ask Christ to be your Lord and Savior.

Won't you consider asking Christ into your life today. Once you have received Jesus Christ personally, you will be saved. When you meet God at the pearly gates and He asks "Why should I let you in?"..... you can say, "because I have trusted in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and it is His death on the cross that has paid for my sins."
Prayer this prayer if you want to be certain you are going to heaven: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness. I turn my life over to you because I believe that You died for my sins and You are the only way to heaven and to have peace with God. You are the only One who can save and forgive me. Please cleanse me of my sins, come into my life and change me today.  In Jesus' Name I ask this.  Amen
In Matt 28:20 Jesus says this: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)
I Jn 5:20 says: "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."(NIV) 
If you have just placed your trust in Jesus Christ, you are now a Christian on your way to heaven and nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. You are starting a brand new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it this way, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!". Your sins have been paid for. Your slate has been wiped clean.  Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly."  He was saying that you will discover that your present life is more meaningful and hopeful now that you have a relationship with the God of the universe. 
To grow in your new relationship with Christ, attend a solid Bible teaching church to learn more and to fellowship with God's family.  You can contact the WillowCreek Association for a recommendation to a churrch near you. Read your Bible and pray everyday. Start by reading the gospel of John in the New Testament.

If you have prayed this prayer please email Lynette Hoy and include your address.  You will receive the free book: An Anchor for the Soul: Help for the Present, Hope for the Future  by Pastor Ray Pritchard. 

Jesus lived the greatest life anyone ever lived on earth and claimed to be God. His life backed up His claims!
He is God and He is coming back one day to judge the world. Will you put your faith in Him? God bless you in your journey.

Lynette Hoy, NCC, LCPC

Reference Books: Mere Christianity, The Case for Christianityt or The Problem of Pain or Josh's book Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith or Know Why You Believe by Paul Little or Letters from a Skeptic by Gregory & Edward Boyd"
*Read this Book Review of Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

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Lynette Hoy, NCC, LCPC

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