Recently, I came across the question that some find hard to answer: What difference does God make?
Ultimately, this question is not hard to answer. Those who have had a genuine experience with the Creator of the Universe will tell you that God has made the biggest difference in their lives. But then some might question if those experiences were the result of God’s direct intervention or if those same experiences can be had by those who do not believe in God. But those questions lead back to how we know that God exists and that He is not simply a product of wishful thinking or a figment of our collective imagination.
If God exists then He makes all of the difference, because He is the source of all life. Furthermore, our beliefs determine our actions. By believing in God, my perception of reality is changed and I begin to relate to the world in a way that is completely different than if I believed there were no God to hold me accountable. My attitude towards life is changed and therefore my actions are different.
This might seem like a simple response, but it answers the question that is posed: What difference does believing in God make in our lives? God changes our perception of reality, He changes our attitude towards life, and He changes how we live our lives.
But in order for this change to be real, then God would have to exist on some level of reality. This means that the following question needs a sufficient answer: How do we know that God exists?
Let me tell you why I believe that God exists:
1. Philosophy–where there is a design there is a designer. If there is a design to the universe then it automatically suggests the existence of an intelligent designer.
2. History–I am one of those people who believe that the Bible is a historical document. In fact, all of Christianity depends on the integrity of the manuscripts that have been preserved for thousands of years. Moses was a real person, the Hebrews were a real people, Israel is a real place, David was a real King, Jesus really died and resurrected from the dead.
3. Prophecy–This is one of the keys to believing in the authority of scriptures. There are actual prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled. I am not an expert on prophecy, but Jesus fulfilled all of the predictions concerning the Jewish messiah. This is an interesting study.
4.Experience–God not only existed during the days of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Moses, but God exists today. We can learn from other people who have witnessed miracles, seen angels, had prophetic dreams, and have been the recipients of dramatic answers to prayer. Many of us have had encounters with evil spirits who were driven away by calling on the name of Jesus. Most Christians have a laundry list of experiences where they have witnessed the power of God in their life.
Now, anyone of these reasons on their own might not prove the existence of God. However, if you add them all together then it puts belief in God as not only possible or plausible, but probable beyond a reasonable doubt.
For me, there is no other explanation that fits everything that I know about reality. The facts most certainly make faith in God the most rational approach to life.
~Stephen Beagles