Why should I believe in God?

Answer  
  

Belief in God is the most basic of all human considerations. Acknowledgement of one’s Creator is foundational to learning any more about Him. Without believing in God, it is impossible to please Him or even come to Him (Hebrews 11:6\). People are surrounded with proof of God’s existence, and it is only through the hardening of sin that men reject that proof (Romans 1:18–23\). It is foolish to disbelieve in God (Psalm 14:1\).  
  

There are two choices in life. First, we have the choice to trust in man’s limited reason. Man’s reason has produced various philosophies, the many world religions and “isms,” different cults, and other ideas and worldviews. A key characteristic of man’s reason is that it does not last, for man himself is not lasting. It is also limited by man’s finite knowledge; we are not as wise as we think we are (1 Corinthians 1:20\). Man’s reason starts with himself and ends with himself. Man lives in Time’s box with no way out. Man is born, grows to maturity, makes his impact on the world, and eventually dies. That is it for him, naturally speaking. The choice to live by reason leaves one weighed in the balance and found wanting. If a person objectively thinks about such a lifestyle, it should cause him to consider the second choice.  
  

The second choice we have is to accept God’s revelation in the Bible. To “lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5\). Of course, to accept that the Bible is from God, one must acknowledge God. Belief in the God of the Bible does not negate the use of reason; rather, it is when we seek God that He opens our eyes (Psalm 119:18\), enlightens our understanding (Ephesians 1:18\), and grants us wisdom (Proverbs 8\).  
  

Belief in God is bolstered by the evidence of God’s existence that is readily available. All creation bears silent witness to the fact of a Creator (Psalm 19:1–4\). God’s book, the Bible, establishes its own validity and historical accuracy. For example, consider one Old Testament prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming. Micah 5:2 states that Christ would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Micah gave his prophecy around 700 BC. Where was Christ born seven centuries later? He was born in Bethlehem of Judea, just as Micah had predicted (Luke 2:1–20; Matthew 2:1–12\).  
  

Peter Stoner, in *Science Speaks* (p. 100–107\), has shown that coincidence in prophetic Scripture is ruled out by the science of probability. By using the laws of probability in reference to eight prophecies concerning Christ, Stoner found that the chance that any man would fulfill all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That would be 1 chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000\. And that is only considering eight prophecies; Jesus fulfilled many more. There is no doubt that the Bible’s accuracy and reliability are substantiated by prophecy.  
  

Reading the Bible, we discover that God is eternal, holy, personal, gracious, and loving. God has broken open Time’s box through the [Incarnation](incarnation-of-Christ.html) of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s loving action does not impinge on man’s reason but provides enlightenment for man’s reason so he can begin to understand that he needs forgiveness and eternal life through the Son of God.  
  

Sure, one can reject the God of the Bible, and many do. Men can reject what Jesus Christ has done for them. To reject Christ is to reject God (John 10:30\). What will it be for you? Will you live by man’s limited, faulty reason? Or will you acknowledge your Creator and accept God’s revelation in the Bible? “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:7–8\).  
  

